JAMESTOWN, N.C. (WGHP) — A team of Guilford Technical Community College students competed in the Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl in New Orleans and came back to North Carolina winners, according to a GTCC news release.
GTCC’s team was made up of six students and captured the American Culinary Federation event by winning a championship match.
It’s considered the national championship for culinary schools across the U.S. and was held during the ACF National Convention.
Members of the GTCC team included:
- Ila Seamans
- Dana Brookins
- Madison Gore
- Will Hodges
- Stephanie Strucinski
- Chunlee Tith
Keith Gardiner and Al Romano, who are both culinary faculty members, coached the team.
Gardner went to New Orleans with the team for the Jeopardy-style competition.
It was a double-elimination tournament. GTCC lost one game along the way but was able to win the championship match.
Gardiner said the match was tight all the way down to the final question.
“The championship match was close at the end. Our team was fast, but so was the other team,” Gardiner said. “They were hitting the questions, and so were we. It was stressful for me, watching the questions and adding up the points as the questions were asked.”
The competition took place on July 17 and was the focal point of the students’ four-day stay in New Orleans.
