Contest victor eats 7 pounds of latkes

LAKE GROVE, N.Y. -- A 23-year-old mechanical engineering student downed 46 latkes in eight minutes to win a contest at a Long Island deli.

Pete Czerwinski said he'd never had one of the potato pancakes before eating about seven pounds of them Sunday at Zan's in Lake Grove.

Association of Independent Competitive Eaters chairman Arnie Chapman said Czerwinski demolished the contest's previous record of 31 latkes, set in 2006.

Latkes are a traditional treat for Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights. It started Sunday evening.