2026 Blue Stars Leadership Team
Introducing the 2026 Blue Stars Member Leadership Team! We are thrilled to have this group of young adults sharing their talents and energy leading the 2026 Blue Stars membership this season.
The 2026 Blue Stars Leadership Team:
Joely Martin, drum major
Stephen Stange, drum major
Bryan McCabe, horn sergeant / tuba
Matt Wishart, trumpet
Kara Trippe, trumpet
Adam Baumhoff, mellophone
Alex Kinney, mellophone
Ben Ward, baritone
Jared White, baritone
Gaebriel Howell-Martinez, tuba
Manny Arias, battery
Nick Dalrymple, front ensemble
Trevor Dietert, front ensemble
Ethan Le, front ensemble
Tom Fiddaman, guard
Alyssa Polo, guard
Sydney Pruner, guard
Amber Smith, guard
Kat Thorpe, guard
2026 Drum Majors: Joely Martin and Stephen Stange
JOELY MARTIN, DRUM MAJOR
Hometown: Matthews, North Carolina
Section: Team Time
Years Marched: 2023, 2024, 2025
School: Western Carolina University, Bachelor of Arts in Stage and Screen
STEPHEN STANGE, DRUM MAJOR
Hometown: Lancaster, Ohio
Section: Team Time
Years Marched: 2024 & 2025
School: Ohio University Biological Sciences & Chinese
BRYAN McCABE, HORN SERGEANT, TUBA
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Section: Tuba
Years Marched: 2023, 2024, 2025
School: University of Texas Medical Branch, Nursing
MATT WISHART
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Section: Trumpet
Years Marched: 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
School: University of Minnesota, Music Performance
KARA TRIPPE
Hometown: Pensacola, Florida
Section: Trumpet
Years Marched: 2025
School: Texas Tech University, Architecture
ADAM BAUMHOFF
Hometown: Acworth, Georgia
Section: Mellophone
Years Marched: 2023, 2024, 2025
School: Jacksonville State University, Music
ALEX KINNEY
Hometown: Gluckstadt, Mississippi
Section: Mellophone
Years Marched: 2025
School: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
BEN WARD
Hometown: Lebanon, Indiana
Section: Baritone
Years Marched: 2023, 2024, 2025
School/Work: Ball State University, Music Education
JARED WHITE
Hometown: Zanesville, Indiana
Section: Baritone
Years Marched: 2022, 2024, 2025
School: Purdue University
GAEBRIEL HOWELL-MARTINEZ
Hometown: Gilbert, Arizona
Section: Tuba
Years Marched: The Academy 2022, 2023, Blue Stars 2024, 2025, 2026
MANNY ARIAS
Hometown: Weedpatch, California
Section: Snare
Years Marched: 2025-2026
School/Work: Fresno State
NICK DALRYMPLE
Hometown: San Diego, California
Section: Front Ensemble
Years Marched: 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
School/Work: San Diego State University
TREVOR DIETERT
Hometown: New Braunfels, Texas
Section: Front Ensemble
Years Marched: 2025
School/Work: Texas State University, Music Education
ETHAN LE
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Section: Front Ensemble
Years Marched: 2025
School/Work: Texas State University, Music Education
TOM FIDDAMAN
Hometown: Bradford, United Kingdom
Section: Colour Guard
Years Marched: Revolution 2014-2024, Blue Stars 2025
School: WaterBear College of Music, Electronic Music Production
ALYSSA POLO
Hometown: Davie, Florida
Section: Color Guard
Years Marched: 2023, 2024, 2025
School/Work: Florida International University, Early Childhood Education
SYDNEY PRUNER
Hometown: Jenks, Oklahoma
Section: Color Guard
Years Marched:
School/Work: University of Tulsa
AMBER SMITH
Hometown: Frisco, Texas
Section: Color Guard
Years Marched: 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
School/Work: University of North Texas, Elementary Education
KATHRYN THORP
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Section: Color Guard
Years Marched: 2023, 2024, 2025
School/Work: The Ohio State University, Secondary Mathematics Education
