A-B Tech won first place in the Student Team of the Year category at the American Culinary Federation (ACF) 2026 Southeast Regional competition in Winston-Salem on March 28. Culinary Arts alumnus Ezrah Hanson also competed in the Student Chef category and won a gold medal, scoring third highest in the nation.
The team and Hanson will advance to compete in the ACF Nationals in Grand Rapids this summer. Team members are Rowan Armstrong, Martin Deyman (captain), Kat Douvres, Kiah Jackson, and Joshua Jimison. The coaches are Chef Instructors Michelle Bailey and Stephen Hertz, CEC.
A-B Tech continues its record-setting tradition with 16 Southeastern Regional victories and sending a team to ACF Nationals, which the college won in 2024 and 2007.
“I’m proud of our program and students for their extraordinary performance,” said A-B Tech President John Gossett. “Cathy Horton, our chair of Culinary Arts and Hospitality, and her faculty assure that excellence is part of their culture. And they stand on the shoulders of our former dean Sheila Tillman, who established that culture and got us involved in competitions.”
Hanson, who earned a degree in Culinary Arts last year, returned to the college to pursue a baking certificate this year. He will compete in the Student Chef of the Year category at ACF Nationals. He was also captain of the 2025 student team that placed second at ACF Nationals. Rebecca McElreath, who competed in the Student Pastry Chef category at Southeast Regionals, was a member of the National Championship team in 2024 and earned a Baking and Pastry Arts degree last year. She also returned to the college this year for a culinary certificate.
“Continued annual success at ACF competitions is a true testament to the knowledge and dedication of both the coaches and their student competitors,” said Horton. I” often refer to this as ‘skills on steroids’ because their level of mastery must be exceptional to compete and win at this level. For students, this is a real game-changer in their careers, for they carry this exponential learning with them.”
"I am immensely proud of our student competitors and the remarkable accomplishments they continue to achieve,” said Bailey. “This group represents the very best of what a strong team can be: collaborative, driven, and united by a shared commitment to excellence. Their work ethic is truly exceptional, demonstrated through hundreds of hours of preparation and practice. It is incredibly rewarding to witness their dedication culminate in such outstanding success."
The team will practice throughout the summer in preparation for the ACF Nationals, which will be held June 28 to July 2 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during the ACF National Convention, which brings together more than 1,300 chefs, food service professionals, students, and competitors.