Alastair Lee, Eli Fugate, Terry Cadiente, Jensen McConnell big winners at Winter Storm 2025

Kansas City, Missouri –January 17, 2024 – At the Kansas City Marriott-Country Club Plaza Grand Ballroom, Alastair Lee of Surrey, British Columbia, was the aggregate winner across the two Gold Medal events to win the overall trophy in the annual Winter Storm Professional Solo Piping competitions. Washington, DC’s Andrew Donlon won the Gold Medal Piobaireachd prize, while Lee won the Light Music Gold Medal.

Eli Fugate from Vista, California, won the Gold Medal snare drumming, and Vancouver’s Terry Cadiente and Jensen McConnell from New York won the Gold Medal Bass and Tenor Championships, respectively.

The full Friday of solo competitions is followed by a Saturday of workshops, culminating with a nighttime concert by instructors and prize winners.

Piping
Professional
United States Gold Medal Piobaireachd Championship (15 entered)
1st Andrew Donlon
2nd Derek Midgely, Tinton Falls, New Jersey
3rd Nick Hudson, Houston
4th Alastair Lee
5th Ben McClamrock, Washington, DC
6th Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario
Judges: Roddy MacLeod, Donald MacPhee

North American Gold Medal Ceol Beag Championship (11 entered)
1st Alastair Lee
2nd Cameron Bonar, Surrey, British Columbia
3rd Joseph Biggs, Ontario
4th Jack Williamson, Topeka, Kansas
5th Nick Hudson
6th Derek Midgley
Judges: Michael Grey, Jack Lee, Bob Worrall

United States Silver Medal Piobaireachd Championship (27 entered)
1st Joseph Biggs, Ontario
2nd Ryan Praskovich, Columbus, Ohio
3rd Robert Bruce, British Columbia
4th Micah Babinski, Portland, Oregon
5th Dan Lyden, Timonium, Maryland
6th Tyler Destremps, Leola, Pennsylvania
Judges: Callum Beaumont, Andrew Douglas

North American Silver Medal Ceol Beag Championship (32 entered)
1st Ryan Praskovich
2nd Zephan Knichel, Surrey, British Columbia
3rd Micah Babinski
4th Bobby Durning, Carrollton, Texas
5th Zak Read, Chicago
6th Andrew Lewis, St. Paul, Minnesota
Judges: Terry Lee, Richard Parkes, Gary West

Grade 1
Piobaireachd
1st Kathleen Brown
2nd Abby Long
3rd Alex Pavlovic
4th Ian Minnear
5th Andrew Zhao
6th Alexander Walker
Judges: Roddy MacLeod, Bob Worrall

Light Music
1st Abby Long
2nd Olivia Corcoran
3rd Euan Gattinger
4th Mihir Zambre
5th Alex Pavlovic
6th Malachi Johannsen
Judges: Terry Lee, Gary West

Grade 2
Piobaireachd
1st Christopher Rodriguez
2nd Luke Ashton
3rd Chaz Stuart
4th Andrew Reynolds
5th Jacob Bowers
6th John Hughes
Judges: Andrew Douglas, Michael Grey

Light Music
1st Logan Gorsuch
2nd Jacob Bowers
3rd Agustin Arguelles
4th Jack O’Connell
5th  Luke Ashton
6th Chaz Stuart
Judges: Donald MacPhee, Richard Parkes

Grade 3
Piobaireachd
1st Peter Liu
2nd Olivia Boydstun
3rd Cooper Lloyd
4th Brigitta Benroth
5th Kimberly Meek
6th Christopher Baum
Judge: Callum Beaumont

Light Music
1st Sylvia Thiessen
2nd Brigitta Benroth
3rd Cooper Lloyd
4th Michelle Blam
5th David Barrash
6th Anthony St. Clair
Judge: Jack Lee

Drumming
Snare
Professional
North American Gold Medal Snare Drumming Championship
1st Eli Fugate
2nd Sebastian Arguelles
3rd Robert Graham
4th Eric McNeil
5th Kyle Wardell
6th Alex Kuldell
Judges: Stephen Creighton, Jake Jørgenson, Kerr McQuillan

Grade 1
1st Nicholas Bowden
2nd Sloan Pierce
3rd Cameron MacDonald
4th Aidan Hogan
5th Will Powell
6th Alexandria Bieschke
Judges: Stephen Creighton, Jake Jørgenson

Grade 2
1st Eric Legere
2nd Samuel Giles
3rd Luca Damiani
4th Jonathan Giles
5th Max Fenwick
6th Andrew Koupal
Judges: Stephen Creighton, Jim Sim

Grade 3
1st Andrew Keppel
2nd Ulises Reyes
3rd Drew Postma
4th Brenden Good
5th Chris Hugie
6th Jim Kilburg
Judges: Kerr McQuillan, Jim Sim

Bass
Gold Medal Bass Drumming Championship
1st Terry Cadiente
2nd Ben Elkins
3rd Jamie Alfred
4th Allison North
5th Alex Kudell
6th Eric Legere
Judges: Kahlil Cappuccino, Andrew Elliott, Owen Russell

Amateur
1st Evan Duckett
2nd Isla Ross
3rd Marie Rude
4th John Bertino
5th Gale Walker
6th Mary Thrasher
Judges: Kahlil Cappuccino, Andrew Elliott, Owen Russell

Tenor
Gold Medal Tenor Drumming Championship
1st Jensen McConnell
2nd Kathryn Byzewski
3rd Whitney Glenn
4th Jamie Alfred
5th Kate Dudek
6th Andrea Jackson
Judges: Kahlil Cappuccino, Andrew Elliott, Owen Russell

Amateur
1st Carolin Stonier
2nd Lindsay MacGregor
3rd Elise Svangtun
4th Iris Fugate
5th Allison Hildebrand
6th Sophia Jantzen
Judges: Kahlil Cappuccino, Andrew Elliott, Owen Russell