Stephanie Teteak won a competition Monday night in Las Vegas. Teteak, who works at Larry’s Piggly Wiggly, competed against baggers from 23 different states. Teteak takes home $10,000 and a gold checkout stand to be installed at the store.
Organizers say contestants were judged on "speed, ability to bag grocery staples including bread, milk, eggs and canned goods and on their bag-building technique, weight distribution, style, attitude and appearance."
Two finalists — Blake Westling and Stephanie Teteak — stood on a stage Monday at the Mirage, each holding hands, eyeing the $10,000 oversized cardboard check and hoping secretly the other’s name wouldn’t be called — this wasn’t Miss America, but rather a competition to be named America’s best grocery bagger.
Speed was just one of the categories [fellow contestant] and his 23 competitors were judged on as they took their marks at mock grocery store check stands.
Judges also took into consideration attitude, appearance and bag-building technique as contestants rushed to pack three canvas bags with more than 30 products.
Bags were filled with an assortment of items such as a box of Mini-Wheats, a container of Folgers coffee, a box of Cheez-It, a can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup, and perhaps on top a package of Keebler chocolate chip cookies.
The championship was designed to promote the grocery industry’s customer service through superior bagging.
“We get to recognize the baggers, because they’re the first and last person the costumer sees,” said Genevieve Walk, a competition judge.
During the rounds, hundreds of ecstatic friends, families, co-workers and fans of the contestants clapped, cheered, rang cow bells and brandished signs — some made out of paper bags — scribbled with phrases like “Eggs Last” and “Just Bag It.” After each preliminary round, contestants told the crowd how they would spend the $10,000.
Top baggers from five preliminary rounds went on to compete in a final round.
Stephanie Teteak took home the $10,000, and her store — Larry’s Piggly Wiggly in Kaukauna, Wis. — received a golden colored check stand with her name on it.
Winners of the NGA competition are often invited to make a guest appearance on the “Late Show With David Letterman,” who was once a grocery bagger.
“Bagging is the most important job in the store,” Teteak said. “No bag of mine goes out there, that isn’t perfect.”
Teteak, a 30-year-old bookkeeper who has been in the grocery businesses for more than 13 years, plans to spend the money on bills.
“I worked really, really hard,” she said. “I did the state bag-off 10 times.”
Teteak also competed in the NGA contest last year but didn’t place.
“I just can’t believe it,” said a tearful Sherri Wichman, a friend and co-worker of Teteak. “I knew she could do it.”
Article excerpts and photos from:
- http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/fox_cities/stephanie-teteak-of-kaukauna-wins-grocery-bagging-contest
- http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/feb/14/nations-best-baggers-go-grocery-glory/