Photo by Ken Martinson/Marching.com
The high school fall marching season is over, but the nation’s winners will remember the honor for years to come. Carmel (Ind.) High School took home first place at the Bands of America Grand National Championships, and Broken Arrow (Okla.) came in a close second. Avon (Ind.) took third place.
“My favorite moment of the entire championship weekend was in the parking lot with the kids immediately following our finals performance prior to the awards ceremony,” says Chris Kreke, associate director of bands at Carmel. “The level of emotion and sheer joy at the quality of the performance was so fun to be a part of. The actual results could have gone in any direction, but we had won our championship in that moment.”
USBands named six A class champions: Group I, Joseph Case (Mass.); Group II, Chopticon (Md.); Group III, Northern Highlands (N.J.); Group IV, Passaic (N.J.); Group V, Elizabeth (N.J.); and Group VI, New Providence (N.J.).
Six open class champions were also named by USBands: Group I, Cedar Cliff (Pa.); Group II, Susquehanna Township (Pa.); Group III, Old Bridge (N.J.); Group IV, King Philip (Mass.); Group V, Immaculata (N.J.); and Group VI, Wagner (Texas).
Pennsylvania’s Cavalcade of Bands crowned champions in Open and A Class in four divisions. Independence division: A, Bermudian Springs, and Open, East Stroudsburg North; Yankee division: A, Avon Grove, and Open, Upper Darby; American division: A, Pottsgrove, and Open, Susquehanna Township; Liberty division: A, South Western, and Open, Hatboro-Horsham.
Tournament of Bands’ Atlantic Coast Championships crowned winners in four different groups for each division. In Open Class, champions included: Governor Livingston from Berkeley Heights and Mountainside N.J.; West Deptford (N.J.); Mechanicsburg (Pa.); Spring-Ford from Royersburg, Pa; and in A Class: Cumberland Regional from Seabrook, N.J.; Eastern Regional from Voorhees, N.J.; Pennsauken (N.J.); and Central Dauphin from Harrisburg, Pa.
Congratulations to all the winners and competing groups.