Students from grade levels 5-12 competed on March 4, 2026, at Powell Middle School for the second annual PantherChef competition.
Nine participants – three from each elementary school, three from the middle school, and three from the high school – baked their recipes in front of a panel of judges, including members of the school board.
This year’s winner from the high school was freshman KC Nelson, and the winner for 5th grade was Graelyn Fluty.
“I was kind of nervous at first, but after a while of cooking, I wasn’t as nervous – it was fun,” Fluty said. “I’m used to cooking with cast iron on a gas stove, and his was a regular pan on an electric stove, so that was an adjustment, but I got used to it.”
Fluty also said she would participate in the future.
Even though it is a competition, the main goal of the event was to give students a chance to participate in choosing the lunch menu.
“We wanted to get kids more involved with nutrition and the school menu, so they have a say in what we serve,” event organizer Savannah Layland said. “I think it went great. It was really exciting; we had some great meals.”
While all contestants showed enthusiasm for competing, freshman Gonzalo Anzurez was particularly excited to partake in the event.
“I didn’t get to participate in the baker’s things last year, so I was motivated to try to make it this year,” Anzurez said. ”I’ve been cooking since I was like 6 or 8. I like making burgers or some sort of calzone kind of thing.”
With the success of this year’s PantherChef competition, judges are hopeful this event continues in years to come.
“I think there are some things that I see and I think, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’” judge Beau Fulton said. “You can tell they put a lot of time and effort into it. They give us categories for pressure presentation, flavor aroma, and nutritional value. You give them a school out of 5. I would certainly love it if they keep it going.”
