What Happened in Vegas Won’t Stay in Vegas After Major Wins by U.S. Pizza Team

For once, what happened in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas. Members of PMQ’s U.S. Pizza Team have a lot to brag about back home after their stellar culinary performances at the 2025 International Pizza Challenge, which took place during the International Pizza Expo this week.

Longtime USPT member Wilhelm Rodriguez, owner of Papa’s Pizza in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, claimed first place in the Traditional and Traditional International categories and won second place in the Pizza Maker of the Year category, finishing just behind winner Ryan Ososky of DTown Pizzeria in Los Angeles.

Rodriguez is also an instructor at Pizza Academy USA in Hollywood, Florida. He was a featured speaker on pizza-making topics at PMQ’s inaugural Pizza Power Forum in 2024 and will return to share his deep knowledge with attendees of this year’s event, which takes place September 2-4 in Atlanta.

Related: Behind the Scenes With Donatella Arpaia: What It’s Like to Judge and Compete at Pizza Expo

Meanwhile, USPT member Chris Ostapenko, a longtime employee at Slice on Broadway in Pittsburgh, won the highly competitive World’s Best Cheese Slice competition. But, he said, he didn’t do anything different from his everyday work in the kitchen at Slice on Broadway. “I made the pizza as I do every day in the pizza shop, and the results paid off.”

“Chris has been a part of the Slice family for nearly 15 years,” Slice of Broadway owner Rico Lunardi said. “I am proud of him and happy for the whole Slice crew to officially say we have the world’s best cheese slice.”

And that’s not all. Another USPT member took her own medal home: McKenna Carney of The Nona Slice House in Safety Harbor, Florida. The accomplished acrobatic dough-slinger also proved she’s got strong culinary chops by capturing first place in the Daiya Plant-Based Pizza Challenge.

Here are the highlights of the USPT’s top-rated culinary performances at the event:

Wilhelm Rodriguez, Papa’s Pizza, Cabo Rojo, PR
1^st place: Traditional Prelims
1^st place: Traditional Finals
1^st place: Traditional International Competitor
2^nd place: Pizza Maker of the year

McKenna Carney, The Nona Slice House, Safety Harbor, FL
1^st place: Daiya Plant-Based Pizza Challenge

Chris Ostapenko, Slice on Broadway, Pittsburgh, PA
1^st place: Best Cheese Slice Finals
1^st place: Best Cheese Slice—Northeast

Tore Trupiano, Mangia e Bevi, Oceanside, CA
2^nd place: Best of the Best 

David Solum, Danger von Dempsey’s Pizzeria & Brewhäus ATY, Watertown, S.D.
2^nd place: Daiya Plant-Based Pizza Challenge

Craig Allenbaugh, Sauced Pizza & Catering, Fairview Park, OH
2^nd place: International Italian Sandwich Championship

David Conti, Red Planet Pizza, Ansonia, CT
3^rd place: International Italian Sandwich Championship