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
