On March 2nd to March 3rd, the San Dimas High School Culinary team competed in the 2026 California ProStart Cup. The team “Duck, Duck, Go!” included: Captain Kyle Yamate (12), Julian Rozier (12), Alexa Aguilera (11), Ella Carranza (10), and Sal Renteria (12). The team was guided every step of the way by San Dimas’s culinary instructor, Mr. Brandler, who was their biggest mentor along the way. This year, the team came in with entirely new members, except for Yamate, who was on the previous team that won the National ProStart Invitational in 2025.
Due to an almost completely fresh start this year, the team’s expectations weren’t set tremendously high, moreover they wanted to perform to the best of their ability. Every day, the team remained consistent with their arduous practice schedule, spending countless hours perfecting every dish on their menu. This year, they didn’t just meet the bare minimum of expectations; instead, they excelled. The San Dimas High School Culinary team is now the 2026 state champions. Now the team will be preparing for their trip to Baltimore, Maryland, competing for the National title once again.
Junior Alexa Aguilera describes winning as more than just a title. She views it as proof that the team could soar higher than they ever imagined. Aguilera states, “As long as you have your passion, the opportunities can be endless.” She goes on to say that the team is returning to practice with more determination than ever. “We’ve already made it this far, and there’s no way that we’re turning back now. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it! Natty’s here, we come!”
Senior Julian Rozier’s main responsibility in preparing the course was the
components of the dessert. His creation received nothing but positive feedback. Rozier explained that the judges mentioned it was the best chocolate shell that they had seen at the competition this year. The dessert was a banana mousse with a pineapple compote inside a tempered chocolate dome, paired with a brûléeed banana atop mixed-nut brittle and banana foster sauce.
Mr. Brandler, the leader behind the team’s success, ties their win back to hard work. He explains that the team showed dedication by coming to practices every day and staying for long hours, which all worked out in the end. Brandler describes his team as coachable, noting that every member would lean on each other when it mattered most. These were all components that allowed the team to become state champions. He goes on to acknowledge every member’s particular contributions to the team.
“I’m incredibly proud of Kyle; he came from a team that was winning to now coaching a team that is winning, and those are two completely different skills,” Brandler explains. This shows the great extent of his leadership skills this year. “Sal is a great manager and helped us stay organized.” He explains that Ella placed first at the state level as a sophomore, which is something no one else has ever done in the history of the school. He goes on to say that Alexa, who had only a couple of months of culinary training, came in with natural talent. “She was able to showcase that at the competition. She was a really good teammate and easy to coach.”
Brandler purposely saved Julian for last, elaborating on the fact that he never gave up, even with the hardest challenge this year. He chose to make the dessert, which is the most difficult part of the meal to perfect. “He hit a brick wall, and he could not climb the wall. He had sleepless nights, and I think maybe went into a depression about it, but he never quit or said, “I’m giving up on this.”
