LPS chefs display first-class cooking skills at LPS contest in new location

December 8, 2025

East High School junior Addie symbolized the main goal of this fall’s LPS Culinary Contest when she chose to decorate her frosted cookies with images of an owl.
 
Addie joined more than 200 Lincoln Public Schools students for a full day of culinary competitions at the Nebraska Innovation Campus. They gained owl-level wisdom by cooking, preparing, decorating and plating food for judges in more than a dozen contests. They also toured the Nebraska Innovation Studio, participated in food science activities and met fellow chefs from across the city.

Kristin Vest, the LPS coordinator for both family and consumer sciences (FCS) and health sciences, said students and teachers were excited about having the contest at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the first time. The event was beginning to outgrow its previous home at The Career Academy, and UNL leaders were interested in providing space for hundreds of participants and guests. The result was a five-star meal of academic opportunities for everyone.

 
“We are so grateful for the partnership with UNL and their willingness to support our students in helping to host this event for us,” Vest said. “The feedback from our students, teachers, volunteers, judges and UNL faculty and staff has all been positive. They have all asked us back next year!”
 
Addie began decorating cookies for the first time this year as part of her culinary classes. She said she has enjoyed figuring out how to make cookies interesting and attractive through the use of colors, textures and designs. She returned home from the contest with a first-place medal in the Culinary II Decorated Cookie - Royal Icing category.
 
“I just think it’s fun and calming,” Addie said. “You get to be creative.”

 
Grayson walked into the banquet hall with the same energetic mindset. The Standing Bear sophomore said he was looking forward to competing in a salad plating contest later that morning. He was also pleased to meet other students who shared his culinary interests. He joined Addie on the awards list with a first-place showing in the Culinary II Salads event.
 
“I love culinary a lot, so I thought it would be a great day to go around and see things,” Grayson said.
 
Vest was pleased to hear those types of comments as she oversaw activities in the banquet hall. She has watched the culinary contest expand its menu of options during the past four years. She said students learned a great deal from creating tasty entrees, decorating cookies and displaying vegetable-slicing talents.
 
“When students are working to demonstrate their culinary skills in a competitive way, they are earning recognition, communicating with industry professionals and showcasing their creativity and the technical skills learned in their culinary classes,” Vest said. “Additionally, for our students participating in the team competition events, they showcase communication skills, problem solving and teamwork in addition to the creative and technical skills learned in their culinary classes.”
 
Tracy Richter was one of six judges who worked with students during the dessert plating contest. Richter is senior assistant director of dining with UNL’s University Dining Service, and she was interested in learning more about the pipeline of potential culinary talent in Lincoln. A friend told her about judging opportunities at the LPS Culinary Contest, and she seized the chance for the first time last year.
 
“I thought it was a good opportunity to see the up-and-coming culinary and hospitality students,” Richter said. “It’s fun to see the students’ creativity and what they learn in school.”

 
Richter watched more than a dozen chefs display cheesecakes for the dessert plating contest. Northwest student Izabella produced a raspberry cheesecake theme for her dessert, and Southwest student Sutton created pink butterfly wings at the ends of her display. Other students incorporated beach colors, avocados and mixed berries into their presentations.
 
“It was good,” Richter said. “There was a lot of creativity. There were some nervous hands too, but they did really well.”
 
Younger chefs like Standing Bear students Delaney and Isaac were also eager to explore the contest’s academic opportunities. They were preparing to represent Standing Bear in one of the day’s quiz bowls. The contest requires teams to answer trivia questions about cooking terms, processes, equipment and ingredients.
 
“I decided to come today because I really enjoy culinary, and I think it’s really cool to get information about it,” Delaney said. “I’m doing the quiz bowl, so I like learning a lot of information.”

 
Isaac said he has enjoyed taking the Culinary I: Fundamentals of Food and Nutrition class this fall. The course serves as a foundation for a series of culinary arts classes at LPS.
 
“I feel like Culinary I is more about nutrients than it is about cooking techniques right now, but that’s okay, because you need to know what you’re eating,” Isaac said. “It’s been fun learning more things about that.”
 
The Culinary II: Culinary Skills course teaches students basic professional food preparation requirements and safe and sanitary food practices. The Culinary III: Advanced Culinary Skills class builds upon that knowledge by giving them chances to prepare meals and learn plating techniques.
 
Delaney said she was looking forward to stepping into the entrée arena for herself one day. She wanted to follow Addie’s example and continue accumulating owl-level cooking wisdom for a possible future career.
 
“I’m definitely open-minded about that,” Delaney said. “I think it’s a lot of fun to do this.”

2025 LPS Culinary Contest Results

Culinary I Knife Skills (34 entries)

1) Selena Mukusha (Southwest), 2) Oakley Coffman (Standing Bear), 3) Mady Thelen (Northeast), 4) Tracy Liu (Standing Bear), 5) Diamond Martin (East), 6) August Downes (Southwest), 7) Thao Ong (Northeast), 8) Gabe Albright (Lincoln High), 9) Ben Lynch (Lincoln High), 10) Brooke Lofquist (Standing Bear)

Culinary I Quiz Bowl (eight teams)

1) Standing Bear, 2) Southeast

Culinary I Nutrition Poster

1) Al Lococo (Lincoln High), 2) Graycie Kumpula (East), 3) Aaliyah Lafon Patterson (Southeast)

Culinary II Quiz Bowl (five teams)

1) Lincoln High, 2) East

Culinary II Safety and Sanitation Poster

1) Jennifer Cruz Guzman (Lincoln High), 2) Lily Hoffart (East), 3) Adyson Lakey (Southeast)

Culinary II Sauces (21 entries)

1) Eddie Meza-Vidales (Lincoln High), 2) Kaleigh Epps (Lincoln High), 3) Spencer Cacek (Standing Bear)

Culinary II Salads (20 entries)

1) Grayson Schroeder (Standing Bear), 2) Alex Rasmussen (Northeast), 3) Dorian Knowlin (Southeast)

Culinary II Decorated Cookie – Royal Icing (13 entries)

1) Addie Odle (East), 2) Anna Gomez-Rozmairek (Lincoln High), 3) Isabelle Watkins (Southeast)

Culinary II Decorated Cookie – Buttercream Icing (12 entries)

1) Chloe Troupe (Standing Bear), 2) Zoriah Stevens (Lincoln High), 3) Abby Irons (Southwest)

Culinary III Dessert Plating (11 entries)

1) Sutton Classen (Southwest), 2) Anthony Steen (Southeast), 3) Laura Traudt (Southwest)

Culinary III Team Entrée Competition (six teams)

1) Southwest Silver (Sam Cederberg, Prince Goronga, Mikayla Vauiso, Hailey Wagner), 2) Southwest Green (Jack Lipka, Lily Newcomer, Madeline Prouty), 3) Standing Bear Grizzlies, 4) Southwest Knights of the Round Tablecloth, 5) Southeast MidKnight Snackers, 6) North Star Gators

School Spirit Award

Standing Bear High School (For showcasing school spirit, attentiveness and participation in demonstrating excellent sportsmanship during the culinary competition)
 
LPS students are cooking up a full menu of nutritious academic meals in their culinary arts classes. Visit home.lps.org/cte/fcs to learn more about the school district’s family and consumer sciences (FCS) courses.
 
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