Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
The Eastwood High School Concert Band was one of 11 Class B bands in Northwest Ohio from a field of 18 to earn a Superior (I) rating at the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) State Large Group Band Adjudicated Event, held May 1-2 at Findlay High School.
This achievement marks the third time in the past eight years that Eastwood has earned a Superior rating at the state level, and the first time the band has done so in Class B since 1993. The ensemble qualified for state competition by earning a Superior (I) rating at the district level on March 13.
The Eastwood Concert Band is comprised of 50 student musicians, under the direction of Brian Myers and Jonathan Roode.
According to OMEA, a Superior rating of “I” is awarded for “an outstanding performance, with very few technical errors and exemplifying musical expression. This rating is reserved for the truly outstanding performance.”
At the State Large Group event, bands perform three prepared pieces for a panel of three judges. One selection must come from the OMEA-required music list, which determines the ensemble’s class based on difficulty. A new selection from this list is required at the state level. Each judge assigns a rating from I to V, with I being the highest.
Following the prepared performance, ensembles participate in a sight-reading evaluation. Bands are given a previously unseen piece of music and have four minutes for individual study and four minutes of director instruction before performing it. A fourth judge evaluates the sight-reading performance, also using the I–V scale. The four ratings are then averaged to determine a final composite score.
Eastwood received Superior (I) ratings from all three judges on its prepared pieces, as well as a Superior (I) rating in sight-reading, earning the highest possible overall rating.
Academic honors
Bowling Green State University: Gabriel Gamez, Mackenzie Zieroff, Matilde Porras-Porras, Ashley Watson, Elana Neal, Luis Miguel Penaflor, Nicholas Reichow, Karissa Sillman, Mishahri Al-Shabanah,of Toledo;
Isabelle Vriezelaar, Anabelle Nagy, Lily Smith, Jordan Silva, Brayden Duwve, Alexis Batch, Logan Dykema, Elizabeth Caspar, Christopher Boudreaux, Joseph Duffer, Cheyenne Tabler, William Nixon, Kaci Keller, Darbi Peterson, Jacob Graver, Allison McVicker, Aubrey Scarberry, Sydney Payeff, Emmalee Guy, Chloe Strong, Hannah Karrick, Andrew Amborski, Evan Thompson, Hannah Berning Lindsey Jones, Jonathon Witter, Kathrine Clark, of Oregon;
Aidan O’Brien, Andrew Berlin, ZayShawn Diggs, Emma Gerhardt, Amelia Leiser, Brooklyn Marlowe, James Stribrny, Ethan Cunningham, Quentin Long, Keira Owens, Noelle Weiss, Natalie Thompson, Luke Steep, Carson Snyder, Landon Smith, Rylee Anderson, Alexa Urbanyi, Scott Swan, Mara O’Connor, Zoie Sime, Bryan Zheng, of Northwood;
Jacob Titgemeyer, Mariah Niezgoda, Jerzee Martin, Ashlyn Hilbert, Sophia Cashen, Michael Lickert, Kailee Rose, of Curtice;
Trent Herrig, Ellison Dickman, Kylee Majchszak, Delta O’Neal, of Elmore;
Devin Carmack, Austin Krupp, Paige Hornyak, Megan Valentine, Brennan Myers, Andrew Nissley, Violet Plantz, Megan Brown, Addison Hartman, Madison Wolf, of Genoa;
Joseph Basden, Katherine Ash, Stephanie Alldredge, Rebecca Kaiser, Gabrielle Grove, Zachary Aelker, Jayden Baughman, Pierson Ash, Ellie Stout, Cole Owens, Elise Reed, Jessika Foster, Sarah Smathers, Thomas Hockenberry, Olivia Rogers, Dylan Hohlfelder, Hayden Williams, of Gibsonburg;
Alyse Sorg, Joshua Bolander, Karter Lajti, of Graytown;
Ethan Druckenmiller, Owen Freeborn, Madison Balsizer, Antonia Villarreal, Alayna Molter, Kadin Mahler, of Helena;
Jaylee Souder, Jordan Pickerel, Joseph Hohman, Anna Brown, Adelaide Brown, Maria Santos, of Luckey;
Brandon Hudson, Carlyn Campgell, Sophia Campgell, Gracelyn Buehler, of Martin; Justin Baker, Emma Michael, Aeden Alder, Jacob Rhodes, Jennifer Rhodes, of Millbury;
Adam Tooman, Maia Mattimoe, Connor Hand, Evelyn Drolet, Sophia Zunk, Amanda Clark, Kayleigh Smit, Abygail John, Michael Judge, Keegan Witt, Laurel Sloan, Jenna Piper, Samantha Keller, Laney Craddock, Macey Craddock, Jacob Allen, Stephanie Grenier, Addison Sommers, Brooke Brown, Madison Nissen, of Oak Harbor;
Taylor Rollins, Elijah Smith, Kristin Ford, Logan Brann, Madison Bowers, Joelle Jared, Kalee Moore, Grace Romanko, Emerson Sheets, Bryce DeFalco, Emelisa Paredes, Jacob Stoneroock, Isabelle Sanford, Danielle Black, of Pemberville;
McKenna Miller, Sydney Marchetto, Thomas Urbina, Tristyn Roth, Tyler Eikost, Autumn, Baldwin, Nathaniel Detlef, Morgan Feather, Roderick Johnstone, of Walbridge; Alexys Zellner, Anna Sommers, of Williston; Jonathan Everett, Nevaeh Florio, Serenity Shimatzki, Kara Schneider, Adysen Might, Julia Liszak, Reilly Might, Liam McCarthy, Brendan Hammer, of Woodville.
Cedarville University: Elisia Ackerman, of Curtice.
Heidelberg University: Amelia Lewin, of Northwood; Andrew Szepiela, of Genoa; Ava Smith, of Lindsey; Alayna Hahn, of Martin; Kaiden Reed, of Millbury; Collin Biehler, of Oak Harbor; Bree Braatz, Brigid Enright, of Walbridge.
PennWest University: Natalie Karrick, of Oregon.
Southern New Hampshire University: Dinae Collins, Kyle Bergman, Jacob Carlen, of Oregon; Autumn Frankforther, Christopher Terrell, Stephanie Shaughnessy, Shannon Shumate, Zachary Oglesby, Tiffany Laach, of Toledo; Jordyn Beckhusen, of Genoa; Melissa Combs, Teresa Heyman, of Elmore; Nicole Piotrowski, of Woodville; Darla Hawkins, of Walbridge;
Trine University: Derrick Kanthak, of Northwood; Kelsey Osborne, of Oregon.
Ian Sander presents academic work
Ian Sander, of Pemberville, presented original academic work April 16 at Ohio Wesleyan University's 2026 Spring Student Symposium.
Doyi Kim, Sophia Rohr, and Ian Sander presented “Secrets of the Sailfin: Impact of Social Environment on Gut Microbiome of Sailfin Mollies (Poecilla latipinna),” mentored by faculty member Andrea Suria.
The annual symposium is designed to highlight work produced by Ohio Wesleyan students in their classes and through mentored research, performances, and other projects.
Learn more at www.owu.edu/studentsymposium.
