The Star Search Talent Display 2017 Territorial Finals were held on Saturday, June 10 at the Westchester Hilton Hotel in Rye Brook, New York. This marked the first time in four years that Star Search returned to this venue after taking place in the Hershey, PA area over the past several years. A beautiful eighty degree day greeted the participants, adjudicators and controllers on the day of the event. Over 900 young people between the ages of 6 and 21 participated in the event, with over 1900 people in attendance that viewed the event at the hotel (and all were served lunch!) along with the Awards Ceremony at the Westchester County Center at 4:30 PM on the same afternoon.

Several notable groups and an individual won first place prizes in events for the second year in a row, including the White Plains Youth Chorus (Greater New York Division) and Montclair Citadel Youth Band (New Jersey Division). These 2 groups will be ineligible to participate in the Territorial Finals for one year. In addition, Morgan Kincaid of the Salem, Ohio corps of the NEOSA Division won the Level 2 Dance Soloist event for the second year in a row, and will need to move on to Level 3 for next year. It was also interesting to note that every Kroc Center in the territory (Camden, Boston, Philadelphia, Dayton, Ashland and Guayama, PR) had a winner (3rd place or above) in either a group or individual event – the first time that this writer can recall this happening at a Territorial Star Search Finals event.

The Awards Ceremony in the Westchester County Center was held in conjunction with the Saturday night Commissioning Weekend program including a large segment by Unbound. Star Search Awards were presented in 3 segments that added a great deal of excitement to the program, which concluded this year at the record early time of 6:15 PM!

 

Salvationist Star Search Talent Display

June 10, 2017

2017 Award Winners

Acoustic Guitar Soloist

Level 1
3rd Place               Mateo Alvarez, Templo de Queens – GNY
2nd Place               Laura Agblekbe, Boston Kroc Center – MASS
1st Place                Rachel Adams, New Haven – SONED

Level 2
3rd Place               Marlon Rosario, San Juan Central Temple – PR/VI
2nd Place               Zaire Green, New York Harlem Temple – GNY
1st Place                Hannah Hansen, Sidney – SWONEKY

Level 3
3rd Place               Gabriela Ochoa, White Plains – GNY
2nd Place               Rayya Brooks, Dayton Kroc Center – SWONEKY
1st Place                Vivieane Andrade, New Brunswick – NJ

Level 4
3rd Place               Cameron DeMatteo, Bath/Brunswick – NNE
2nd Place               Paola Torres, Buffalo Temple – EMPIRE
1st Place                Luis Moran, New York Manhattan Citadel – GNY

Brass Soloist

Level 1
3rd Place               Maria Mercedes, San Juan Central Temple – PR/VI
2nd Place               Joshua Bang, Newport, SONED
1st Place                Matthew VanderWeele, Montclair Citadel – NJ

Level 2
3rd Place               Peter Wajda, Schenectady – EMPIRE
2nd Place               Ana M. Cruz, Guayama Kroc Center – PR/VI
1st Place                Selena Moran, New York Manhattan Citadel – GNY

Level 3
3rd Place               Gavrilla Wicaksono, Ithaca – EMPIRE
2nd Place               Evan VanderWeele, Montclair Citadel – NJ
1st Place                Sara Dina, Cleveland Temple – NEOSA

Level 4
3rd Place               Rachel Dina, Cleveland Temple – NEOSA
2nd Place               Victor Ccapacca, White Plains – GNY
1st Place                Mackenzie Dalrymple, Cincinnati Center Hill – SWONEKY

Dance Soloist

Level 1
3rd Place               Serenity Trinidad, Bristol – SONED
2nd Place               Haven Williams, Dayton Kroc Center – SWONEKY
1st Place                Neysimar Ojeda, Bayamon – PR/VI

Level 2
3rd Place               Lurka Edmond, Westbury – GNY
2nd Place               Mia McAtee, Dayton Kroc Center – SWONEKY
1st Place                Morgan Kincaid, Salem – NEOSA

Level 3
3rd Place               Lilianny Rosario, Bronx Citadel – GNY
2nd Place               Bryce Jache, Warren – WEPASA
1st Place                Savannah Cameron, Lowell – MASS

Level 4
3rd Place               Serenity Valdes, Camden Kroc Center – NJ
2nd Place               Tyler DeGroate, New Haven – SONED
1st Place                Rachel Brand, Johnstown – WEPASA

Dance Troupe

Level A
3rd Place               Bronx Citadel – GNY
2nd Place               Columbus East Main – SWONEKY
1st Place                Guayama Kroc Center – PR/VI

Level B
3rd Place               Johnstown – WEPASA
2nd Place               Salem – NEOSA
1st Place                Bronx Tremont – GNY

Drama Monologue

Level 1
3rd Place               Ava Evans, Montclair Citadel – NJ
2nd Place               Ayanna Aldrige, Middletown – SWONEKY
1st Place                Romina Espinoza, East Northport – GNY

Level 2
3rd Place               Madison Suk, Montclair Citadel – NJ
2nd Place               Aidan DeFrates, Middletown – SWONEKY
1st Place                Andrew Loja, Port Chester – GNY

Level 3
3rd Place               Julia Casteneda, Fall River – MASS
2nd Place               Nana Eshun, Columbus East Main – SWONEKY
1st Place                Lucas Urbina, Temple de Queens – GNY

Level 4
3rd Place               Rayya Brooks, Dayton Kroc Center – SWONEKY
2nd Place               Emily Kahn, Youngstown Citadel – NEOSA
1st Place                Tiffany Garcia, Bronx Tremont – GNY

Drama Troupe

Level A
3rd Place               Columbus East Main – SWONEKY
2nd Place               Westbury – GNY
1st Place                Montclair Citadel – NJ

Level B
3rd Place               Pottstown – PENDEL
2nd Place               Bronx Tremont – GNY
1st Place                Dayton Kroc Center – SWONEKY

Piano Soloist

Level 1
3rd Place               Victoria Preston, Sharon – WEPASA
2nd Place               Oliver Bungard, Alliance – NEOSA
1st Place                Kenneth Chalco-Leon, Kearny – NJ

Level 2
3rd Place               Jenna DeMichael, Ashland Kroc Center – NEOSA
2nd Place               Eugene Lim, Kearny – NJ
1st Place                Kayli Schoch, Philadelphia Roxborough – PENDEL

Level 3
3rd Place               Laura Baptista, Bronx Tremont – GNY
2nd Place               Joanne Lee, Philadelphia Korean – PENDEL
1st Place                Caroline Wajda, Schenectady – EMPIRE

Level 4
2nd Place               Sharlene Lucero, Temple de Queens – GNY
1st Place                Gavrilla Wicaksono, Ithaca – EMPIRE

Singing Company

3rd Place               Ithaca – EMPIRE
2nd Place               Montclair Citadel – NJ
1st Place                White Plains – GNY

Snare Drum Soloist

Level 1
3rd Place               Lyanet Rivera, Guayama Kroc Center – PR/VI
2nd Place               Jeremiah Wright, New York Harlem Temple – GNY
1st Place                Joel Lee – Philadelphia Korean – PENDEL

Level 2
3rd Place               Ken’yonn Jolly, Wooster – NEOSA
2nd Place               Viviano Rodriguez, San Juan Central Temple – PR/VI
1st Place                Oliver Zoduwah, Staten Island Stapleton – GNY

Level 3
3rd Place               Jake Lyle, Columbus Chapel at Worthington Woods – SWONEKY
2nd Place               José Tavarez, San Juan Central Temple – PR/VI
1st Place                Edward Hardy, Newark Ironbound – NJ

Level 4
2nd Place               Fernando Pacheco, San Juan Central Temple – PR/VI
1st Place                Philip  Betts, Mansfield – NEOSA

Timbrel Brigade

Level A
3rd Place               Homestead Steel Valley – WEPASA
2nd Place               Brooklyn Brownsville – GNY
1st Place                Kearny – NJ

Level B
3rd Place               Flemington – NJ
2nd Place               Quincy – MASS
1st Place                Bronx Tremont – GNY

Vocal Soloist

Level 1
3rd Place               Zoe Zanders, Philadelphia Kroc Center – PENDEL
2nd Place               Millie Payton, Ithaca – EMPIRE
1st Place                John Cuadros, Queens Ridgewood – GNY

Level 2
3rd Place               Brooke Johnson               , Indiana – WEPASA
2nd Place               James Dorce, Westbury – GNY
1st Place                Sophie Baker, Montclair Citadel – NJ

Level 3
3rd Place               Isabella Kirk, Bangor – NNE
2nd Place               Cas Pooley, Ithaca – EMPIRE
1st Place                Annastassya Segovia, White Plains – GNY

Level 4
3rd Place               Tia Oakes, Niagara Falls Citadel – EMPIRE
2nd Place               Eric Hawkins, Dayton Kroc Center – SWONEKY
1st Place                David Ochoa, White Plains – GNY

Youth Band

3rd Place               San Juan Central Temple – PR/VI
2nd Place               New York Manhattan Citadel – GNY
1st Place                Montclair Citadel – NJ

Youth Chorus

3rd Place               Dayton Kroc Center – SWONEKY
2nd Place               Ithaca – EMPIRE
1st Place                White Plains – GNY

Posted by