Mar 4–5, 2022 · Lawrenceville, GA · State championship
Reps: Doug Reid, Julie Cook, Rachel Harper, Rusty Cook, Wayne Harper · Prize money: $12,100
SmokinGhost BBQ won Grand Champion at the Sip & Swine BBQ Festival on March 4, 2022 in Lawrenceville, GA, scoring 706.2284 in a field of 73 teams. SWEET DIXIE BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 705.6684. Category winners: Chicken — MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS (180.0000); Pork Ribs — SWEET DIXIE BBQ (180.0000); Pork — SmokinGhost BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS (180.0000). The Backyard Series standings were won by Dogpatch Q with 518.8000. This is the 7th of 12 editions of this contest on record; the 2021 edition was won by TRIPLE H BBQ; the next was held in 2023.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2016 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Closer than 92% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5600 points — closer than 92% of every championship in the data.
706.2284 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 704.5488 TRIPLE H BBQ set in 2021.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 89 times in 100
SmokinGhost BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, GETTIN' BASTED, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 11-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
6 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
2 of 11 tracked editions
ATLANTA BBQ STORE has won this contest 2 times across its 11 tracked editions.
Master Series — Chicken places 1–2: MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS and SWEET DIXIE BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 2–3: SWEET DIXIE BBQ and YES, DEAR BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 5–6: HOT COLE'S BBQ and MAYA JANE BBQ CO. tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
SmokinGhost BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 42nd.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: ATLANTA BBQ STORE (won 2017, 2019), THE PIT CREW GA (won 2018), ANGRY JACK BBQ (won 2020), TRIPLE H BBQ (won 2021).
Bigger than 96% of the 5,469 contests in the data
73 teams — bigger than 96% of the 5,469 contests in the data.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 4, 2016 | Lawrenceville, GA | Coolray Field- Lawrenceville, GA | 59 | 692.5372 | CHECKERED PIG | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM |
| Mar 3, 2017 | Lawrenceville, GA | Coolray Field- Lawrenceville, GA | 63 | 696.5140 | ATLANTA BBQ STORE | WHO CARES BBQ |
| Mar 2, 2018 | Lawrenceville, GA | Coolray Field | 59 | 691.9316 | THE PIT CREW GA | WHO CARES BBQ |
| Mar 1, 2019 | Lawrenceville, GA | Coolray Field | 62 | 690.2056 | ATLANTA BBQ STORE | WHO CARES BBQ |
| Mar 6, 2020 | Lawrenceville, GA | 2500 Buford Dr | 61 | 693.0624 | ANGRY JACK BBQ | 4 LEGS UP BBQ |
| Mar 5, 2021 | Lawrenceville, GA | Lawrenceville, GA 30043 | 81 | 704.5488 | TRIPLE H BBQ | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN |
| Mar 4, 2022 ← this one | Lawrenceville, GA | Lawrenceville, GA 30043 | 73 | 706.2284 | SMOKINGHOSTBBQ | SWEET DIXIE BBQ |
| Mar 3, 2023 | Lawrenceville, GA | 2500 Buford Dr. | 65 | 703.9660 | CHEWIN' THE BBQ FAT! | Gardenvalley Smokers |
| Mar 1, 2024 | Lawrenceville, GA | 2500 Buford Dr. | 59 | 703.9428 | YES DEAR BBQ | Ham Squad |
| Mar 7, 2025 | Lawrenceville, GA | 2500 Buford Dr. | 45 | 702.8000 | Janky Leg BBQ | COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ |
| Mar 6, 2026 | Lawrenceville, GA | 2500 Buford Dr. | 44 | 705.6916 | Electro-Que-ted | MCADOO HEIGHTS BBQ |
| Mar 5, 2027 | Lawrenceville, GA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 180 | 177.7028 | 176 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 180 | 178.8572 | 176.5600 |
| Master Series — Pork | 180 | 177.1544 | 175.4172 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 180 | 177.7028 | 175.4056 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 177.7144 | 173.1200 | 170.2744 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 177.7144 | 175.4172 | 167.9772 |
| Backyard Series — Pork | 174.2744 | 168.5484 | 166.8228 |
73 entries · top 706.2284 · median 680.9940
73 entries · top 180 · median 169.6684 · 🔥 perfect 180
73 entries · top 180 · median 169.6800 · 🔥 perfect 180
73 entries · top 180 · median 168.5484 · 🔥 perfect 180
72 entries · top 180 · median 168.5372 · 🔥 perfect 180
40 entries · top 518.8000 · median 491.6344 · out of 540, not the usual 360
40 entries · top 177.7144 · median 166.2342
38 entries · top 177.7144 · median 163.1200
39 entries · top 174.2744 · median 162.8000
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
7 entries · top 177.1428 · median 171.9656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AUSTIN AND MAX TRYGESTAD | |
| 2 | CALEB AND ANDREW GRANT | |
| 3 | ELLIE TOLLETT | |
| 4 | JOHN MCGEE | |
| 5 | JACKSON THOMAS | |
| 6 | REGAN PRESLEY | |
| 7 | LEONARDO GARCIA |
5 entries · top 175.4056 · median 173.1084
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HARLEIGH SMITH | |
| 2 | BRADY DOPP | |
| 3 | CHARLEIGH PRESLEY | |
| 4 | ROSS CADDEN | |
| 5 | ATLANTA BBQ BOYS - MICAH |