LPS students showcase cooking skills in 2024 LPS Culinary Competition

December 5, 2024

More than 200 Lincoln Public Schools students faced off in the 19th annual LPS Culinary Competition at Southeast Community College.

Young chefs from all LPS high schools and The Career Academy competed in early December to showcase their knowledge and talent in various events, including dessert plating, cooking entrees as a team and knife skills. 

LPS students in Culinary I, II and III classes were allowed to participate in the challenge. The Family and Consumer Sciences courses help students gear up for the competition by learning important lessons in food preparation, nutrition and safety and sanitation. Educators believe the lessons will develop their scholars’ passion for food and will lead to possible careers in food service and hospitality. 

When not racing the clock in various competitive events, participants could also tour SCC and explore their futures during the College and Career Fair. 

Several local organizations helped make the event possible including the University of Nebraska - Lincoln,  Nebraska Department of Education to School program, SCC, Central Community College, Scooters-Metcalf Coffee, Chick-fil-A, Legacy Retirement Communities and Baxter Auto. 

  

Check out the final results and highlights of the 2024 LPS Culinary Competition below. 

 

 

2024 LPS Culinary Competition Results 

Culinary I events 

Knife Skills – 34 entries 

1st place: Blaise McCurdy, East   

2nd place: Alexandria Hansen, East  

3rd place: Mina Lahm, Northeast 

Quiz Bowl  – seven teams 

1st place: Standing Bear (Bella Nielsen, Ember Lee, Ethan Dilley and Cally Sullivan)

2nd place: Lincoln High (Axton Wicks, Paul Beinke, Kaleigh Stockard-Smith and Kaleigh Eppes)

Nutrition Poster – 22 entries 

1st place: Payton Wilken, Northeast 

2nd place: Sydney Wyatt, Southwest 

3rd place: Lillian Rezac, Southeast 

Culinary II events 

Quiz Bowl – six teams 

1st place: Standing Bear (Novalee Hutter, Brinley Beerenstrauch, Macy Alessandro and Janet Kovalenko)

2nd place: East (Taylor Hilker, Kaleigh Alger, Jon Debus and Haiden Staab) 

Safety and Sanitation Poster –  15 entries 

1st place: Selena Ma, Lincoln High 

2nd place: Jaxson Daugherty, Southeast

3rd place: Kaleligh Alger and Mackenzie Vodehna, East 

Sauces –  21 entries 

1st place: Izzy Lacey, Northwest

2nd place: Sam Heaston, The Career Academy 

3rd place: Sally Almo, Southwest

Salads –  15 entries 

1st place: Sam Abak, Standing Bear

2nd place: Ava Barrientez and Lillian Varley, Southeast

3rd place: Ashely Periz Ortiz, Lincoln High

Decorated Cookie: Royal Icing – eight entries 

1st place: Lauren Maw, Southeast

2nd place: Hailey Wagner, Southwest

3rd place: Shahad Al Bane Hasan, Southeast

Decorated Cookie: Buttercream Icing –  25 entries 

1st place: Jaslynn Almazan, Southeast

2nd place: Shayla Vasey-Sievert, Lincoln High

3rd place: Macy Alessandro, Standing Bear

Culinary III events 

Dessert Plating – 13 entries 

1st place: Rachel Koch, East  

2nd place: Milanna Ustimchuk, Northwest

3rd place: Parker Littrell, The Career Academy 

Team Entree Competition (Academy Division) –  two entries 

1st place: The Career Academy team 1 (Sophie Wilder, Henry Alvarez and Addison Hoage)

2nd place: The Career Academy team 2 (Riley Boon and Ruby Lyon)

Team Entree Competition (High School Division) – five entries 

1st place: Southwest Green team (Sam Cederberg, Prince Goronga and Mikayla Vauiso)

2nd place: Southeast team 2 (Makenna Sherman, Angel Bradford and Ghadeer Al-Haikal) 

3rd place: Lincoln High Grease Bandits team (Brycen Hoffman, Finn Steele and Keyonte’ Goodman)

School Spirit Award 

Awarded to schools that showcased school spirit, attentiveness and participation in demonstrating excellent sportsmanship during the Culinary Competition

Standing Bear  

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