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Updated: May 30, 2026 @ 5:58 am
Culinary students from Bennington’s Southwest Vermont Technical Center tied with Illinois for 7th place at the ProStart National Invitational.
The ProStart National Invitational challenges students in culinary technique, teamwork, menu planning, and execution under strict time limits and judging standards.
Culinary students from Bennington’s Southwest Vermont Technical Center tied with Illinois for 7th place at the ProStart National Invitational.
The ProStart National Invitational challenges students in culinary technique, teamwork, menu planning, and execution under strict time limits and judging standards.
BENNINGTON — Southwest Vermont Technical Center students earned a Top 10 finish at the ProStart National Invitational, one of the most competitive high school culinary competitions in the country.
The Culinary Arts team originally placed 18th overall while competing against top programs from across the United States. After the event, competition officials reviewed scoring in the uniform category and determined penalties had not been applied consistently across all teams. Following the review, all uniform penalties were removed, moving Southwest Tech into a tie for 7th place nationally with Illinois.
“This recognition is a true reflection of our students’ talent, professionalism, and hard work,” said Superintendent-Director Meg Honsinger. “To be named among the top teams in the country is an incredible achievement, and we are so proud of how our students represented our school, our community, and the state of Vermont.”
For the students, the national competition was the result of months of preparation, long practices, and learning how to work together under pressure.
“ProStart takes a lot of dedication and communication,” said Isabella Marpe. “I am very glad I got to work with the team I did. Everyone did equal parts and made the tough practices worth it.”
“It takes a lot of trust in your team to flow and work smoothly,” said Gabe Perkins. “You need to bond really well during and outside of practice. As a team, we were all really happy finding out we were 18th, but when we were told we had been moved to 7th, we were shocked and thrilled.”
Student Daniel Wellspeak said the team’s success came from the countless hours spent preparing for the level of competition they would face at nationals.
“ProStart was a great experience,” said Wellspeak. “It took a lot of time to prepare, sometimes working all day and staying countless times late after school. At nationals, a fraction of a point can move teams up in their placements.”
Culinary Instructor Nick DeLauri said the students earned every bit of their success.
“Our students are competing against some of the best programs in the country,” said DeLauri. “The amount of precision, teamwork, and preparation it takes to compete at nationals is incredible. Finishing in the Top 10 says a lot about the work these students put in.”
The ProStart National Invitational challenges students in culinary technique, teamwork, menu planning, and execution under strict time limits and judging standards.
While the scoring adjustment came down to a detail in uniform scoring, the result also highlighted just how competitive the national event truly is — where even the smallest details matter.
For more information about the Culinary Arts program, contact info@swtech.org
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