By William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief
A panel of three regional experts analyzed 35 of Nebraska’s top show choirs to create the rankings. While divisions are mainly determined by NSAA cutlines, adjustments may be made for groups that compete across multiple divisions throughout the season.
Large School
1. Millard West “West in the Groove” (2 first-place votes, +2)
2. Westside “Amazing Technicolor Show Choir” (-1)
3. Gretna “Revolution” (1 first-place vote, -1)
4. Gretna East “Equinox” (No change)
5. Lincoln Southwest “Resonance” (NC)
6. Grand Island Northwest “14 Karat Gold” (NC)
7. Lincoln East “Express” (NC)
8. Omaha South “The Ambassadors” (NC)
9. Millard North “Infinity” (NC)
10. Elkhorn South “Blackout” (NC)
11. Papillion-La Vista South “Titanium” (NC)
12. Pius X “Spectrum” (NC)
13. Grand Island “Ultimate Image” (NC)
14. Elkhorn North “adrENaline” (NC)
15. Norris “Gold” (NC)
News and Notes
- Millard West stormed to the top of the rankings following their split-caption win over Westside at Hastings last week. WIG will take this weekend off before closing the season at Lewis Central and Millard North, while ATSC only has one more opportunity left – a Mar. 15 bout at Wheaton Warrenville South in Illinois.
- It’s all quiet from fourth on down – but that may change this weekend. Gretna, Gretna East, Grand Island Northwest, and Lincoln East will all face off at Norris. All three Elkhorns will face off at Grand Island, and a shakeup there could cause changes in the rankings.
Single-Gender
1. Millard West “Uptown” (3 first-place votes, NC)
2. Elkhorn South “Shockwave” (NC)
3. Westside “Simply Irresistible” (NC)
4. Millard North “Illumination” (NC)
5. Papillion-La Vista South “Titan Radiance” (NC)
6. Lincoln East “Elegance” (NC)
7. Papillion-La Vista “Monarchy” (NC)
8. Papillion-La Vista “Heart and Soul” (NC)
9. Millard South “Stage One” (NC)
10. Pius X “Prism” (Not Ranked)
Receiving Votes: Elkhorn North “Encore”
- Make it unanimous! Uptown captured first-place votes across the board this week after splitting first-place votes with Shockwave last week. They’ll face Titan Radiance, Elegance, and Stage One at Lewis Central on Mar. 8.
- Similar to the mixed rankings, very little changed as the in-state action bubbled down for a week. All of these groups will compete once or twice in the next three weeks to close out their season, leaving few valuable chances to improve their spot in the rankings.
Prep
1. Gretna “Evolution” (3 first-place votes, NC)
2. Millard West “Swing Cats” (+1)
3. Westside “Warrior Express” (-1)
4. Lincoln Southwest “Ambience” (NC)
5. Millard North “Intensity” (NC)
Receiving Votes: Papillion-La Vista South “Titan Express”
- It’s a great week to be a Millard West choir in the rankings, as Swing Cats is the third West ensemble to show appreciable gains from last week. They moved up to second place after a direct head-to-head win against Titan Express at Omaha.
- Meanwhile, Warrior Express will compete at Lincoln Northeast this weekend and challenge for an overall finals spot. Can they swap back with a spot in the evening round?
Small School
1. Wahoo “Royalty” (3 first-place votes, NC)
2. Skutt Catholic “Vivace” (NC)
3. Standing Bear “The Renegades” (NC)
4. Blair “Ovation” (Not Ranked)
5. Plattsmouth “Out of the Blue” (-1)
Receiving Votes: Aurora “Rhapsody”
- It was quite the show at Wahoo last weekend, as the top-ranked small school hosted and the second, third and fourth-place groups placed second, fourth, and third, respectively. Ovation notched its second finals placement of the season, equaling last season’s total, while Standing Bear now has a four-competition finals streak to begin the group’s history.
- A similar showdown awaits this weekend at Lincoln Northeast. Wahoo, Standing Bear, Blair, Waverly, Beatrice, Fort Calhoun, and Falls City will all take the stage, along with a smattering of large schools, Iowa groups, and Kansas groups.