Dylan Mackenthun of Mackenthun’s Fine Foods in Waconia won the Minnesota Grocers Association‘s 38th annual statewide Best Bagger Contest, held Oct. 17 at the Mall of America in Bloomington, earning $600, a trophy and a trip to Las Vegas to represent Minnesota at the National Grocers Association Best Bagger Championship in February.
Twelve contestants from throughout the state were judged on speed, style, attitude, proper bag-building technique and weight distribution between bags, competing with reusable bags.
Jazmine Rosa of Lunds & Byerlys in St. Cloud took second place, and Izak Johnson of Kowalski’s Market in Edina finished third, each earning a trophy and cash prize.
Mackenthun doubled up, also claiming the Speed award for bagging his two reusable bags in 48.54 seconds, while his Mackenthun’s Fine Foods teammate Ethan Olson won the Balance award with just 0.03 ounces of difference between his two bags…