OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Johnson County Community College culinary team took top honors Nov. 14 in the annual John Joyce competition held at the college’s Hospitality and Culinary Academy.
The team won a silver medal and had the top score of the event. The students on the team were Brian Leeper, Erica Webster, Austin Merz, Kathryn Ratzlaff and Filipe Padilla. They created a four-course dinner that included an appetizer, salad, main dish and dessert.
Also competing were Team Nebraska from Metropolitan Community College and Pulaski Tech Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute from Arkansas. The Nebraska team won a silver medal; the Arkansas team won a bronze.
Also, two JCCC culinary instructors – Edward Adel and Todd Walline – won gold in the professional two-man mystery box team category. They were given a box of ingredients and had four hours to plan and make a four-course meal for eight.