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Teams of South Dakota high school students put their culinary and hospitality management skills to the test at the 2026 South Dakota ProStart Invitational, held March 9-10 in Pierre. Champion high schools include Mitchell CTE, Harrisburg High School, and TF Riggs High School (Pierre). All three are bringing home honors for the second year in a row. The ProStart Invitational is a fast-paced event where students demonstrate work-ready skills in culinary arts, hospitality management, public speaking, and more. This year, ten teams competed in culinary, management, and cake decorating competitions. Culinary Division In the culinary portion, teams have just sixty minutes to prepare a three-course gourmet meal without using electricity. Many of the state’s premier chefs serve as judges, scoring teams on presentation, taste, sanitation, and teamwork. For the second year in a row, TF Riggs High School took the top prize in the culinary division, earning them a place in the national ProStart Invitational in Baltimore, MD. Tanir Taylor, Zoe Kinney, Christian Stanley, Emma Robertson and Kate Stolley were the winning culinary team members, instructed by LaKisha Jordan. Management Division Teams can also compete in a management competition, where they present concepts for a restaurant, its operations, marketing, critical thinking, and menu. Industry professionals evaluate their business plans and presentation skills. Harrisburg High School won first place in the management competition and will advance to the national invitational. Competitors were Shylah Hansen and Jax Rosenbaum. They are instructed by Deb Rombough. Harrisburg High School won the management competition last year as well. Cake Decorating Division Mitchell CTE Academy student Dailyn Kiner’s took home first-place in cake decorating for the second time with her Under the Sea-themed dessert. She was instructed by Cindy Gerlach. The cake decorating competition is unique to South Dakota. “Through ProStart, high school students develop culinary and hospitality management skills applicable to a variety of businesses,” said South Dakota Retailers Association Exec. Dir. Nathan Sanderson. “This is real-world career preparation at its finest.” ProStart is administered by South Dakota Retailers Association in partnership with the South Dakota Department of Education, and the South Dakota ProStart Advisory Committee. Two schools were also presented with culinary achievement awards for their exceptional skills. Zoe Kinney of TF Riggs High School was awarded the President’s Award, given to an individual who exhibits leadership throughout the day’s tough competition. The Black Hills Chapter of the American Culinary Federation sponsors and selects that award. The Clark Kelley Legacy Award is a new to the event. It was created to celebrate the dedication of Clark Kelley as a long-time ProStart judge and supporter of ProStart. Clark had a knack for connecting with students and making safety and sanitation a high priority. This award was presented to the culinary team with the highest safety and sanitation score. Sturgis Brown High School was selected for the award. Team members were Kurtis Capp, Xandria Goodall and Ashlyn Larson. They were instructed by Mica Sulzbach-Bataille Participating schools in the 2026 South Dakota ProStart Invitational included: Florence, Harrisburg, Huron, Mitchell CTE, Madison Central, Rapid City Stevens, Sturgis Brown, Sioux Falls CTE, TF Riggs, and Vermillion.
Teams of South Dakota high school students put their culinary and hospitality management skills to the test at the 2026 South Dakota ProStart Invitational, held March 9-10 in Pierre. Champion high schools include Mitchell CTE, Harrisburg High School, and TF Riggs High School (Pierre). All three are bringing home honors for the second year in a row.
The ProStart Invitational is a fast-paced event where students demonstrate work-ready skills in culinary arts, hospitality management, public speaking, and more. This year, ten teams competed in culinary, management, and cake decorating competitions.
Culinary Division
In the culinary portion, teams have just sixty minutes to prepare a three-course gourmet meal without using electricity. Many of the state’s premier chefs serve as judges, scoring teams on presentation, taste, sanitation, and teamwork.
For the second year in a row, TF Riggs High School took the top prize in the culinary division, earning them a place in the national ProStart Invitational in Baltimore, MD. Tanir Taylor, Zoe Kinney, Christian Stanley, Emma Robertson and Kate Stolley were the winning culinary team members, instructed by LaKisha Jordan.
Management Division
Teams can also compete in a management competition, where they present concepts for a restaurant, its operations, marketing, critical thinking, and menu. Industry professionals evaluate their business plans and presentation skills.
Harrisburg High School won first place in the management competition and will advance to the national invitational. Competitors were Shylah Hansen and Jax Rosenbaum. They are instructed by Deb Rombough. Harrisburg High School won the management competition last year as well.
Cake Decorating Division
Mitchell CTE Academy student Dailyn Kiner’s took home first-place in cake decorating for the second time with her Under the Sea-themed dessert. She was instructed by Cindy Gerlach. The cake decorating competition is unique to South Dakota.
“Through ProStart, high school students develop culinary and hospitality management skills applicable to a variety of businesses,” said South Dakota Retailers Association Exec. Dir. Nathan Sanderson. “This is real-world career preparation at its finest.”
ProStart is administered by South Dakota Retailers Association in partnership with the South Dakota Department of Education, and the South Dakota ProStart Advisory Committee.
Two schools were also presented with culinary achievement awards for their exceptional skills.
Zoe Kinney of TF Riggs High School was awarded the President’s Award, given to an individual who exhibits leadership throughout the day’s tough competition. The Black Hills Chapter of the American Culinary Federation sponsors and selects that award.
The Clark Kelley Legacy Award is a new to the event. It was created to celebrate the dedication of Clark Kelley as a long-time ProStart judge and supporter of ProStart. Clark had a knack for connecting with students and making safety and sanitation a high priority. This award was presented to the culinary team with the highest safety and sanitation score. Sturgis Brown High School was selected for the award. Team members were Kurtis Capp, Xandria Goodall and Ashlyn Larson. They were instructed by Mica Sulzbach-Bataille
Participating schools in the 2026 South Dakota ProStart Invitational included: Florence, Harrisburg, Huron, Mitchell CTE, Madison Central, Rapid City Stevens, Sturgis Brown, Sioux Falls CTE, TF Riggs, and Vermillion.