Great Lakes, Praskovich, Carr, Lyden on top at Ohio

Berea, Ohio – June 26-27, 2026 – Great Lakes of Cleveland, Ohio, won the Grade 2 overall in the top band grade, while Capital City won Grade 4, and the 190th Highlanders won the well-entered Grade 5 competition at the 49th annual Ohio Scottish Games & Celtic Festival, which attracted a strong entry of 14 bands and 116 solo competitors.

In the Open Solo Piping, Ryan Praskovich of Pittsburgh won the Piobaireachd; Dan Lyden, Timonium, Maryland, took the MSR; and Daniel Carr, Collingwood, Ontario, won both the Hornpipe & Jig and 6/8 March events.

The weather was warm and overcast, with occasional light rain.

Bands

Grade 2
Overall
1st Great Lakes
2nd Midlothian Scottish

Medley
1st Great Lakes (1,1,1,1)
2nd Midlothian Scottish (2,2,2,2)
Judges: Calum MacDonald, Barry Donaldson (piping); Miles Bennington (drumming); David Hall (ensemble)

(MSR)
1st Great Lakes (1,1,1,1)
2nd Midlothian Scottish (2,2,2,2)
Judges: Calum MacDonald, Barry Donaldson (piping); Miles Bennington (drumming); Craig Munro (ensemble)

Grade 4
Overall
1st Capital City
2nd 87th Cleveland
3rd Cincinnati Caledonian
4th Macdonald of Pittsburgh

Medley
1st Capital City (1,1,2,2)
2nd 87th Cleveland (2,3,1,1)
3rd Macdonald of Pittsburgh (3,2,4,4) (DQ)
4th Cincinnati Caledonian (4,4,3,3)
Judges: Calum MacDonald, Barry Donaldson (piping); Miles Bennington (drumming); David Hall (ensemble)

MSR
1st Capital City (1,1,2,2)
2nd 87th Cleveland (3,3,1,1)
3rd Macdonald of Pittsburgh (2,2,4,4)
4th Cincinnati Caledonian (4,4,3,3)
Judges: Calum MacDonald, Barry Donaldson (piping); Miles Bennington (drumming); Craig Munro (ensemble)

Grade 5 (Quick March Medley)
1st 190th Highlanders (5,1,1,1)
2nd 87th Cleveland (V) (2,4,2,3)
3rd Lochaber (4,3,3,2)
4th Celtic Circle (1,2,5,5)
5th U.S. Customs & Border Protection (3,5,6,6)
6th Grand Traverse (7,6,4,4)
7th Celtic Eagle (8,7,7,7)
8th Macdonald of Pittsburgh (V) (6,8,8,8)
Judges: Calum MacDonald, Barry Donaldson (piping); Miles Bennington (drumming); Craig Munro (ensemble)

Solo Piping

Open
Piobaireachd
1st Ryan Praskovich
2nd Alastair Murray
3rd Dan Lyden
4th Daniel Carr
5th Palmer Shonk
6th Liz Cherry
Judge: Calum MacDonald

MSR
1st Dan Lyden
2nd Alastair Murray
3rd Ryan Praskovich
4th Palmer Shonk
5th Liz Cherry
Judge: Craig Munro

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Daniel Carr
2nd Dan Lyden
3rd Ryan Praskovich
4th Palmer Shonk
5th Liz Cherry
Judge: Barry Donaldson

6/8 March
1st Daniel Carr
2nd Dan Lyden
3rd Ryan Praskovich
4th Liz Cherry
5th Palmer Shonk
6th Alastair Murray
Judge: Barry Donaldson

Grade 1
Piobaireachd
1st Michael Trenor
2nd Albert DeFusco
3rd Ben Peterson
4th Andy Douglas
5th David Flaherty
6th Jonathan Snow
Judge: Calum MacDonald

MSR
1st Michael Trenor
2nd Meghan McElhinney
3rd David Flaherty
4th Thomas McCollum
5th Andy Douglas
6th Albert DeFusco
Judge: C. Munro

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Michael Trenor
2nd Ben Peterson
3rd Andy Douglas
4th Albert DeFusco
5th Isabelle Hogan
6th Nathan Wilds
Judge: Barry Donaldson

6/8 March
1st Albert DeFusco
2nd Ben Peterson
3rd Michael Trenor
4th Meghan McElhinney
5th Isabelle Hogan
6th Thomas McCollum
Judge: Alastair Murray

Grade 2
Piobaireachd
1st Meghan McElhinney
2nd John Holland
3rd Robert Delp
4th Evan Elliott
5th Isabelle Hogan
6th Alan Curran
Judge: Dan Lyden

2/4 March
1st Alan Curran
2nd Anthony St. Clair
3rd William Prohn
4th Jonathan Snow
5th Byron Voorheis
6th John Holland
Judge: Alastair Murray

Strathspey & Reel
1st William Prohn
2nd Alan Curran
3rd Anthony St. Clair
4th Byron Voorheis
5th John Holland
6th Jonathan Snow
Judge: Craig Munro

6/8 March
1st Byron Voorheis
2nd Anthony St. Clair
3rd John Holland
4th Jonathan Snow
5th William Prohn
6th Amy Howard
Judge: David Hall

Jig
1st Alan Curran
2nd Byron Voorheis
3rd Anthony St. Clair
4th William Prohn
5th Betsy Bethel-McFarland
6th Jonathan Snow
Judge: Calum Abercrombie

Grade 3
Piobaireachd A
1st George Smith
2nd Samuel Carson
3rd Luke Marinelli
4th Michael Erwin
5th Casey Buchanan-Smith
6th Jim Gibson
Judge: Calum MacDonald

Piobaireachd B
1st Kim Meek
2nd Patrick Neff
3rd Cliff Ermatinger
4th Laura Romine
5th Eric Poleski
6th Chris Hayes Nolin
Judge: Scott McCawley

2/4 March A
1st Luke Marinelli
2nd Samuel Carson
3rd George Smith
4th Michael Erwin
5th Lucas Robinson
6th Evan Elliott
Judge: Craig Munro

2/4 March B
1st Sean McCarthy
2nd Joseph Kern
3rd Kim Meek
4th Casey Buchanan-Smith
5th Patrick Neff
6th Laura Romine
Judge: Calum Abercrombie

Strathspey & Reel A
1st Michael Erwin
2nd Evan Elliott
3rd Luke Marinelli
4th Joseph Kern
5th George Smith
6th Casey Buchanan-Smith
Judge: Barry Donaldson

Strathspey & Reel B
1st Samuel Carson
2nd Lucas Robinson
3rd Patrick Neff
4th Jesse Tucker
5th Laura Romine
6th Sean McCarthy
Judge: Calum Abercrombie

6/8 March A
1st Joseph Kern
2nd Lucas Robinson
3rd Daniel Parry
4th Eric Poleski
5th Luke Marinelli
6th George Smith
Judge: Barry Donaldson

6/8 March B
1st Michael Erwin
2nd Casey Buchanan-Smith
3rd Sean McCarthy
4th Jim Gibson
5th Kim Meek
6th Samuel Carson
Judge: Alastair Murray

Grade 4
Piobaireachd A
1st Tanner Kline
2nd Isabella Jackson
3rd Stephen Poteet
4th Joseph Magliocca
5th Rhys Weibel
6th Rashad Mahmood
Judge: Scott McCawley

Piobaireachd B
1st Lara Haase
2nd Jason Silvey
3rd Emily Nunn
4th Taylor Pulido
5th John Adair
6th Colin Gavin
Judge: D. McNally

Grade 4 Senior
2/4 March A
1st Isabella Jackson
2nd Elijiah Shepherd
3rd Dan Kulhanek
4th Rebecca Connor
5th Joseph Magliocca
6th Ed Hanley
Judge: David Hall

2/4 March B
1st Danielle Desmarchais
2nd Jason Silvey
3rd John Adair
4th Maureen Moore
5th Robert Delp
6th Peter Henderson
Judge: D. McNally

Strathspey & Reel A
1st Isabella Jackson
2nd Jason Silvey
3rd Amy McQuiston
4th Peter Henderson
5th Dan Kulhanek
6th John Paul Howell
Judge: Calum Abercrombie

Strathspey & Reel B
1st Robert Delp
2nd Tanner Kline
3rd John Adair
4th Paul Jones
5th Michael McCollum
6th Colin Gavin
Judge: David Hall

Grade 4 Junior
2/4 March
1st Emily Nunn
2nd Taylor Pulido
3rd Meredith Calhoun
4th Patrick Walker
5th Aidan Tolliver
6th Rhys Weibel
Judge: Dan Lyden

Strathspey & Reel
1st Aidan Tolliver
2nd Emily Nunn
3rd Meredith Calhoun
4th Taylor Pulido
5th Patrick Walker
Judge: Alastair Murray

Grade 5 Senior (two -part march)
1st Connor Adams
2nd Stephen Poteet
3rd Skye Valerio
4th John Dougherty
Judge: D. McNally

Grade 5 Junior (two-part march)
1st Lillian Spivey
2nd Jack Cossel
3rd Adriana Drake
4th Tony McGowan
5th Johnathon Alton
Judge: Dan Lyden

Practice Chanter (two-part march)
1st Orriana Redweik
2nd Miles John Watson
3rd Cooper Stanley
4th Stephen Lash
5th Richard Ellis
Judge: Barry Donaldson

Solo Drumming

Snare
MSR
Adam Tardif
Judge: Miles Bennington

Hornpipe & Jig
Adam Tardif
Judge: Miles Bennington

Grade 1
MSR
1st Antonio Amram
2nd Quinn Faith
3rd Cameron Sinibaldi
Judge: Miles Bennington

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Antonio Amram
2nd Cameron Sinibaldi
3rd Quinn Faith
Judge: Miles Bennington

Grade 2
MSR
1st Ken Decker
2nd Rylie Valley
Judge: Miles Bennington

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Rylie Valley
2nd Ken Decker
Judge: Miles Bennington

Grade 3
MSR
1st Ian Calder
2nd Jim Kilburg
Judge: Miles Bennington

Grade 4
2/4 March
1st Evan Johnston
2nd Timothy Sleeman
3rd Lexey Wardle
4th Evan Tolliver
5th Fiona Conway
6th Nicholas McQuiston
Judge: Miles Bennington

Grade 4
6/8 March
1st Evan Johnston
2nd Evan Tolliver
Judge: Miles Bennington

Grade 5
2/4 March
1st Liam Alton
2nd Carrig McQuiston
3rd Luke Gavin
4th Avery Henshell
5th Micah Fetzer
Judge: Miles Bennington

Tenor
Intermediate
MSR
1st Bri Giddis
2nd Kim Sievewright
Judge: L. Hall

Novice
2/4 March
1st Joseph Rocco
2nd E.J. McNaughton
3rd Jessica Howard
Judge: L. Hall

Beginner
2/4 March
1st Brianna McCarthy
Judge: L. Hall

Bass
Novice
2/4 March
1st Sheryl Kelley
2nd E.J. McNaughton
Judge: L. Hall