Outstanding Achievement

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”