Comps of the Week Recap: 3/1/25

By William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

One of the best choirs in the country ended their season with a clean sweep, two more take wins in their penultimate competitions, and Oklahoma’s best ensemble mounted a come-from-behind midseason win.

Liberty Storm the Stage

Final Results

GC: Linn-Mar “10th Street Edition” (BV/BC/BB)

1RU: Waukee “Millennium”

2RU: Prairie “The Ambassadors”

3RU: Cedar Rapids Kennedy “Happiness, Inc.”

4RU: Cedar Rapids Washington “Momentum”

5RU: Raymore-Peculiar “Rush”

The man with enormous wings has finally flown away, as Linn-Mar drops the curtain on yet another spotless season. 10SE was once again the class of every field they were in this year, setting the standard for everyone else to chase. Waukee is a group that grew by leaps and bounds throughout the season, finishing with a pair of very impressive second-place finishes. Prairie landed on the podium for the second straight week, a good close to their season after starting it off with a win. They also jumped Kennedy, as the Ambassadors were two spots behind Happiness at Indianola. This fourth is the lowest placement Kennedy notched all year, which is a win for the program considering this was an average result a couple seasons ago. Raymore-Peculiar flew under everyone’s radar to take the sixth finalist spot. Rush, the lone Missouri representative at this competition, made finals by four points over Waukee Spirit. Ray-Pec now has four finals appearances across the past two seasons, a nice sign of progress for that group.

Norris Fields of Talent

Final Results

GC: Gretna “Revolution” (BV/BC/BB)

1RU: Urbandale “Studio”

2RU: Gretna East “Equinox”

3RU: Lincoln East “Express”

4RU: Grand Island Northwest “14 Karat Gold”

5RU: Harrisonville “Music Makers”

The first battle in what will be a long tale of matchups between the two Gretnas has gone to Revolution. There was little doubt among observers of finals that the ensemble would place any lower than first. The real battle was for second, which Urbandale took. After an early-season spurt that had some wondering if the program was on the ropes, Studio did a good job of silencing its doubters in February and March. Equinox’s third is the lowest they’ve been all year, but their show still stands as arguably the most improved of any choir in the country this year, season-over-season. Lincoln East evened the score on Grand Island Northwest from earlier in the season, a nice sign of progress for Express. Myles Hardt of Lincoln East also took home Best Performer of the competition. Rounding out the finals field was Harrisonville, who showed up and showed out for all of the smaller schools with great shows. At a competition where many expected Gretna Evolution or Urbandale Studio to take the sixth finals spot, Music Makers finished out a season where they made finals everywhere they went, a phenomenonal season for a 4A choir.

Totino-Grace Show Choir Spectacular

Final Results

GC: Broken Arrow “Tiger Rhythm” (BV/BC)

1RU: Davenport North “Northside Establishment”

2RU: Hastings “Riverside Company” (BB)

3RU: Bemidji “Vocalmotive”

4RU: Bloomington Jefferson “Jefferson Connection”

5RU: Omaha South “The Ambassadors”

This was yet another classic Spectacular where Hastings dueled with fantastic out-of-state programs to see which excellent show took home top honors. In the daytimes, that show was Davenport North, who shocked many by winning the large school division. Hastings was second, and Broken Arrow was third. Tiger Rhythm found another gear in finals and took both vocals and choreo, claiming their second win of the season. They will head to Texas this upcoming weekend for their fourth competition in as many states this season. Northside still put a lot of people on notice with a great first-runner up finish – they are now the likely favorite to win at Fort Madison this weekend. It feels weird to see Hastings in third, but Riverside will take this experience and be right back in the thick of it next weekend, facing Mitchell at Sioux City East. Bemidji and Bloomington Jefferson have been attached at the hip this season, with Vocalmotive taking three of their four matchups. Omaha South placed lower than many were expecting them to, but they will also look to rebound this weekend – The Ambassadors will defend their title at the Omaha North Viking Cup.

Wildcard: Glenwood The Event

Mixed Finals: GC) Wheaton Warrenville South “The Classics” (BV/BC/BB) 1RU) Mt. Zion “Swingsations” 2RU) Brownsburg “Spotlight Singers & Company” 3RU) Naperville North “Entourage” 4RU) Marquette “Center Stage”

Single-Gender Finals: GC) Wheaton Warrenville South “Esprit” (BC/BB) 1RU) Brownsburg “Starlight Voices” 2RU) Mt. Zion “Les Femmes”

For a lineup that was touted for its geographical diversity, Illinois sure put on quite the showing. The Classics were on cruise control after prelims, leaving no doubt in finals. Swings turned a corner in their season, notching their highest placement of the season in one of their tougher competitions. Esprit stuck to their guns and claimed yet another marquee triumph, and Les Femmes continue to show that they are just a step behind. Brownsburg was the most successful out-of-state program, as its groups placed first in festival, second in single-gender finals, and third in mixed finals. Marquette, a group that is a bit of a nomad, seized their opportunity to shine on a national stage, using only their performers, their costumes, and their band to make finals. It was not a good day for southern groups at this competition. A fire alarm went off while Homewood Nexus was setting up, and regardless of if it had an impact on the show, Nexus did not make the single-gender finals. Jackson Academy was the first varsity mixed group to perform. Encore’s show was one of the most energetic all day, but the technicality of the show slipped just enough in the back half to leave them on the outside looking in. Milton, the lone Wisconsin representative at the competition, did not put either of its groups in finals.

Many of the groups featured in this last weekend’s competitions have finished their competitive seasons, but many more are still right in the thick of it. Those groups will take the spotlight in this week’s upcoming Comps of the Week column.