After six weeks of competing for the most popular ice cream creation, Katie Watson of Sigma Kappa won the 2010 Cold Stone Creamery Go Greek Scholarship Contest.

Stephen Siegel, manager of the Ames Cold Stone, invited all sororities and fraternities to nominate a contestant who would develop a signature ice cream. Katie’s ice cream, “Katie’s Cookie Crunch,” was the most-purchased, earning her a scholarship of $250 and an ice cream social for her house.

“I think the opportunity [Siegel] gave was a really awesome experience,” said Watson, junior in marketing. “It was a great way to involve the greek community and have a healthy competition.”

Contestants earned points when customers purchased their creation, depending on the size of the order. A 3-ounce order was worth one point, while a 48-ounce order was worth seven. Watson finished with 447 points compared to runner-up Austin “Scotty” Locke’s 414 points. The third-place winner earned 351 points, and fourth and fifth place finished with 232 and 144 points respectively.

“It was very hard because both of our ice creams tasted so good,” said Locke, junior in political science and member of Acacia. “I think mine was better than hers. I liked hers, but I have to say that not only in the spirit of competition, but also because I think mine had a little something special.”

Watson and Locke said they playfully competed with each other for the win.

“There was a day that Scotty Locke and I were getting our ice cream at the same time, and we were trying to convince the other people in line to get ours,” Watson said. “We were trying to market our ice cream just to be funny. He and I are friends, so it was fun.”

Locke was the only male participant to make it into the top five.

“It was a lot harder to compete against the sororities,” Locke said, “especially considering I’m from a smaller chapter, so they just had more numbers. It became kind of a battle of the sexes.”

Locke’s concoction, called “Acacian Sensation,” was cake batter ice cream topped with fudge, yellow cake pieces and cookie dough. “Katie’s Cookie Crunch” consisted of oatmeal cookie batter ice cream with cookie dough pieces, Oreo and graham cracker pie crust.

“I actually worked at Cold Stone [in Davenport] for three years in high school,” Watson said, “so it was something I’d already played around with. It was my favorite the entire time I worked there, so I just used it for this.”

Watson said her sorority nominated her during a chapter meeting.

“I’m assuming it’s because they knew I used to work there,” Watson said, “and I’m kind of obsessed with ice cream, so it’s a given … it’s my treat and my guilty pleasure, for sure.”

Locke said he was nominated to represent his house because they thought he had the best ideas for creations.

“I also know quite a few people on campus, so they figured I could spread the word the best,” Locke said. “I used a combination of Facebook messages … and word-of-mouth and taking people over there to try it and making them take their friends.”

Locke said his fraternity ordered his creation to serve as dessert at one of their scholarship luncheons.

“The way you win the contest is having a combination of stuff that people will want to eat and also using your relationships to get people to come in and support you,” Siegel said. “But you have to have both.”

Siegel said this year he’s awarding Locke with a consolation prize of a $50 scholarship and a gift card for $50.

“[Siegel] told me [Acacian Sensation] was one of the most requested from people who weren’t from the greek community, so it went over really well and was perceived exactly how I wanted it to be,” Locke said. “It has everything you could want in an ice cream.”

Siegel said he’s asking Cold Stone area developers if he can start carrying some of the more popular creations on a regular basis.

“It was an awesome opportunity and I’m really thankful for it,” Watson said. “[It’s] a huge honor to receive the scholarship.”