Team Rocker (Marcel Braun, Hamm Brushland, Elijah Copeland, and Carlin C$ Sage) won third place in the 2009 International Hot Glass Invitational (IHGI) with Rocking Vegas, a giant clear-glass rocking chair. The members’ collective ingenuity created a pass-through annealer and overcame obstacles faced during and after transport to the event.

Team Scientific Splash (Doni Hatz, Tim Kornahrens, Julie Riggs, and Tim Williams) won second place in the 2009 International Hot Glass Invitational (IHGI) with Elements at Play, a Cirque du Soleil–style sculpture. Featured were aerial artists flying high amidst colorful hollow-form tent spires, a hamster-wheel contraption, and ornamental flames.

Team Northstar (Clinton Roman, Scott Deppe, Darby Holm, and Matthew Stroven) created the winning 2009 International Hot Glass Invitational (IHGI) entry, a skull-and-spine chandelier inspired by findings in a Czech monastery. Careful planning and well-orchestrated teamwork on the part of the members made this an outstanding entry.