Apprentices Compete for ‘Top Trowel’ Honors Words: Francine AbramoffA select group of talented, relative newcomers to the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) earned the distinction of top apprentices in eight trowel trades crafts at the BAC/IMI (International Masonry Institute) International Apprentice Contest, held in September at the BAC/IMI John J. Flynn International Training Center. A total of 103 contestants competed in eight craft categories that included brick, cement, marble, plaster, PCC/restoration, stone, tile and terrazzo. BAC apprentices receive their training through Local Union training programs and the IMI. 1st Place WinnersBrick Darren Tobolt, BAC Local 40 Ohio of the Ohio Administrative District Council Terrazzo Michael Sell, Sr., BAC Local 7 New York/New Jersey Marble Nikolajs Pastuhovs, BAC Local 1 Washington Stone Ray Lowden, III, BAC Local 9 Pennsylvania Plaster Christos Katechis, BAC Local 1 New York PCC Daniel McInerney, BAC Local 3 Massachusetts Tile Rey Barrios, BAC Local 3 California Cement Jesse Steger, BAC Local 11 of the Wisconsin Administrative District Council For more information, visit www.bacweb.org.