Janine Schwendinger placed first out of 18 designers in the finals of the companywide competition

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (April 14, 2015) ? Eighteen of Hy-Vee's most creative cake designers from across the Midwest competed Saturday for a shot at being named Hy-Vee's best cake designer in the finals of Hy-Vee's 2015 Cake Designer Challenge.

Janine Schwendinger, cake designer at the Hy-Vee Barlow Plaza store in Rochester, Minnesota, rose to the top of the competition, taking home first place and the Designers' Choice Award. Linda Schneider of Ankeny No. 1 Hy-Vee in Ankeny, Iowa, placed second and Amy Murtha of Belton Hy-Vee in Belton, Missouri, placed third.

"This has been a goal of mine for years, so I'm very happy to have won. It really validates what I do every day and my abilities," Schwendinger said. "Winning the Designers' Choice Award meant a lot to me because it shows that my peers respect what I do, and that means the world to me. One of the best parts of coming to the finals is getting the chance to meet up with my fellow designers. It's really a reunion for us as much as it is a competition."

The designers had four hours to decorate a three-tiered wedding cake and a specialty cake of their choosing in front of spectators at Jordan Creek Mall in West Des Moines. The top three finishers of the final competition earned $1,700, $750 and $500, respectively. Additionally, Schwendinger took home $500 for the peer-voted Designers' Choice Award.

The entrants were scored on the cakes' technical appearance, icing appearance and level of difficulty. Designers were judged by a panel of experts, including celebrity guest judge Joshua John Russell from the television shows "Food Network Challenge" and "Last Cake Standing."

Russell, an accomplished and well-known pastry chef and cake designer, said he was excited to help judge at the finals and to see the designers' creations.

"The unique thing about Hy-Vee is their cake designers have the flexibility to use their creativity to try innovative ideas and design new creations. The designers at Hy-Vee are incredibly talented, and it was great to see them in action," Russell said. "Congratulations to all the award winners and all the competitors for designing some extraordinary cakes."

Throughout February, more than 190 designers competed in six regional semifinal events throughout Hy-Vee's eight-state territory in the 2015 Cake Designer Challenge. The top three designers at each semifinal competition advanced to the finals.

"The Hy-Vee Cake Designer Challenge Finals was a great opportunity to highlight the top 18 designers in our company and show the public the outstanding quality and truly unique creations offered in Hy-Vee stores," said Ray Doughan, assistant vice president of bakery operations at Hy-Vee. "Hy-Vee has more than 400 talented cake artists across the region who help create one-of-a-kind cakes and special memories for customers each day. Congratulations to all of the award winners and participants ? all of whom we are proud to call part of our team."

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Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 235 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of $8.7 billion annually. Hy-Vee ranks among the top 25 supermarket chains and the top 50 private companies in the United States. Supermarket News, the authoritative voice of the food industry, has honored the company with a Whole Health Enterprise Award for its leadership in providing services and programs that promote a healthy lifestyle. For more information, visit www.hy-vee.com.