Orange Coast College culinary arts students won the 2026 American Culinary Federation's Western Regional Student Team Competition on Feb. 28 at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. The American Culinary Federation is the largest professional chefs organization in North America.
This was the first year that OCC took two teams to the regional competition: one team of students who will be graduating this spring, while the second team was made up of newer students, most of whom have only completed our entry-level culinary courses. Both teams earned silver medals. Medals are point-based and are not indicative of overall placement.
"All 10 students were incredibly dedicated, and we wanted to give each of them the opportunity to compete," says Chef Davina Dunner, OCC's program coordinator of culinary arts. "We made an impact."
Team A, made up of the newer students, included Aaron Ngo, Gibson Vrbas, Lane Morgan, Rebecca Cocis and Emily Wolf. They scored 87.3 points out of 100. Team B, composed of the graduating students, was made up of Zoe Cassens, Moni Trinh, Emma Eichen, Rylan Nguyen and Teresa Nash. They scored 88.8 points out of 100.
Achieving the highest score in the region, Team B will move on to represent the Western Region at the national championship June 30 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The department is planning to host their annual fundraising dinner in April to raise travel funds for the team.
The OCC Culinary Program was also awarded Exemplary Status early this year from American Culinary Federation with the maximum seven years of accreditation before renewal is required.
"This recognition reflects the strength of our curriculum, faculty expertise, facilities, student outcomes, and our continued commitment to excellence and continuous improvement. It was a team effort," says Dunner. "This distinction places our program in a uniquely strong position both regionally and nationally. We are proud to represent the college at this level and look forward to building on this success in the years ahead."