The heartbreaker
0.5256
points from the title
Came within 0.5256 points of the Grand Championship at City of Show Low's 5th Annual BBQ Throwdown (May 5, 2017).
TEAM AMERICA
TEAM AMERICA is a competition barbecue team with 39 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. They have won 2 Grand Championships, most recently at the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (2017), and finished Reserve Grand Champion 3 times. They are ranked #367 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1708
peak 1711 · rated over 36 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
39
in the data
First seen
Aug 23, 2013
latest Jun 29, 2018 · 4.8 years on the trail
Grand champs
2
3 reserve · wins it all 5% of the time
Category wins
6
31 podiums
Overall top-10s
24
62% of 39 contests
Best top-10 run
6
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 32%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
581.77 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 663.44 (-81.67)
Walk rate
82%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±83.64
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 170.49 · weakest Pork Ribs (168.57)
Road miles
18,653
across 39 mapped stops · furthest 1,608 mi
Schedule strength
69%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1588)
State championships
0 🏅
won from 1 state-championship entry
Master avg
663.44 / 720
38 Master contests · 2 GCs
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1076 (244 pts) | #1142 (244 pts) | #1163 (244 pts) | #1420 (169 pts) | #1548 (129 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #217 (1,432 pts) | #222 (1,332 pts) | #288 (1,177 pts) | #313 (1,132 pts) | #256 (1,307 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #459 (864 pts) | #674 (604 pts) | #438 (919 pts) | #432 (949 pts) | #380 (1,029 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #339 (1,103 pts) | #507 (768 pts) | #383 (963 pts) | #270 (1,188 pts) | #347 (1,033 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #380 (982 pts) | #555 (707 pts) | #371 (997 pts) | #352 (1,042 pts) | #479 (782 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1240 (210 pts) | #1028 (300 pts) | #1391 (195 pts) | #1102 (275 pts) | #1267 (215 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to TEAM AMERICA, each with one reason worth a look.
#368 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 76%
- Peak
- 1708
0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to TEAM AMERICA)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team TEAM AMERICA has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#364 of the rated field
- Contests
- 46
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 35%
- Peak
- 1716
1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to TEAM AMERICA)
Careers of much the same size, 46 contests to 39, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#373 of the rated field
- Contests
- 52
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 37%
- Peak
- 1724
1–2 in 3 shared contests (33% to TEAM AMERICA)
Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 52 contests, alongside a 37% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#365 of the rated field
- Contests
- 60
- GCs
- 5
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1709
8–1 in 9 shared contests (89% to TEAM AMERICA)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 53 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#369 of the rated field
- Contests
- 71
- GCs
- 7
- Top-10s
- 52%
- Peak
- 1735
1–4 in 5 shared contests (20% to TEAM AMERICA)
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Head-to-head#363 of the rated field
- Contests
- 83
- GCs
- 6
- Top-10s
- 45%
- Peak
- 1768
1–3 in 4 shared contests (25% to TEAM AMERICA)
Level with TEAM AMERICA on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhythm n QUE | 22 | 10 | 12 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| GOT SMOKE BAR-B-QUE | 20 | 11 | 9 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| Rooftop BBQ | 17 | 5 | 12 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG POPPA SMOKERS | 17 | 2 | 15 | 12% | ⚔ compare |
| G AND L BBQ | 15 | 13 | 2 | 87% | ⚔ compare |
| LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | 15 | 7 | 8 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| HALF BAKED HIPPIES BBQ | 14 | 14 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG JOHNSON'S BBQ | 14 | 11 | 3 | 79% | ⚔ compare |
| UTAH BBQ COMPANY | 13 | 8 | 5 | 62% | ⚔ compare |
| ZZYZX BAR.B.Q | 13 | 7 | 6 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| R&R BBQ | 13 | 6 | 7 | 46% | ⚔ compare |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 13 | 1 | 12 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE | 12 | 11 | 1 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| CHICKEN BUTT BBQ UTAH | 12 | 8 | 4 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| HD BBQ | 11 | 9 | 2 | 82% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 37 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 180 🔥 | 147.9428 | 168.70 | top 44% |
| Pork Ribs | 38 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 178.2972 | 156.5260 | 168.57 | top 37% |
| Pork | 39 | 22 | 1 | 11 | 178.8800 | 155.9656 | 170.49 | top 33% |
| Brisket | 38 | 21 | 2 | 6 | 180 🔥 | 152.5372 | 169.18 | top 34% |
“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.
By field size and state
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 4 | 0 | top 32% |
| Medium (20–39) | 20 | 2 | top 22% |
| Large (40+) | 14 | 0 | top 45% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | 4 | 1 | 1 | top 10% | Apr 7, 2017 |
| Wild West BBQ Shoot Out | 4 | 5 | 0 | top 31% | Aug 25, 2017 |
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) | 4 | 4 | 0 | top 25% | Apr 21, 2017 |
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship | 3 | 10 | 0 | top 58% | Sep 30, 2016 |
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 22% | Mar 25, 2016 |
| 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | 2 | 93 | 0 | top 86% | Sep 1, 2017 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2015
12 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season
6.5
across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
NV
16 of 39 contests · 8 states in all
Contests visited
25
6 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork
39 entries · 1 win · 22 calls
First title
Mar 27, 2015
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Opponents faced
1,240
finished ahead 1,562 times, behind 1,001
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20182 milestones
- Career-best overall score701.1316 Traeger NorUt State Championship
- Most recent contest Traeger NorUt State Championship
20172 milestones
- First perfect 180 (Brisket) City of Show Low's 5th Annual BBQ Throwdown
- Peak power rating (1711) Wild West BBQ Shoot Out
20161 milestone
- 25th tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)
20153 milestones
- First Grand Championship Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- Biggest field won (30 teams) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First Reserve Championship Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
20144 milestones
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score660.5600 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First category win (Pork Ribs) The Great Vegas Gridiron Grill-Off
- First overall podium The Great Vegas Gridiron Grill-Off
- 10th tracked contest World Food Championships - World Barbecue Championships (Competitiors Series)
20133 milestones
- First tracked contest Wild West BBQ Shoot Out
- First call Utah BBQ Festival
- First overall top-10 Utah BBQ Festival
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.3 | The Great Vegas Gridiron Grill-Off | Sep 5, 2014 |
| +15.2 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | Mar 27, 2015 |
| +15.1 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) | Apr 25, 2014 |
| +14.2 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship | Oct 9, 2015 |
| +13.3 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | Apr 10, 2015 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -21 | 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | Sep 1, 2017 |
| -5.3 | Wild West BBQ Shoot Out | Aug 23, 2013 |
| -4.7 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship | Sep 26, 2014 |
| -4 | Days of 47 BBQ Rib & Rodeo | Jul 24, 2015 |
| -3.7 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship | Sep 30, 2016 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 11% | 97.4% | 97.4% |
| 2017 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 70% | top 36% | 97.2% | 88.1% |
| 2016 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 100% | top 33% | 95.6% | 94.2% |
| 2015 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 83% | top 26% | 96.7% | 93.9% |
| 2014 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 88% | top 30% | 96% | 93.3% |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 57% | 89.3% | 88.6% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 29, 2018 | Traeger NorUt State Championship 🏅 Ogden, UT | 2 / 19 (701.1316) | 2 (179.4400) | 2 (177.1544) | 5 (175.4172) | 9 (169.1200) |
| Oct 27, 2017 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN | 52 / 95 (675.3368) | 51 (169.7256) | 70 (166.2400) | 21 (174.2628) | 64 (165.1084) |
| Oct 6, 2017 | National Pro BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR | 16 / 50 (694.7656) | 1 (180) | 34 (169.6800) | 22 (174.2628) | 28 (170.8228) |
| Sep 15, 2017 | Rock'n Brews & BBQ Festival Boise, ID | 8 / 28 (674.7544) | 10 (170.2744) | 15 (161.6916) | 5 (173.1084) | 11 (169.6800) |
| Sep 1, 2017 | 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 403 / 407 (162.8800) | — | — | 254 (162.8800) | — |
| Aug 31, 2017 | 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS | 93 / 129 (675.3140) | 95 (167.3828) | 37 (174.2628) | 118 (162.2628) | 56 (171.4056) |
| Aug 25, 2017 | Wild West BBQ Shoot Out West Wendover, NV | 10 / 37 (691.3484) | 4 (178.8572) | 23 (166.2400) | 8 (173.1428) | 7 (173.1084) |
| Jun 16, 2017 | Q'n With Kia-Kia-Kia Ogden, UT | 3 / 15 (682.7540) | 4 (171.4056) | 2 (174.8456) | 5 (169.1200) | 6 (167.3828) |
| May 5, 2017 | City of Show Low's 5th Annual BBQ Throwdown Show Low, AZ | 2 / 36 (700.0116) | 6 (175.4400) | 2 (175.4516) | 11 (169.1200) | 1 (180) |
| Apr 21, 2017 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV | 6 / 30 (695.3940) | 5 (177.1428) | 15 (170.8800) | 20 (169.6684) | 2 (177.7028) |
| Apr 7, 2017 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT | 1 / 29 (690.8228) | 15 (167.4056) | 1 (177.1544) | 3 (173.7028) | 4 (172.5600) |
| Sep 30, 2016 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR | 37 / 50 (682.7772) | 43 (169.1084) | 7 (176.0116) | 45 (167.9656) | 36 (169.6916) |
| Sep 16, 2016 | Rock'n Brews & BBQ Festival Nampa, ID | 4 / 25 (688.5600) | 5 (173.7256) | 16 (163.9772) | 3 (178.2972) | 5 (172.5600) |
| Aug 26, 2016 | Wild West BBQ Shoot Out Wendover, NV | 7 / 37 (682.2400) | 27 (159.9428) | 13 (167.4400) | 2 (177.1428) | 2 (177.7144) |
| Apr 22, 2016 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV | 9 / 30 (678.8000) | 23 (165.6912) | 28 (163.9772) | 6 (172.5716) | 1 (176.5600) |
| Apr 8, 2016 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT | 5 / 30 (674.1940) | 8 (169.1428) | 3 (170.8572) | 5 (170.2628) | 15 (163.9312) |
| Mar 25, 2016 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Reno, NV | 12 / 29 (665.0056) | 17 (163.3828) | 2 (171.9772) | 25 (161.6800) | 8 (167.9656) |
| Oct 9, 2015 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR | 10 / 50 (695.9656) | 45 (167.9772) | 13 (176) | 25 (173.1084) | 6 (178.8800) |
| Oct 3, 2015 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO | 28 / 606 (686.1944) | 123 (170.8228) | 273 (165.0972) | 9 (178.2972) | 80 (171.9772) |
| Oct 2, 2015 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO | 103 / 187 (673.6224) | 116 (167.4056) | 46 (173.7028) | 69 (170.2512) | 149 (162.2628) |
| Aug 28, 2015 | Wild West BBQ Shoot Out Wendover, NV | 6 / 49 (692.5372) | 23 (169.1084) | 17 (170.2744) | 7 (174.2972) | 2 (178.8572) |
| Jul 24, 2015 | Days of 47 BBQ Rib & Rodeo Salt Lake City, UT | 9 / 17 (663.9312) | 4 (174.2856) | 9 (166.2628) | 9 (167.4056) | 13 (155.9772) |
| Jun 19, 2015 | YCC - Real Men Can Cook BBQ Comp Ogden, UT | 5 / 23 (668.5260) | 14 (163.4172) | 3 (169.6916) | 3 (169.7144) | 7 (165.7028) |
| May 22, 2015 | Best Dam Barbecue Boulder City, NV | 9 / 38 (675.3144) | 29 (164.5372) | 7 (169.6800) | 9 (171.4172) | 8 (169.6800) |
| May 2, 2015 | Smokin In Mesquite BBQ Championship Mesquite, NV | 12 / 41 (673.6344) | 6 (173.7372) | 15 (165.1316) | 16 (167.3828) | 13 (167.3828) |
| Apr 24, 2015 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV | 11 / 30 (682.8344) | 19 (168.5828) | 26 (159.3716) | 2 (178.8800) | 6 (176) |
| Apr 10, 2015 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT | 2 / 30 (674.7656) | 18 (162.2628) | 5 (167.3828) | 1 (172.5600) | 3 (172.5600) |
| Mar 27, 2015 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Reno, NV | 1 / 30 (677.7372) | 2 (172.6172) | 3 (170.8456) | 5 (167.4516) | 4 (166.8228) |
| Feb 27, 2015 | 6th Annual Lake Havasu Music Brews & BBQ Championship Lake Havasu City, AZ | 41 / 82 (651.9204) | 25 (168) | 57 (156.5260) | 14 (171.4056) | 59 (155.9888) |
| Nov 13, 2014 | World Food Championships - World Barbecue Championships (Competitiors Series) Las Vegas, NV | — | — | 33 (164.5484) | 2 (177.2000) | 9 (173.1084) |
| Oct 30, 2014 | USA Barbecue Championship Laughlin, NV | 35 / 79 (669.0284) | 77 (147.9428) | 31 (169.1084) | 2 (178.8572) | 18 (173.1200) |
| Sep 26, 2014 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR | 40 / 50 (678.2172) | 46 (166.2972) | 12 (174.2628) | 44 (163.3944) | 20 (174.2628) |
| Sep 5, 2014 | The Great Vegas Gridiron Grill-Off Las Vegas, NV | 3 / 42 (690.8572) | 14 (172) | 1 (178.2972) | 2 (176.5600) | 29 (164) |
| Aug 22, 2014 | Wild West BBQ Shoot Out Wendover, NV | 5 / 31 (676.5144) | 11 (167.9772) | 3 (170.8344) | 16 (164.5256) | 4 (173.1772) |
| Jul 24, 2014 | Days of 47 BBQ Showdown Holladay, UT | 10 / 31 (650.1600) | 13 (164.5256) | 9 (165.6916) | 15 (161.1084) | 16 (158.8344) |
| Apr 25, 2014 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV | 4 / 30 (675.9428) | 9 (170.8572) | 8 (169.1428) | 17 (167.3828) | 7 (168.5600) |
| Apr 11, 2014 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT | 4 / 29 (660.5600) | 6 (170.9028) | 14 (159.4172) | 3 (168.5600) | 9 (161.6800) |
| Sep 20, 2013 | Utah BBQ Festival Coalville, UT | 7 / 16 (642.7884) | 3 (163.4284) | 12 (158.2744) | 3 (168.5484) | 11 (152.5372) |
| Aug 23, 2013 | Wild West BBQ Shoot Out Wendover, NV | 24 / 34 (633.5884) | 20 (157.1200) | 19 (158.2744) | 26 (155.9656) | 16 (162.2284) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.