The judges were allocated across the lot and full marks to that crew for sticking at it through the day. They only have the Workshops and Gala Concert to worry about today.
The blue ribbon events were taken by some known names with new winners in other events. The overall coterie of new talent continues to surprise and please. Perhaps the Gold Medal snare drumming will get recognition as a pre-qualifier for the World Solos in due course, just as the piping light music Gold winner gets a run to the Metro Cup.
Prizes were considerable in money terms, travel stipends and pipes and drums. So those headline winners (full list of all event placings below):
Gold Medal Piobaireachd – Alastair Lee (pictured top)
Ceol Beag Gold – Sarah Muir
Gold Medal Snare – Grant Cassidy
Silver Medal Piobaireachd – Zephan Knichel
Gold Medal Tenor – Andrew Elliot
Gold Medal Bass – (three- way tie; MSR pref.) – Andrew Elliot
Two other young Scots drummers picked up gold in Grade 2: Kerr McQuillan, Boghall, and in Grade 3, Caitlyn Malloy, Dollar.
The Midwest Highland Arts Fund (MHAF) Board of Directors later announced the full results. Awards were presented on Friday evening, January 12, 2018, at the Kansas City Marriott – Country Club Plaza Grand Ballroom.
R.G. Hardie & Co. Gold Medal Piobaireachd
1st Alastair Lee, Coquitlam, BC, Canada
2nd Andrew Donlon, Germantown, MD
3rd Derek Midgley, Tinton Falls, NJ
Judges: Callum Beaumont, Colin MacLellan
McCallum Bagpipes Silver Medal Piobaireachd
1st Zephan Knichel, Surrey, BC, Canada
2nd Andy Wilson, Dromore, Co Down, Northern Ireland
3rd Kevin McLean, Maple Ridge, BC, Canada
4th Alastair Murray, Moon, PA
5th John Lee Surrey, BC, Canada
Judges: Alan Bevan, Ann Gray
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Tenor Drumming
Novice
1st Kathryn Byzewski, Minneapolis, MN
2nd Rylee Neil, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
3rd Annie Colquhoun, Kincardine, Ontario, Canada
Judges: Stevie McQuillan, Michael O’Neil, Jordan Bailie
Intermediate
1st Courtney Green, Gurnee, IL
2nd Seton Helwig, Seaside Park, NJ
3rd Fiona McCall, Stirling, Scotland UK
Judges: Stevie McQuillan, Michael O’Neil, Jordan Bailie
Gold Medal
1st Andrew Elliott, Houston, TX
2nd Taylor Page, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
3rd Sam Johnson, Baltimore, MD
Judges: Stevie McQuillan, Michael O’Neil, Jordan Bailie
Bass Drumming
Novice
1st Brianna McDonald, Dundee, IL
2nd Shanna McDonald, Dundee, IL
3rd Christian Vegors, Seattle, WA
Judges: Steve Foley, Steven Roberts
Intermediate
1st Andrea Brennan-Doucette, Belleville, Ontario, Canada
2nd Jay Jolley, Omaha, NE
3rd Wendy Dowell, Atkinson, IL
Judges: Steve Foley, Steven Roberts
Gold Medal
1st Andrew Elliott, Houston, TX
2nd Ben Elkins, Falls Church, VA
3rd Andrew Fowler, Parma Heights, OH
Judges: Steve Foley, Steven Roberts
Lee & Sons Bagpipes Amateur Ceol Beag
Grade 3
1st Gillian Blaney, Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada
2nd Kristopher Muse, Vacaville, CA
3rd Jackson Herrscher, Houston, TX
Judge: Terry Lee
Grade 2
1st Kayleigh Johnstone, Aurora, Ontario, Canada
2nd Eric den Ouden, Stayner, Ontorio, Canada
3rd Joel Hrncir, Houston, TX
Judge: Terry Lee
Grade 1
1st Filemon Tan, Bellaire, TX
2nd Joseph Horwath, Saginaw, MI
3rd Ben Peterson, Lombard, IL
Judge: William McCallum
Amateur Piobaireachd presented by The Tone Protector & bagpipelessons.com
Grade 3
1st Weston Kennedy, Sammamish, WA
2nd Gillian Blaney, Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada
3rd Kim Greeley, Honolulu, HI
Judge: William McCallum
Grade 2
1st Jennifer Westphal, New York, NY
2nd Evan Burlew, Pittsburgh, PA
3rd Linda Robertson, Bakersfield, CA
Judge: Jenny Hazzard
Grade 1
1st Filemon Tan, Bellaire, TX
2nd Charlie Morris, Agoura Hills, CA
3rd Nathan Wilds, Tolono, IL
Judge: Jenny Hazzard
Henderson’s Pipe and Drum Supply Professional Ceol Beag
1st Sarah Muir, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, UK
2nd Andrew Carlisle, Pittsburgh, PA
3rd Matt MacIsaac, Stayner, Ontorio, Canada
4th Derek Midgley, Tinton Falls, NJ
5th James Troy, Victoria, BC, Canada
Judges – Qualifiers: Ken Eller, Richard Parkes, Ian K McDonald, Fred Morrison; Final: Colin MacLellan, Stuart Liddell
Cameron Drumming Studios Amateur Drumming
Grade 3
1st Caitlyn Malloy, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, UK
2nd Terrance Cadiente Westminster, BC, Canada
3rd Andrew Jirsa Forrest Park, IL
Judges: Stephen Creighton, Jake Jorgensen
Grade 2
1st Kerr McQuillan Glasgow, Scotland, UK
2nd Sebastian Arguelles Houston, TX
3rd Raymond Marshall Fort Collins, CO
Judges: Stephen Creighton, Jake Jorgensen
Grade 1
1st Bryce Kreger Shoreline, WA
2nd Matthew Page Everett, WA
3rd Robert Graham Shoreline, WA
Judges: Stephen Creighton, Jake Jorgensen
Henderson’s Pipe and Drum Supply Gold Medal Drumming
1st Grant Cassidy Uddington, Glasgow, UK
2nd Grant Maxwell Surrey, BC, Canada
3rd Stephan Paynter Coquitlam, BC, Canada
4th Eli Fugate San Diego, CA
5th Derek Cooper Warminster, PA
6th Eric MacNeill Dunedin, FL
Judges: Qualifier- John Fisher, Paul Turner, Jim Sim; Final- Gordon Brown, Steven Creighton, Jake Jørgensen
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