Elgin High School BBQ Team Earns National Championship Spot After Strong Showing at Texas State Contest
Elgin High School students are proving that competitive barbecue is about far more than cooking — it’s about teamwork, leadership, creativity, and community pride.
The Elgin High School BBQ Team secured a coveted national qualifying spot this weekend after competing in the Texas High School BBQ Contest, where the Wildcats finished 39th overall out of 88 teams from across the state. The accomplishment sends the team to the National High School BBQ Championship this summer and places Elgin among a growing movement of schools using live-fire cooking competitions to develop real-world career and technical skills.
For students, families, and supporters across Elgin ISD, the achievement represents another example of how extracurricular Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs are opening doors beyond traditional athletics and academics.
Even more impressive, the Wildcats earned a Top 10 finish in the Grilled Cheese category, showcasing both creativity and technical skill under pressure.
Elgin Wildcats Bring Home a National Qualifying Finish
The Texas High School BBQ Contest featured dozens of highly competitive teams from around the state, making the Wildcats’ national qualification a major milestone for the program.
Category highlights included:
- Chicken — 39th Place
- Cake — 57th Place
- Grilled Cheese — Top 10 Finish
Behind the results was a student team that spent months practicing, preparing recipes, learning cooking techniques, and building the teamwork needed to compete at a high level.
The Elgin High School BBQ Team includes:
- Ana S.
- Paloma O.
- Bethanee M.
- Katherine R.
- Grace H.
Their performance reflects the growing strength of student-led culinary and agricultural education programs throughout Texas, where barbecue competitions are increasingly being recognized as powerful project-based learning experiences.
More Than BBQ: How NHSBBQA Turns Cooking Into Career Education
The Elgin team competes through the National High School BBQ Association (NHSBBQA), an educator-founded organization focused on using barbecue and live-fire cooking as a hands-on Career & Technical Education platform.
Unlike traditional adult barbecue competitions that focus only on meat categories, NHSBBQA emphasizes leadership development, workforce readiness, agriculture education, entrepreneurship, hospitality, STEM integration, and project-based learning.
The organization describes its mission as preparing students for life by teaching the American traditions of barbecue, grilling, and Dutch oven cooking while helping students develop leadership and career skills in a team-based environment.
Programs operate on school campuses much like athletics programs, with students representing their schools “not on the grid iron, but the grill iron.”
The NHSBBQA model aligns with multiple CTE pathways, including:
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources (AFNR)
- Manufacturing
- Business
- STEM education
The organization’s national championship event — known as “THE SLAB” (Students Learning About Barbecue) — brings together middle and high school teams from across the country and awards scholarships and prizes to participating students.
Why Programs Like This Matter for Texas Students
As Texas schools continue expanding Career & Technical Education opportunities, programs like high school barbecue teams are becoming an increasingly visible part of student engagement and workforce preparation.
Educators involved with NHSBBQA say the model is designed to complement existing culinary arts, Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS), agriculture, STEM, special education, and at-risk student programs while creating opportunities for students who may not traditionally participate in athletics or other extracurricular activities.
For communities like Elgin, these programs also strengthen school spirit and community connection.
Food-centered competitions naturally bring together families, local businesses, teachers, and residents in a way few activities can. Weekend cook-offs, fundraising events, and competitions often become community gathering points that reinforce local pride while helping students gain confidence and practical experience.
The Wildcats’ success this season reflects not only individual talent, but also the support system behind the team — from educators and families to classmates and community supporters cheering them on.
Next Stop: Nationals
Now, the Elgin High School BBQ Team is preparing for the National High School BBQ Championship this summer, where they’ll compete against top student teams from across the country.
For the Wildcats, the road to nationals represents more than a competition trip. It’s an opportunity to showcase Elgin on a national stage while continuing to build skills that can translate into future careers in culinary arts, hospitality, agriculture, business, and entrepreneurship.
And for the Elgin community, it’s another reminder that student success can take many forms — sometimes around a smoker instead of a scoreboard.
Residents can stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for continued coverage of Elgin ISD student achievements and community updates.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.