
Outstanding Achievement 2026
The following students/groups have been selected as Outstanding Achievement at the 2026 Ocean County Teen Arts Festival, and have been selected to represent Ocean County at the NJ State Teen Arts Festival.
Dance
Dance
OCVTS Grunin Performing Arts Academy, Pepper Bradshaw, Abby Frantz, Kacey Gaccione, Ava Genova, Sophie Larson, Elizabeth Mangold, Promise Myers, Emily Snyder, Andrea Woltering, Choreographer: Kennedy Brosnan, The Breeze
OCVTS Grunin Performing Arts Academy, Ava Brunson, Miley Ferriolo, Lauren Harry, Riley Palusak, and Samantha Voss, Choreographer: Hannah Rowley, “The Winter Harbor”
OCVTS Grunin Performing Arts Academy, Abigail Kearns, Giuliana Czernewski, Lauren Harry, Lindsay Broome, Miley Ferriolo, Choreographers: Eddie Mariconda, “You Stole the Show”
Jackson Township High School, Jackson Township Dance Team, “Pegate”
Instrumental
Large Instrumental
Pinelands Regional High School, Pinelands Regional High School Concert Band, Suite from Hamilton
Small Instrumental
Southern Regional High School, Southern Regional High School Select String Ensemble, “Where Falcons Fly”
Pinelands Regional High School, Pinelands Regional High School Modern Band, “Time”
Barnegat High School, Barnegat High School, Jazz Ensemble
Piano
Toms River High School East, Christina Dakrat, “Waltz in e minor by Frederic Chopin”
Literary Arts
Creative Writing
Point Pleasant Borough High School, Ashlynne Goble, “The Train to Hell”
Barnegat High School, Winter Delaney, “Same Old Feeling”
Barnaget High School, Avalon Emmert, “A Fox Tale”
Barnegat High School, Angelina Marone, “Tally Marks”
Musical Theatre
Large Musical Theatre
Pinelands Regional High School- “The March (We Demand Equality)” from Suffs the Musical
Small Musical Theatre
Jackson Township High School, Sabrina Tamayo, “Astonishing” from Little Women
OCVTS Grunin Performing Arts Academy, Siahra Perry, “Flowers” from Hadestown
Pinelands Regional High School, Chloe Tucker, “I Speak 6 Languages” from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Theatre
Large Theatre
OCVTS Grunin Performing Arts Academy- “A Monster Calls”
Small Theatre
OCVTS Grunin Performing Arts Academy, Gabriel Amoroso, “Gruesome Playground Injuries”
Toms River High School North, Allyson Olivera, “Cymbeline”
Toms River High School North, Zachary Menth, “Comedy of Errors”
Video
Filmmaking
Central Regional High School, Maddie Doderer, Luisangel Tapia, Braedon Giles, “Digital Media Academy Advertisement
Jackson Township High School, Issiah Ruiz, Matt Garr, Hudson Tidcombe, Nero Calcatera, “Downstairs (Music Video)”
Visual Arts
2D Visual Arts
Point Pleasant Borough High School, Lily Schlabrini, The Locals
Point Pleasant Borough High School, Sloan Schwertheim, Sardine
Jackson Township High School, Vixen Iavaroni, The End of Bilbert
Jackson Township High School, Taylor Womick, Happy Birthday Dad!
Central Regional High School, Belle Alexander, Jayani
Central Regional High School, Leah Mills, The October Hunter’s Moon
Donovan Catholic High School, Sophia Pasqua, Back, Forward and Here Again
Donovan Catholic High School, Casey Davenport, Relief Portrait
Point Pleasant Beach High School, Sadie Ribot, Untitled
Point Pleasant Beach High School, Jocelyn Baechler
Pinelands Regional High School, Madison Lowry, Dogbane Beetle
Pinelands Regional High School, Charlie Sutton, The chosen one
Brick Township High School, Chloe Wall, Star Boy
Brick Township High School, Brody Douma, Hollywood Tower
Barnegat High School, Zavier Banks, Aren’t You Hooked
Barnegat High School, Malaysia Francis, Desperate Consumption
Toms River High School North, Arianna Cirasuolo, Winter Sunrise
Toms River High School North, Giavanna Valeri, Off the Charts
OCVTS-Brick Center, Mia Buczynski, Orange Glow
OCVTS-Brick Center, Desiree Still, Stay Golden
3D Visual Art
Donovan Catholic, Gylian Hixenbaugh, Spirit Rooster
Brick Township High School, Lauren Murphy, Argonaut
Barnegat High School, Mikayla Zimerla, Eyes of Purity
Barnegat High School, Kaylee Janssen, Mourning the Silence of What was Once Your Love
Selected for the NJ State Teen Arts Festival Traveling or Virtual Exhibit
NJ State Teen Arts Festival Traveling Exhibit
Point Pleasant Borough High School, Ava Stivale, Good Mythical Me
Jackson Township High School, Parker Wolf, Caught Red Handed
Point Pleasant Beach High School, Alana Vazquez, Faceted Pomegranate
New Jersey State Teen Arts Virtual Exhibit
Jackson Township High School, Ethan Polk, Blowing Things Out of Proportion
Vocal
Large Vocal
Southern Regional High School, Southern Regional High School Concert Choir
Small Vocal
Southern Regional High School, Southern Regional High School Honors Select Choir
Barnegat High School, Barnegat High School Select Choir
Donovan Catholic High School, Donovan Catholic Jazz Choir, “Elijah Rock”
Salute to Ocean County
The following students/groups have been selected to participate in the 2026 Salute to Ocean County on May 14, 2026.
Salute to Ocean County
Visual Arts
TBD- Chosen by Cultural and Heritage Commission from works going to State Festival
Vocal
Pinelands Regional High School- Chansons- “The Subway”
Theater/Musical Theater
Pinelands Regional High School- “The March (We Demand Equality)” from Suffs the Musical (Julia Snider, Kali Tucker, Ashlei Slinchak, Hope Shertenlieb, Emma Snow, Victoria King, Maia Biscardi, Grace Catalano, Sophia DiFrancia, Alex Hewitt, Mackenzie Kalm, Brielle Merklin, Aubree Miller, Natalie Pascale, Emily Rocheskey, Eva Tanis)
Dance
OCVTS- Grunin Performing Arts Academy (Abigail Kearns, Giuliana Czernewski, Lauren Harry, Lindsay Broome, Miley Ferriolo Choreographers: Eddie Mariconda)- “You Stole the Show”
Filmmaking
TBD- Chosen by Cultural and Heritage Commission from works chosen by adjudicator
Finalists:
OCVTS- Grunin Performing Arts Academy – Evan Gabriel- “Graduation”
Pinelands Regional High School- Michael Mazza, Riley Callaghan- Land Down Under by Men At Work Music Video
Instrumental
Barnegat High School- Barnegat High School Jazz Ensemble
Creative Writing
Point Pleasant Borough High School- Ashlynne Goble “The Train to Hell”
