A new contest record
702.2628
highest overall ever cooked here
702.2628 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 695.4400 Sublime BBQ set in 2019.
- old record 695.4400
- set 2019 by Sublime BBQ
The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 2021
Jun 25–26, 2021 · Lenexa, KS · 📍 Freedom Fields · State championship
Reps: Forrest Bruce, Kim Collier, Larry Hadley, Mark Collier, Scott Grinstead, Steve Grinstead · Prize money: $18,425
SLAPS BBQ won Grand Champion at The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship on June 25, 2021 in Lenexa, KS at Freedom Fields, scoring 702.2628 in a field of 145 teams. KC Meat Sweats took Reserve Grand Champion with 693.7028. Category winners: Chicken — SLAPS BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Whiskey, Wine, and a Little Swine (179.4400); Pork — Jurassic Pork (177.7600); Brisket — HIGH i QUE (178.2972). This is the 2nd of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2019 edition was won by Sublime BBQ; the next was held in 2023.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
319.38
median 645.03
702.26 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 179.44
- Pork 177.76
- Brisket 178.30
20
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2019 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
145
4 judged meats
Top score
702.2628
Winning margin
8.5600
GC over RC
Field average
639.30
319.38702.26
median 645.03 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
0.6172 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
684.0456
319.38702.26
10th place overall
Field spread
382.8800
winner to last place
Prize money
$18,425
on the line
Double threats
1
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 24%
beats 76% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
57%
105 of 183 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.5 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,522
avg power rating going in · stronger than 15% of contests
Storylines (9 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 6 tracked editions
Slaps BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 6 tracked editions.
- 2021
- 2025
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 15 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 2–3: KC Meat Sweats and HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB tied on 178.8800 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: Swing'n Meats BBQ and Oak Park Boys BBQ tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 1–2: Whiskey, Wine, and a Little Swine and WOOD HOOK BBQ tied on 179.4400 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Chicken 9–10 · tie
- Pork Ribs 1–2 · tie
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · tie
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
SLAPS BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 21st.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 10th
- Pork 5th
- Brisket 21st
A contest record in pork ribs
179.4400
best pork ribs ever cooked here
Whiskey, Wine, and a Little Swine turned in 179.4400 in pork ribs — past the 177.1428 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 177.1428
- across 1 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Sublime BBQ (won 2019).
- Sublime BBQ · 2019
One of the big ones
145
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 99% of the 5,462 contests in the data
145 teams — bigger than 99% of the 5,462 contests in the data.
The contest returns
2 yrs
since the last edition
This contest was away for 2 years — the previous tracked edition ran on 2019-06-21.
- previous edition 2019-06-21
A perfect score on the table
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- SLAPS BBQ · Chicken
This contest's own records (1 in the KCBS record book)
Records held by every edition of this contest put together, not just this one afternoon.
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 21, 2019 | Lenexa, KS | Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park | 183 | 695.4400 | Sublime BBQ | SLAPS BBQ |
| Jun 25, 2021 ← this one | Lenexa, KS | Freedom Fields | 145 | 702.2628 | Slaps BBQ | KC Meat Sweats |
| Jun 23, 2023 | Lenexa, KS | 87th & Lackman | 167 | 700.6288 | Damn Fine Beef and Swine | HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB |
| Jun 21, 2024 | Lenexa, KS | 87th & Lackman | 172 | 704.0344 | Mulkey's BBQ | Smokey Bey's Barbecue |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Lenexa, KS | 87th & Lackman | 159 | 707.4400 | Slaps BBQ | Squealin N Dealin BBQ |
| Jun 26, 2026 | Lenexa, KS | 8801 Greenway Lane | 157 | 709.1200 | Gettin' Basted | Dr. Squealgood BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 176 | 173.7028 |
| Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 176.5828 | 174.2972 |
| Pork | 177.7600 | 177.1428 | 175.4400 |
| Brisket | 178.2972 | 175.4172 | 173.1200 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
145 entries · top 702.2628 · median 645.0284
Chicken
144 entries · top 180 · median 161.6970 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
144 entries · top 179.4400 · median 162.2400
Pork
145 entries · top 177.7600 · median 161.7600
Brisket
144 entries · top 178.2972 · median 160.2400