By Ava Sammons, Iowa contributor
Bettendorf Rhythm on the Riverbend took place right in the middle of Iowa’s competition season and brought the most unpredictable results in this weekend’s lineup of Iowa competitions. Choirs from three different states came to Bettendorf in three different parts in their season. Some ended their competition season here, some competed for the first time, and others were somewhere in between.
For the second year in a row, the first and third-place finishers split vocal and choreography captions, leaving the second-place group empty handed. Four of this year’s varsity competitors were at this competition last year; each wound up multiple placements away from where they were in 2024.
Final Results:
GC: Wheaton North “Flight” (Illinois) (BV/BB)
1RU: Davenport North “Northside Establishment”
2RU: Waconia “Power Company” (Minnesota) (BC)
3RU: Liberty “Storm”
4RU: Cedar Rapids Jefferson “West Side Delegation”
5RU: Davenport West “West Connection”
It’s not super often that you see a group start their season this late and win against groups who have quite a few competitions under their belt. Wheaton North Flight started off their season with a win the past two years and came to Iowa hoping to do the same. Taking two major captions and dethroning last year’s Grand Champion is no easy feat in the busiest part of Iowa’s competition season.
Also in the beginning of their season, Davenport North ended up three placements higher than how they scored at this contest in 2024. Davenport North squeezing their way into second without being part of the caption split goes to show how close Bettendorf’s finals competition ended up.
Waconia, who just ended their season at Bettendorf, took Best Choreography but couldn’t get to the top like they did last year. Power Company has scored every placement from first to fifth at some point this season, yet this is their first choreography caption of the year (compared to three or four every year after the pandemic).
Liberty and Davenport West are all right in the middle of their competitive seasons. Liberty Storm has seen stark improvement since the beginning of their season after missing finals at Waukee. Bettendorf was only the second competition for Davenport West, but they made finals for the first time this season after also missing at their first competition.
West Side Delegation rounded off the finals field with their third consecutive fifth place finish; it is likely the most consistent placement from an Iowa choir this season.
Prep Results
1st: Waconia “The Current” (Minnesota)
2nd: Davenport North “Center Stage”
3rd: Liberty “Impact”
Bettendorf’s top three prep groups each achieved a new “first” last weekend.
The division’s only out-of-state group, Waconia The Current, ended their season with their first win.
Center Stage from Davenport North started their season off on a much higher note than in 2024 when they didn’t place at this competition. Second place is the highest placement Center Stage has ever achieved at their first competition, so this means great things for their season ahead.
Liberty Impact is in their second season as a mixed prep group and placed for the first time this season at Bettendorf. Impact also saw a big improvement from this competition last year where they also did not place in the top three.
Prep groups from Clinton, Cedar Rapids Jefferson, and Davenport West also competed but did not place in the top three.
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