WARREN, Ark. (4-14-26) — A Warren High School student has earned top honors at a statewide culinary competition, bringing home a first-place finish in the 2026 K-12 Culinary Connection Student Chef Showdown.
According to a post from Warren High School, the district participated in the competition for the first time this year and “brought back the gold.” Damien Vironche was awarded first place in the state cooking competition.
Results released by K-12 Culinary Connection confirmed Vironche’s first-place finish, representing the Warren School District. Other top finishers included Fanny Stahl of Taylor in second place and Jayda Preddy of Drew Central School District in third.
The competition featured six students and five mystery ingredients, challenging participants to create dishes under pressure.
K-12 Culinary Connection also recognized the contributions of instructors, judges, sponsors, and volunteers who helped make the event possible. Judges included Matt Murr, Dennis Barber (Sysco), and Troy Potter (Full Potential), while Chef Tory and Chef Justin were credited with mentoring students throughout the process.
Sponsors and vendors for the event included Sysco, Acxion, Lakeland, General Mills, Chef Works, PepsiCo, Tyson, and FSE.
Warren High School celebrated Vironche’s accomplishment, noting his success as a milestone achievement in the school’s first year competing in the event.
