Austin Kollasch of Fareway Store No. 215 in Omaha defended his top spot Oct. 7 at the annual Nebraska Best Bagger Contest hosted by the Nebraska Grocery Industry Association.
The competition showcased five of the state’s finest grocery baggers in two preliminary heats followed by a final round. The event drew a crowd of nearly 100 supporters to Tiburon Golf Club in Omaha.
Contestants were judged on their ability to bag more than 35 commonly purchased grocery items into reusable shopping bags, with scoring based on speed, weight distribution, item arrangement and personal style.
Kollasch, who won in the championship in 2024, again took first-place honors. Joining him on the podium was Jozlyn Bartunek of Fareway Store No. 118 in Nebraska City, who finished second.
“We’re incredibly proud of Austin and Jozlyn for their outstanding performance and dedication,” said Mike McCormick, chief retail officer at Fareway Stores.
“Austin’s back-to-back victories are a testament to his skill and commitment to excellence, and we’re thrilled to see him represent Nebraska, once again, on the national stage.”
As state champion, Kollasch advances to represent Nebraska in February at the National Grocers Association’s Best Bagger Competition in Las Vegas.
Kollasch is the son of Ryan Kollasch, regional supervisor for Fareway Stores. He joins Iowa champion Brady Diercks from Fareway Store No. 949-1 in Marion, and Kansas champion Blaine Leyden from Store No. 226-1 in Olathe and son of Dru Leyden, market manager at Store No. 226-2, as participants in Las Vegas.
About Fareway
Headquartered in Johnston, Iowa, family-owned Fareway Stores operates 142 stores in a seven-state region. Recognized as a Top 10 employer in Iowa, it has more than 13,000 employees.
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