Chris Ostapenko Wins World’s Best Cheese Slice

If you’re like Kevin and think outsmarting Joe Pesci is cool, consider what it would be like to win a $5,000 big check for making the World’s Best Cheese Slice at the 2025 International Pizza Expo. In fact, Chris Ostapenko of Slice on Broadway makes a cheese slice so glorious, the city of Pittsburgh declared May 6, 2025, Slice on Broadway Day in his honor.

Ostapenko tells Pizza Today that he makes about 100 cheese pizzas on Friday nights at the shop, and he followed the same method in this year’s International Pizza Challenge. “The rules were simple: Make the best cheese pizza you can,” he says. “I made the pizza as I do every day in the pizza shop, and the results paid off.”

Chris Ostapenko of Slice on Broadway in Pittsburgh celebrates his World’s Best Cheese Slice Championship win with team mates at International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Photo courtesy of Slice on Broadway.

Those looking to follow in Ostapenko’s footsteps should know he’s worked at Slice on Broadway for 15 years. If that doesn’t intimidate you, you might be ready to follow his steps:

• Cold ferment pizza dough for 48 hours
• Use house-made tomato sauce
• Liberally apply a house blend of cheeses

“I think this pizza stood out because of the balance of the flavors that we try to accomplish between the dough, sauce and cheese,” he says of winning over judges and claiming the division trophy.

Following Ostapenko’s win in Las Vegas, the Pittsburgh community showed up to support him by ordering his award-winning cheese pie. “I made more pizza that weekend than I have in a while,” he says. “People were coming to try the World’s Best Cheese Slice!”

World’s Best Cheese Slice History and Rules

The International Pizza Challenge debuted the World’s Best Cheese Slice division at Pizza Expo 2024. Unlike some other divisions, World’s Best Cheese Slice has strict guidelines for competitors:

• No par-baking.
• Must use red tomato sauce.
• Only grated cheese and dry spices are permitted
• Once the pizza is in the oven, no toppings or drizzles can be added aside from olive oil

Contestants select their best three slices, which are presented to judges blind.

Andy Huynh Wins Inaugural Prize

Andy Huynh, Cowabunga+, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, wins the World’s Best Cheese Slice Division at International Pizza Challenge 2024.

The first year the International Pizza Challenge opened its division devoted to World’s Best Cheese Slice, Andy Huynh brought home the trophy to Cowabunga+ in Hamilton, Ontario. As the owner of Cowabunga+, Huynh uses a sourdough starter and tops his cheese pizzas with marinara sauce, a Canadian mozzarella blend, Fior di Latte and oregano. Of course, only grated cheese is permitted during the competition.

Additionally, Huynh had to travel to Las Vegas with his pizza dough, some of which was packed in luggage lost by the airline, along with other ingredients. This left him without sufficient dough to compete for the coveted Pizza Maker of the Year award, which is open to division champions on the final day of Pizza Expo. Rather than rush the dough that needed to be ready the next day, the pizza maker asked a Cowabunga+ staff member to fly the pizzeria’s signature 72-hour fermented dough down from Canada.

“Luckily for us, we had a lot of support from our suppliers on the floor of the Expo. When we explained what happened, they were happy to give us some sauce and cheese,” Huynh tells Canadian broadcast station The News Forum. The baggage “landed about midnight Wednesday night, and by Thursday at 7 a.m., we were back on the floor competing again.”

Cheese Pizza Recipes

For a Truly elevated cheese pizza (pun intended), consider Chris Decker’s four-part pie featuring burrata cream and fried basil.

If you have a hankering for cheese pizza but are feeling fancy, Scott Wiener has the steps to create a four-cheese pizza Margharita soufleé.

Finally, you can’t go wrong with a classic cheese pizza. Yes, all for you.

The Great American Pizza Challenge

If you think you have what it takes to win a pizza competition, The Great American Pizza Challenge is taking place Oct. 26-27 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Information about the categories is available here.

In the meantime, happy National Cheese Pizza Day! May your cheese pulls be long and you always have Gouda luck!

The post National Cheese Pizza Day 2025 Falls on America’s Pizza Night appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza makers from pizzerias around the world went head-to-head to find out who makes the best pizza in the world at the International Pizza Challenge (IPC) at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, March 19-21, 2024.

This year’s Challenge included five professional pizza-making divisions and three partner competitions. Traditional Pizza, Non-Traditional Pizza, Neapolitan/STG Pizza, Pan Pizza divisions returned with addition of this year’s newest division, World’s Best Cheese Slice. The Top 5 competitors in the preliminary round faced on the finals for each division. Division winners faced off in the World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year competition. That winner competed in an invite-only Best of the Best competition with previous Pizza Maker of the Year winners.

Partner competitions included Ooni Pizza Throwdown, hosted by Ooni; Plant-Based Competition, hosted by Daiya; and California-Style Competition, hosted by the California Milk Advisory Board.

In all, International Pizza Challenged welcomed 439 unique pizza competitors with a total of about 500 competition spots including the finals and exhibition competition, according to IPC coordinator Jeremy Galvin.

Each competitor baked their signature pizza on the spot at Pizza Expo and presented to a renowned panel of accredited chefs. The preliminary and final competitions had four blind judges, “judging the pizzas completely blind to whom the competitor is,” Galvin says. “This is so the focus is on the food, not who made it, where they are from or what brands they use.”

Note: There is a score next to each winner’s name. “The score next to their name is based on four judge scores,” Galvin says. “We take the highest and lowest scores, average them together then we average that score with the other two scores for a final average score.”

World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year

Tony Cerimele, (161.49) New Columbus Pizza Co., Pittston, Pennsylvania

Tony Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Company, in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, is the 2024 World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year at the International Pizza Challenge during Pizza Expo (March 19-21) in Las Vegas

Tony Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Company, in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, is the 2024 World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year. After capturing the first-place finish in the Pan Division Finals, Tony went up against winners of the other division’s final — Cheese Slice, Traditional, Non-Traditional, and Neapolitan. During the competition pizza makers were required to use a secret ingredient, Galbani thin sliced fresh mozzarella, when making their pizza that was publicly judged at the competition by a panel of renowned chefs. Find more about World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year competition and read a Q&A with Tony on his winning pizzas.

Best of the Best Pizza Winner

Joe Carlucci, (169.41) Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison, Alabama

Joe Carlucci, Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison, Alabama, won Best of the Best at International Pizza Challenge 2024

Joe Carlucci, owner of Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison, Alabama, captured 2024 Best of the Best title. Carlucci went head-to-head again fellow Pizza Maker of the Year winners in the Best of the Best competition that included three surprise ingredients: pork belly, red onion and pineapple. Carlucci’s win made history as he is the only pizza maker to win pizza titles consecutively three years in a row with his previous 2022 Best Traditional Pizza in the World, 2023 Best Non-Traditional Pizza in the World, and 2023 Pizza Maker of the Year.

Traditional Pizza Division

In the Traditional Pizza Division, Competitors provide the dough, cheese/cheese blend and spices. They must use a red sauce. No more than two (2) of the following toppings may be added: Pepperoni, Sausage, Bacon, Ham, Mushrooms, Peppers, Tomatoes, Onions, and Olives.

Traditional Division Finals Winners

Sergio Balderas, Truly Pizza, Dana Point, California, wins the Traditional Pizza Division at International Pizza Challenge 2024.

1st Place — Sergio Balderas, (43.62) Truly Pizza, Dana Point, California

2nd Place — Anthony Berghela (43.22) Romo’s Pizza, Glenmont, New York

3rd Place — Matt Hutchinson (41.06) Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana, Houston, Texas

See Traditional Pizza Regional Winners below.

Non-Traditional Pizza Division

The Non-Traditional Pizza Division is an anything goes competition. There are no restrictions on dough, sauce, toppings, or styles.

Non-Traditional Pizza Division Finals Winners

Alex White, Yukon Pizza, Las Vegas, Nevada, wins the Non-Traditional Pizza Division at International Pizza Challenge 2024.

1st Place — Alex White, Yukon Pizza, (52.52) Las Vegas, Nevada

2nd Place — Michael Vakneen (52.19) Pop Up Pizza, LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada

3rd Place — Mckenzie Sanvido, (52.05) Untamed Wine Estates, Johnson City, Texas

See Non-Traditional Pizza Regional Winners below.

Neapolitan Pizza Division

Neapolitan competitors follow strict rules. The products that provide the base for “Pizza Napoletana” include wheat-flour type “00” with the addition of flour type “0” (no meat tenderizer or other dough enhancers will be allowed), natural yeast, water, peeled San Marzano DOP tomatoes and/or fresh cherry tomatoes, marine salt, and extra-virgin olive oil. The dough must be kneaded by hand or with a low-speed mixer. After the rising process, the dough must be formed by hand without the help of a rolling pin or other machine and must weigh between 250-280g and be no more than 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. The pizza must be baked for 45-90 seconds in a 485o C (905o F) pizza oven. There are three official variants: Marinara, Margherita Extra and Margherita.

Neapolitan Pizza Division Winners

Vincenzo Santoro, Song e Napule, New York, New York, wins the Neapolitan Pizza Division at International Pizza Challenge 2024.

1st Place — Vincenzo Santoro, (46.42) Song e Napule, New York, New York

2nd Place — Cesare Di Iorio, (44.94) Sogno Toscano Inc., Sarasota, Florida

3rd Place — Luca De Marinis, (43.73) Monserate Winery, Fallbrook, California

Pan Pizza Division

Styles that fall into this category include, but are not limited to, the following: Roman, Chicago, Detroit, Grandma, Ohio Valley, Old Forge and Sicilian. There are no restrictions on dough, sauce, or toppings, except that the pizzas must conform to a pan style.

Pan Pizza Division Winners

Tony Cerimele, (54.51) New Columbus Pizza Co., Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, won the Pan Pizza Division at the International Pizza Challenge 2024.

1st Place — Tony Cerimele, (54.51) New Columbus Pizza Co., Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania

2nd Place — Charlie Webb, (50.59) Hudson & Packard, Poughkeepsie, New York

3rd Place — Roy Bass, (49.70) Those Guys Pies, Las Vegas, Nevada

Charlie Webb, Hudson & Packard, Poughkeepsie, New York, won the Shawn Randazzo Memorial Award with the top scoring Detroit style pizza.

World’s Best Cheese Slice Division 

In IPC’s newest division, competitors provide the dough, traditional red tomato sauce (only), cheese/cheese blend and spices. NO par-baking. Once the pizza enters the oven ONLY a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil (infused or not), grated cheese & dry spices after baking are acceptable; NO other drizzles, toppings, cheeses, or work on the pizza is allowed once the pizza enters the oven. This division is open to all crust styles.

World’s Best Cheese Slice Division Winners

Andy Huynh, Cowabunga+, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, wins the World’s Best Cheese Slice Division at International Pizza Challenge 2024.

1st Place — Andy Huynh, (41.14) Cowabunga+, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

2nd Place — Lorenzo Hernandez (41.12) The Slice & Pint, El Segundo, California

3rd Place — Vicky Ixcot, (38.74) Andy’s Pizza, Alexandria, Virginia

Regional Winners Recognized in the Traditional and Non-Traditional Divisions

During the preliminaries of the Traditional and Non-Traditional Divisions, highest scoring competitors for each regional are recognized. The first-place winner also won a cash prize. The regions include Southwest, Southeast, Midwest, Northwest, Northeast and International.

Traditional Pizza Division Regional Winners

Southwest Region

1st Place — Sergio Balderas, (45.53) Truly Pizza, Dana Point, California

2nd Place — Matt Hutchinson, (42.91) Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana, Houston, Texas

3rd Place — Alastair Hannmann, (42.05) Pizza Buddha, Kapaa, Hawaii

Southeast Region

1st Place — Andy Brown, (42.02) Andy’s Pizza, Alexandria, Virginia

2nd Place — Dustin Finnegan, (40.29) The Nona Slice House, Safety Harbor, Florida

3rd Place — Teo Tomasi, (40.23) Marabella Old World Pizza, Inc., Greenville, North Carolina

Midwest Region

1st Place — Carmela Cataldo, (41.46) Antonio’s Italian Ristorante, Elkhart, Indiana

2nd Place — Ali Afshar, (39.70) Oleys Pepperoni Cannoli, Green Bay, Wisconsin

3rd Place — Nino Del Greco, (39.54) Pizza del Nino, Sterling Heights, Michigan

Northwest Region

1st Place — Bill Crawford, (40.25) Righteous Slice, Rexburg, Idaho

2nd Place — Josh Hillman, (39.33) Sourdough Willy’s Pizzeria, Kingston, Washington

3rd Place — Drew Balstad, (38.75) Rhombus Guys, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Northeast Region

1st Place — Anthony Berghela, (44.81) Romo’s Pizza, Glenmont, New York

2nd Place — Michael Testa, (41.54) Jersey Pizza Boys, Avenel, New Jersey

3rd Place — Perry Bogacz, (40.37) Caliente Pizza & Draft House, Allison Park, Pennsylvania

International Region

1st Place — Gianluca Piersanti, (44.07) Tommy SRLS, Velletri, Italy

2nd Place — Alessio Cataldo, (43.32) Taste Italy, St. Leonard, Quebec, Canada

3rd Place — Fiodar Huminski, (42.43) Pizzéria No. 900, Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Non-Traditional Pizza Division Regional Winners

Southwest Region

1st Place — Michael Vakneen, (55.05) Pop Up Pizza, LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada

2nd Place — Alex White, (54.88) Yukon Pizza, (52.52) Las Vegas, Nevada

3rd Place — Mckenzie Sanvido, (53.37) Untamed Wine Estates, Johnson City, Texas

Southeast Region

1st Place — Camryn Suggs, (53.04) Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison, Alabama

2nd Place — Alejandro Burgaleta, (52.98) The Pizza Point Miami, LLC, Miami, Florida

3rd Place — Joey Streeter, (51.85) The Nona Slice House, Safety Harbor, Florida

Midwest Region

1st Place — Deserai Satullo, (54.39) Sauced Pizza and Catering, Fairview, Ohio

2nd Place — Paul Cataldo, (47.92) Antonio’s Italian Ristorante, Elkhart, Indiana

3rd Place — Brian Hall, (47.15) Crafters Pizza and Drafthouse, Carmel, Indiana

Northwest Region

1st Place — Anthony Gilbert, (51.54) Melt Pizza Company, Stillwater, Minnesota

2nd Place — Sean Dempsey, (48.17) Dempseys Brewery, Watertown, South Dakota

3rd Place — Niles Peacock, (44.17) Niles Peacock Kitchen & Bar, Edmonds, Washington

Northeast Region

1st Place — Andrew Scudera, (53.81) Goodfellas, Staten Island, New York

2nd Place — Tracy Dykeman, (51.50) Slice on Broadway, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

3rd Place — Eric Von Hansen, (51.24) Caliente Pizza & Draft House, Monroeville, Pennsylvania

International Region

1st Place — Heitor Benatti, (52.97) Forneria Benatti, Caxias Do, Brazil

2nd Place — Bruce Madadi, (51.16) Maipai, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

3rd Place — Aleksandar Aleksic, (50.59) Japes, London, England, UK

Partner Competitions include Ooni Pizza Throwdown, California Milk Advisory Board California-Style Competition and Daiya Plant-based Competition

Ooni Pizza Throwdown

Hosted by Ooni

The Ooni Pizza Throwdown had two divisions, Traditional and Pan. Each competition will be limited to 15 entrants in each category. Entrants may only compete in one category. Pizzas will be made in an entrant’s choice of Ooni oven – either Ooni Koda 16 (Natural Gas) or Ooni Volt 12 (Electric.) Traditional pizzas can be any style cooked directly on the stone. Pan can be any style cooked in a pan or sheet.

Ooni Pan Final Winners

1st Place — Eidref Laxa, (51.83) What’s Good Dough, San Jose, California

2nd Place — Ryan Ososky, (51.70) Dtown Pizzeria, Los Angeles, California

3rd Place — Srdjan Jelcic, (51.35) Japes, London, England, UK

Ooni Traditional Final Winners

1st Place — Ryan Thompson, (42.56) Pogonip Pizza, San Jose, California

2nd Place — Jeff Taylor, (42.19) Staglio Pizza, Westminster, Maryland

3rd Place — Matt Hickey 41.81 Caliente Pizza & Draft House, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Plant-Based Competition

Hosted by Daiya

A Plant-Based Competition featuring Daiya Foods Dairy-Free Cheeses! The crust/dough/batter must be fresh or parbaked. In addition, the dough, and all toppings must be plant based. Each competitor’s goal will be to showcase Daiya Foods deliciously dairy-free cheeses and blends, including, but not limited to the following: Daiya Dairy-Free Mozzarella Style Cheese, Daiya Dairy-free Shredded Italian Blend Cheese, Daiya Dairy Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese and Daiya Dairy-free Cream Cheese.

Plant-Based Competition WInners

1st Place — Leonardo Zoppetti, (41.01) Instituto Conpizza, São Paulo, Brazil

2nd Place — Ali Afshar, (39.23) Oleys Pepperoni Cannoli, Green Bay, Wisconsin

3rd Place — Soyeon Chewning, (38.42) Eldora Restaurant, Apo AP, South Korea

California-Style Competition

Hosted by the California Milk Advisory Board

The competition had two (2) divisions, Amateur/Student and Professional divisions, with a maximum of 15 competitors in each division for a total of 30 competitors from across Southeast Asia and Mexico. The Amateur/Student division will consist of culinary students from accredited schools and/or institutions and the professional division will be made up of professional restaurant and pizzeria chefs. Chefs will be able to choose from a selection of more than 250 varieties and styles of award-winning California cheeses to create the most innovative, interesting, and inspiring California-Style pizzas! Each competitor’s goal will be to feature California-Style ingredients and toppings that showcase the best of what the Golden State has to offer, along with a special focus on Real California Cheeses.

California-Style Competition WInners

1st Place — Chef Apisit Jitprasong (54.29)

2nd Place — Chef Shi (Kevin) Zhao (48.59)

3rd Place — Paramet Saisutthi (47.46)

We’ll continue our coverage of competitions at Pizza Expo 2024 in our Pizza Expo News Hub, including more conversations with winners and details on winning pizzas.

The post Official International Pizza Challenge 2024 Best Pizza Winners are… appeared first on Pizza Today.

Joe Carlucci, owner of Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison, Alabama, captured 2024 Best of the Best title at International Pizza Challenge (IPC) at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, March 21, 2024.

As last year’s Pizza Maker of the Year winner, Carlucci went head-to-head again fellow Pizza Maker of the Year winners. The Best of the Best competition is an invite-only Best of the Best competition pitting this year’s Pizza Maker of the Year winner with previous year winners. The competition included three surprise ingredients: pork belly, red onion and pineapple.

Carlucci’s win made history as he is the only pizza maker to win pizza titles consecutively three years in a row with his previous 2022 Best Traditional Pizza in the World, 2023 Best Non-Traditional Pizza in the World, and 2023 Pizza Maker of the Year.

See all the Official International Pizza Challenge 2024 Best Pizza Winners.

For more news from Pizza Expo 2024, visit our Pizza Expo 2024 News Hub.

A Q&A with Best of the Best Pizza Winner Joe Carlucci

What does it mean for you to receive recognition as the Best of the Best?

Winning the 2024 Best of the Best Championship means the world to me. I have been in the industry for 25+ years and have been competing for most of them. I have failed more times than I can count, but I kept pushing forward. I have an incredible circle of people around me always pushing me to be better. Every year at the Pizza Expo I always go up to the Pizza Maker of the Year and Best of the Best trophy to look at and admire all of the amazing pizza makers listed. For me to now be one of the names on those trophies is a dream come true. I could not be more thankful and honored.

Winning pizza from Joe Carlucci, Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison, Alabama, to win the Best of the Best Pizza at International Pizza Challenge 2024.
Photo courtesy of Joe Carlucci

Tell us about your winning pizza. What made your pizza stand out?

Going into the competition I was scared, nervous, and just over thinking it. Days before someone I look up to and is a mentor to me gave me some advice that really helped me and put me over the top. I think we sometimes overthinking things and want to make something fancy or out of this world, but we forget less is more and the dough will always be center of attention. Like I said in my speech, pizza is like life you have good days and bad days and you good dough and bad dough – we are always evolving in life and in making the best pizza possible. All I did was use what they gave me and make sure the flavor profile came together. At the end of the day, I can say that my dough was the best I have ever made, and I can only learn from this competition and continue to grow my craft.

You’ve made history again. What has been key to achieving a Three Peat?

The key for my success is to never give up. I failed more times than I can count in this industry, but I believed in myself and kept going. Not only did I grow personally, but I opened my mind to new techniques and continued to learn to develop my craft daily.

The post Joe Carlucci, Valentina’s Pizzeria in Madison, Alabama win Best of the Best Pizza Competition appeared first on Pizza Today.

We are bringing you results as we receive them from the International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo 2024. This year, we have 5 divisions: Traditional, Non-Traditional, Neapolitan/STG, Pan, & World’s Best Cheese Slice, which will be represented in the pizza bake-off that will showcase the world’s best pizza makers. Each competitor will have the opportunity to bake their signature pizza on the spot at Pizza Expo, which will then be presented to a renowned panel of accredited chefs. The bake-offs will take place Tuesday through Thursday in the International Pizza Challenge contest area. The winners of each division will face off against each other in a mystery-ingredient bake-off to determine who will be named the 2024 Pizza Maker of the Year.

Stay updated on all PIZZA EXPO 2024 News. We’ve created a hub for news from the World’s Largest Pizza Show. Find all the updates and happenings at Pizza Expo 2024. Go to the Pizza Expo 2024 Hub.

Each day, we are posting results as they come in. Check back as the results are announced.

Tony Cerimele wins World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year at Pizza Expo’s International Pizza Challenge

Tony Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Company, in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, is the 2024 World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year at the International Pizza Challenge during Pizza Expo (March 19-21) in Las Vegas. After capturing the first-place finish in the Pan Division, Tony went on to win the Finals to be named World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year.

Read a Q&A with Tony on his competition experience and his winning pizzas.

Champions have been crowned in International Pizza Challenge

Stay tuned for all the official International Pizza Challenge final details. Please be patient as we travel back to our homes. For now. let’s highlight the division winners. Congratulations to the following champions in the International Pizza Challenge:

• Traditional
  Sergio Balderas, Truly Pizza, Dana Point, California
• Non-Traditional
  Alex White, Yukon Pizza, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Neapolitan
  Vincent Santoro, Song e Napule, New York, New York
• Pan
  Tony Cerimele, New Columbus Pizza Co., Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania
• World’s Best Cheese Slice
  Tan Tuong (Andy) Huynh, Cowabunga+, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
• Best of the Best (Publicly Judged)
  Joe Carlucci, Valentino’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison,  Alabama
• Pizza Maker of the Year (Publicly Judged)
  Tony Cerimele, New Columbus Pizza Co., Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania

Final scoresheets are in!.

International Pizza Challenge Wednesday Results

International Pizza Challenge breaks the record for the number of competitors. Wednesday alone saw 260+ competitors presenting their best pie in:

• Non-Traditional
• Neapolitan,
• Ooni Traditional & Pan
• Daiya Vegan Divisions

Preliminary Results on the Top 5 competitors for Non-Traditional and Napoletana will advance to Thursdays finals.

Ooni Traditional Division Preliminary Results

Congratulations to everyone in the Ooni Traditional Division. Here are the Top 3:

1. Ryan Thompson
2. Jeff Taylor
3. Matt Hickey

Here are the full scoresheets:

Ooni Pan Division Preliminary Results

Congratulations to everyone in the Ooni Pan Division. Here are the Top 3:

1. Eidref Laxal
2. Ryan Ososky
3. Srdian Jelcic

Here are the full scoresheets:

Daiya Vegan Division Preliminary Results

Congratulations to everyone in the Daiya Vegan Division. Here are the Top 3:

1. Leonardo Zoppetti
2. Ali Afshar
3. Soyeon Chewning

Here are the full scoresheets:

Non-Traditional Division Preliminary Results

Top 5 Competitors in the Non-Traditional Division will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Michael Vakneen
2. Alex White
3. Deserai Satullo
4. Andrew Scudera
5. Mckenzie Sanvido

Regional Winners for the Non-Traditional Division are in!

In addition to the Top 5, the Non-Traditional Division also recognizes regional winners. Congrats to the following competitors who placed in their region:

Southwest

1. Michael Vakneen
2. Alex White
3. Mckenzie Sanvido

Northwest

1. Anthony Gilbert
2. Sean Dempsey
3. Niles Peacock

Midwest

1. Deserai Satullo
2. Paul Cataldo
3. Brian Hall

Southeast

1. Camryn Suggs
2. Alejandro Burgaleta
3. Joey Streeter

Northeast

1. Andrew Scudera
2. Tracy Dykeman
3. Eric Von Hansen

International

1. Heitor Benatti
2. Bruce Madadi
3. Aleksandar Aleksic

Take a look at the full Non-Traditional Scoresheet:

Pizza Napoletana Division Preliminary Results

Top 5 Competitors in the Pizza Napoletana Division will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Luca De Marinis
2. Vincenzo Capuano
3. James Terwilliger
4. Cesare Di lorio
5. Vincenzo Santoro

Here are the Pizza Napoletana Division full scoresheet:

International Pizza Challenge Tuesday Results

International Pizza Challenge breaks the record for the number of competitors. Tuesday alone saw 209 competitors presenting their best pie in:

• World’s Best Cheese Slice
• Pan
• Traditional
• CMAB Professional Division Preliminaries

Top 5 competitors will advance to Thursday’s Division Finals.

A note to competitors: These are preliminary results. When we share the full IPC Winners, we will include pizzerias, locations and links to the pizzeria.

Traditional Division Regional Winners are in!

In addition to the Top 5, the Traditional Division also recognizes regional winners. Congrats to the following competitors who placed in their region:

Southwest

1. Sergio Balderas
2. Matt Hutchinson
3. Alastair Hannmann

Northwest

1. Bill Crawford
2. Josh Hillman
3. Drew Balstad

Midwest

1. Carmela Cataldo
2. Ali Afshar
3. Nino Del Greco

Southeast

1. Andy Brown
2. Dustin Finnegan
3. Teo Tomasi

Northeast

1. Anthony Berghela
2. Michael Testa
3. Perry Bogacz

International

1. Gianluca Piersanti
2. Alessio Cataldo
3. Fiodar Huminski

Following are the Top 5 Competitors Tuesday’s Divisions who will advance to the Thursday Finals:

CMAB Pro Division Preliminary Results

Top 5 Competitors in the Pan Division will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Chef Apisit Jitprasong
2. Chef Shi (Kevin) Zhao
3. Paramet Saisutth
4. Chef Sakamoto
5. Chef Nguyen Thi Huyen Trang

Here’s the full CMAB Pro Preliminary Division scoresheet:

Pan Division Preliminary Results

Top 5 Competitors in the Pan Division will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Charlie Webb
2. Jeff Miner
3. Tony Cerimele
4. Craig Capano
5. Rov Bass

Here’s the full Pan Division scoresheet:

World’s Best Cheese Slice Division Preliminary Results

Top 5 Competitors in the World’s Best Cheese Slice Division will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Rico Lunardi
2. Anthony DeSousa
3. Vicky Ixcot
4. Andy Huynh
5. Lorenzo Hernandez

Here’s the full World’s Best Cheese Slice scoresheet:

Traditional Division Preliminary Results

Top 5 Competitors in the Traditional Division will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Sergio Balderas
2. Anthony Berghela
3. Gianluca Piersanti
4. Alessio Cataldo
5. Matt Hutchinson

Here’s the full scoresheet: (Regional winners for the Traditional Divisions will be announced Wednesday morning.)

The post International Pizza Challenge 2024 — Daily Results appeared first on Pizza Today.