The Midwest Highland Arts Fund has announced the results of the Winter Storm 2025 piping and drumming competitions. Awards were presented Friday evening, January 17, 2025, at the Kansas City Marriott – Country Club Plaza Grand Ballroom.
The top piping winners were Andrew Donlon winning the Gold Medal for Piobaireachd, Alastair Lee winning the Gold Medal for Ceol Beag and was also the aggregate winner of Gold Medal events. Joseph Biggs won the Silver medal for Piobaireachd and Silver medal for Ceol Beag was won by Ryan Praskovich.
Eli Fugate won the Gold Medal for Snare Drumming, Jensen McConnell winning Gold Medal for Tenor Drumming and Terry Cadiente winning the Bass Drumming Gold Medal.
In the amateur piping competitions, Kathleen Brown won the Grade 1 Piobaireachd, Christopher Rodriguez won the Grade 2 Piobaireachd and Peter Liu won the Grade 3 Piobaireachd. Abby Long, Logan Gorsuch and Sylvia Thiessen won the Grade 1, 2 and 3 Amateur Ceol Beag respectively.
In the amateur drumming championships Nicholas Bowden won Grade 1 Snare, Eric Legere won Grade 2 Snare, Andrew Keppel won Grade 3 Snare, Carolin Stonier won the Tenor Drumming and Evan Duckett won Bass Drumming. Full results for each competition are below.
The live stream is sponsored by The Piper’s Dojo University is free to rewatch here but the organisers are looking to fundraise almost $10,000 to support the livestream costs. Donations can be made through this facebook page here.
MHAF United States Gold Medal Piobaireachd Championship
Sponsored by R.G. Hardie & Co.
1st – Andrew Donlon
2nd – Derek Midgely
3rd – Nick Hudson
4th – Alastair Lee
5th – Ben McClamrock
6th – Ian K. MacDonald
Judges: Donald MacPhee, Roddy MacLeod
MHAF North American Gold Medal Ceol Beag Championship
Sponsored by Henderson & Drum Supply
1st – Alastair Lee
2nd – Cameron Bonar
3rd – Joseph Biggs
4th – Jack Williamson
5th – Nick Hudson
6th – Derek Midgley
Judges: Michael Grey, Bob Worrall, Jack Lee
MHAF Aggregate Gold Medal Piobaireachd and Gold Medal Ceol Beag Award winner: Alastair Lee
United States Silver Medal Piobaireachd Championship
Sponsored by Midwest Pipe Band Association. Presented by McCallum Bagpipes
1st – Joseph Biggs
2nd – Ryan Praskovich
3rd – Robert Bruce
4th – Micah Babinski
5th- Dan Lyden
6th – Tyler Destremps
Judges: Callum Beaumont, Andrew Douglas
North American Silver Medal Ceol Beag Championship
Sponsored by Dojo University. Presented by Roddy MacLeod Bagpipes
1st – Ryan Praskovich
2nd – Zephan Knichel
3rd – Micah Babinski
4th – Bobby Durning
5th – Zak Read
6th – Andrew Lewis
Judges: Richard Parkes, Gary West, Terry Lee
MHAF North American Gold Medal Snare Drumming Championship
Sponsored by Henderson’s Pipe and Drum Supply. Presented by Andante Drums & Percussion
1st – Eli Fugate
2nd – Sebastian Arguelles
3rd – Robert Graham
4th – Eric McNeil
5th – Kyle Wardell
6th – Alex Kuldell
Judges: Stephen Creighton, Jake Jorgenson, Kerr McQuillan
Gold Medal Tenor Drumming Championships
Sponsored by Rhythm Monster. Presented by Andante Drums & Percussion and Ace Percussion
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
MHAF Gold Medal Bass Drumming Championships
Sponsored by MassedHead. Presented by Andante Drums & Percussion and ACE Percussion
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
MHAF North American Amateur Piobaireachd Championship
Sponsored and Presented by The Tone Protector by BagpipeLessons.com
GRADE 3
1st – Peter Liu
2nd – Olivia Boydstun
3rd – Cooper Lloyd
4th – Brigitta Benroth
5th – Kimberly Meek
6th – Christopher Baum
Judges: Donald MacPhee, Callum Beaumont
GRADE 2
1st – Christopher Rodriguez
2nd – Luke Ashton
3rd – Chaz Stuart
4th – Andrew Reynolds
5th – Jacob Bowers
6th – John Hughes
Judges: Andrew Douglas, Michael Grey
GRADE 1
1st – Kathleen Brown
2nd – Abby Long
3rd – Alex Pavlovic
4th – Ian Minnear
5th – Andrew Zhao
6th – Alexander Walker
Judges: Bob Worrall, Roddy MacLeod
North American Amateur Ceol Beag Championship
Sponsored by Tartantown. Presented by Lee & Sons Bagpipes
GRADE 3
1st – Sylvia Thiessen
2nd – Brigitta Benroth
3rd – Cooper Lloyd
4th – Michelle Blam
5th – David Barrash
6th – Anthony St. Clair
Judges: Jack Lee, Roddy MacDonald
GRADE 2
1st – Logan Gorsuch
2nd – Jacob Bowers
3rd – Agustin Arguelles
4th – Jack O’Connell
5th – Luke Ashton
6th – Chaz Stuart
Judges: Richard Parkes, Donald MacPhee
GRADE 1
1st – Abby Long
2nd – Olivia Corcoran
3rd – Euan Gattinger
4th – Mihir Zambre
5th – Alex Pavlovic
6th – Malachi Johannsen
Judges: Terry Lee, Gary West
Most Promising Piper Award Grade 3 winner: Sylvia Thiessen
Sponsored by R.G.Hardie & Co.
MHAF North American Amateur Snare Drumming Championship
Sponsored by Custom Drum Sound Inc. Presented by Andante Drums & Percussion
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
GRADE 2
1st – Eric Legere
2nd – Samuel Giles
3rd – Luca Damiani
4th – Jonathan Giles
5th – Max Fenwick
6th – Andrew Koupal
Judges: Jim Sim, Stephen Creighton
GRADE 1
1st – Nicholas Bowden
2nd – Sloan Pierce
3rd – Cameron MacDonald
4th – Aidan Hogan
5th – Will Powell
6th – Alexandria Bieschke
Judges: Stephen Creighton, Jake Jorgensen
MHAF Amateur Tenor Drumming Championships
Sponsored by Rhythm Monster. Presented by Andante Drums & Percussion and Ace Percussion
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
MHAF Amateur Bass Drumming Championships
Sponsored by MassedHead. Presented by Andante Drums & Percussion and ACE Percussion
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