ACF Long Island Chapter Competition

On Saturday, April 1st, the highly anticipated annual ACF Long Island Chapter Competition for Team CINY took place. This competition holds significant importance for the Culinary Institute of New York, as it is one of the two shows each year—alongside the December Gerard Malloy Memorial Competition—where Dean Costantino opens up the training camp to anyone who wishes to participate. It offers students a valuable opportunity to grow, learn, and be recognized for their achievements.

For the first time in a while, we had to travel to Eastern Suffolk BOCES in Long Island instead of hosting the event at Monroe. This year, the show featured an impressive contingent of 21 participants from Monroe, including 18 student competitors—comprising five pastry and fourteen culinary competitors. Additionally, Chef Lay Alston received a silver medal in the professional pastry category, and we proudly acknowledge student Ryan Pajaras for earning a bronze medal in his debut professional competition.

Remarkably, all 18 student competitors received a medal with a score above 70, which is truly outstanding. This brings Monroe's total medal count to an impressive 1094. Among the winners, we had six gold medals, with two in pastry and four in culinary categories. Malique Cole, Eyery Santos, Oscar Cuautle-Cuazi, and Breanna Urena were among the recipients of these prestigious gold medals. We also celebrate Angelica Arango, who not only secured her first gold medal but also won the Student Culinary Best of Show in only her second competition. Furthermore, Kaylynn Figueroa, the Student Team National Champion 2022, triumphed with her first individual pastry gold medal and the Student Pastry Best of Show award.

Moreover, the day witnessed a remarkable performance from Team CINY, with 11 silver medals and 1 bronze medal awarded in various student categories.

    Here is the complete list of competitors:

    Culinary:  
    • Angelica Arango
    • Malique Cole
    • Eyery Santos
    • Oscar Cuautle-Cuazi
    • Alitzel Reyes-Zepeda
    • Isabella Millao-Marin
    • Amanda Gomez
    • Sanardo Grant
    • Francesca Garguillo
    • Matthew Cathnott
    • Genaro Salgado
    • Daniel Guevara
    • Chanel Valette
    • Luis Cobaxin-Manzano
    Pastry:  
    • Kaylynn Figueroa
    • Breanna Urena
    • Daliana Mejia
    • Andrea Castillo
    • Chris Butler
    • Luis Cobaxin-Manzano
    Professional:  
    • Chef Lay Alston
    • Ryan Pajares