Dan Balash

Also, ISU will once again be live streamed this weekend. $29. https://box5tv.com/box5_events/

All right, here goes: 1A: 1) IVC 2) Eureka 3) Paris 2A: 1) Morton 2) Galesburg 3) Limestone Finalists: IVC, Morton, Galesburg 3A: 1) Marian Catholic 2) Washington Community 3) Bloomington 4A: 1) Romeoville 2) Batavia 3) Collinsville Finalists: Marian Catholic, Romeoville, Washington Community, Bloomington, Batavia 5A: 1) Prospect 2) VJA 3) Plainfield North 6A: 1) O'Fallon Township 2) Normal 3) Warren Township Finalists: Prospect, VJA, Plainfield North, Edwardsville, O'Fallon Township, Normal, Warren Township FINALS: O'Fallon Township Morton Marian Catholic Prospect Normal VJA Washington Community Plainfield North Edwardsville Warren Township Bloomington Romeoville Galesburg Batavia IVC

Any day where the Packers, Brewers, Cardinals or the White Sox lose is an excellent day in my book.

Play towards the east stands.

Is Marian Catholic back? Can O'Fallon Township become the sixth school since the 1980's to win? Who will round out the 3A/4A finalists? Who is finalist #3 in 1A/2A? Who rounds out 5A/6A?

In addition, congratulations to the ISU Hall of Fame Inductees this year! Todd Stalter, retired Director of Bands from Eureka Terry Roderick, retired Director of Bands from Rochelle Township Gil & Linda Papp, retired Director of Bands/Color Guard Director from Monticello Randolph Kummer, retired Director of Bands from Lincoln-Way Mike Domico, retired Director of Bands from Metamora Township.

I'd be all for a system similar to Indiana. 4 weeks of regular shows, with a regionals/semi state/state finals system over three weeks thereafter. Have an Open Class and a Scholastic class competition, which would be a class for developing bands and bands that have experienced a director change in recent years. 4 classes, based on enrollment. Split whoever signs up in each class into a northern and southern regional. 2 locations north, 2 locations south. 1 location each would be a Class A/C, one would be B/D. Top 10 scores of each class advance on to semi-state, to be held somewhere in the middle of the state. 4 locations, 20 bands each. Top 10 bands at each location advance on to state finals, to be held at EIU/NIU/U of I/ISU, wherever. Maybe the new stadium in Arlington Heights? Straight class competition, 4 state champions named. Scholastic would be along the same lines, two class system based on enrollment as well as participants - Indiana Scholastic B is up to 55 kids with an enrollment of up to 899. Scholastic A is up to 110 kids with an enrollment of 900+. They have a 2 round system, with their state finals occurring during semi-state, and the A and B Scholastic champions get to perform in exhibition at State Finals.

Gonna have to elaborate on that one a little more.

Up to 5 now! Minooka, Oak Park/River Forest, Kewanee, Lyons (doesn't compete) and Naperville North (just now returning to competition).

IHSA formed a committee around 2012ish to discuss marching band. I'm not sure if anything ever came of that.

3 thoughts and I'll have more later: Get every show on CompetitionSuite. Shows should not include color guard/drum major/percussion in final scores. If you want a show with less judges, fine. Invoke the BOA missing judge rule where if a music judge is missing, MPI isn't judged; visual judge missing, VPI isn't judged.

2nd competition of the year! 3rd in 1A at Grayslake North behind D.D. Eisenhower and Grant Community.

It's absolutely feasible to do after every 10 bands or so, but that makes for a long awards ceremony when there is a terribly quick turnaround to finals.

Marengo Settlers Days: Marengo, IL Class 1A 4:00 PM: Oregon 4:15 PM: Sandwich 4:30 PM: Bishop Noll, IN 4:45 PM: Johnsburg 5:00 PM: Genoa-Kingston 5:15 PM: Marmion-Rosary 5:30 PM: Break Class 2A 6:00 PM: Sycamore 6:15 PM: Crystal Lake South 6:30 PM: Evergreen Park 6:45 PM: Grayslake North 7:00 PM: Break Class 3A 7:30 PM: Auburn 7:45 PM: Round Lake 8:00 PM: Rolling Meadows 8:15 PM: Alan B. Shepard 8:30 PM: Evanston Exb 8:45 PM: Marengo 9:00 PM: Awards

I want this as well, but the northern large schools will never go for it.

Don't forget Belleville East and Rock Island. Also, Plainfield Central, not North. Congratulations to Normal on making finals, their first finals appearance at BOA event in 26 years, when both Normal Community and Normal West made St. Louis finals. Belleville East - 62.925, 23rd overall, 4th 4A Rock Island - 58.150 - 28th place overall, 14th place 2A Gotta be honest, that is NOT where I was expecting Rock Island at this show at all.

I can say with about 95% certainty that IVC is in 1A. I do not believe the bands are told, but it’s not hard to find.

Effingham recap attached. CompetitionSuite.pdf

Between my wife's grandmother passing away and quarter end financial reporting, it's been an awfully busy week.

Downers Grove South will be livestreamed this weekend!

3 in state shows this upcoming weekend, and we have 5 groups headed to Iowa for the Bands of America regional there. Bands of America Regional Championships: Waukee, IA: 7:15 AM: Lewis Central, IA 7:30 AM: Omaha Burke, NE 7:45 AM: Muscatine, IA 8:00 AM: Blue Valley West, KS 8:15 AM: Bellevue West, NE 8:30 AM: Eastview, MN 8:45 AM: Normal 9:00 AM: Break 9:15 AM: Irondale, MN 9:30 AM: Mankato East and Mankato West, MN 9:45 AM: Pella, IA 10:00 AM: Plainfield Central 10:15 AM: Camdenton, MO 10:30 AM: Millard West, NE 10:45 AM: Davenport Central, IA 11:00 AM: Oakville, MO 11:15 AM: Break 12:00 PM: Centennial, IA 12:15 PM: Grain Valley, MO 12:30 PM: Brandon Valley, SD 12:45 PM: Gretna, NE 1:00 PM: Rockwood Summit, MO 1:15 PM: Rock Island 1:30 PM: Belleville East 1:45 PM: Mitchell, SD 2:00 PM: Break 2:15 PM: Rosemount, MN 2:30 PM: Northwest, IA 2:45 PM: Bellevue East, NE 3:00 PM: Papillion-La Vista South, NE 3:15 PM: Lindbergh, MO 3:30 PM: Naperville Central 3:45 PM: MOC-Floyd Valley, IA 4:00 PM: Grand Rapids, MN 4:15 PM: Awards Downers Grove South Marching Mustang Music Bowl: Downers Grove, IL Class 1A 2:15 PM: Morris Community 2:30 PM: Wheaton Warrenville South 2:45 PM: Glenbrook North 3:00 PM: A.A. Stagg 3:15 PM: Argo 3:30 PM: Break Class 1A 3:45 PM: Coal City 4:00 PM: Eureka 4:15 PM: H.D. Jacobs 4:30 PM: Lemont 4:45 PM: Kaneland 5:00 PM: Awards Class 2A 6:00 PM: Glenbrook South 6:15 PM: Naperville North 6:30 PM: Oak Park/River Forest 6:45 PM: William Howard Taft 7:00 PM: Break Class 2A 7:15 PM: Waukegan 7:30 PM: Lake Park 7:45 PM: Plainfield South 8:00 PM: Victor J. Andrew 8:15 PM: Break Class 3A 8:30 PM: Downers Grove North 8:45 PM: Reavis 9:00 PM: Bloomington Exb 9:15 PM: Downers Grove South 9:30 PM: Awards Effingham Marching Hearts Invitational: Effingham, IL Class 1A 12:00 PM: Okaw Valley 12:15 PM: Anna-Jonesboro 12:30 PM: Sullivan 12:45 PM: Oblong 1:00 PM: Break Class 2A 1:15 PM: Mt. Carmel 1:30 PM: Casey-Westfield 1:45 PM: Hoopeston Area 2:00 PM: Richland County 2:15 PM: LeRoy 2:30 PM: Pana 2:45 PM: Cumberland 3:00 PM: Break Class 3A 3:15 PM: Newton 3:30 PM: Monticello 3:45 PM: Paris Cooperative 4:00 PM: Nashville Community 4:15 PM: Tolono Unity 4:30 PM: Awards 4:30 PM: Break Class 4A 5:15 PM: Mattoon 5:30 PM: Alton 5:45 PM: Carbondale 6:00 PM: Civic Memorial 6:15 PM: Break Class 5A 6:30 PM: Highland 6:45 PM: Marion 7:00 PM: Urbana 7:15 PM: Waterloo 7:30 PM: Break Class 6A 7:45 PM: Triad 8:00 PM: Mahomet-Seymour Exb 8:15 PM: Effingham 8:30 PM: Awards Spartan Classic: Romeoville, IL Class 1A 1:00 PM: Bloom Township 1:15 PM: Lakes Community 1:30 PM: Marengo 1:45 PM: Rantoul Township 2:00 PM: Richards Class 2A 2:15 PM: Joliet West 2:30 PM: Wheaton North Class 3A 2:45 PM: Plainfield East 3:00 PM: Illinois Valley Central Exb 3:15 PM: Metea Valley 3:30 PM: Romeoville 3:45 PM: Cornerstone Drumline 4:30 PM: Awards

Normal Marching Band Invitational: A: 57.150 St. Joseph-Ogden (Music, Visual, GE) 54.800 Dwight Township 54.550 Arcola (Color Guard) 51.700 MacArthur (Percussion) AA: 65.250 El Paso-Gridley (Visual, GE, Color Guard) 62.400 Taylorville (Music, Percussion) 59.900 Olympia AAA: 71.950 University (Visual, GE) 70.600 Sandwich (Music) 66.500 Danville (Percussion, Color Guard) 64.250 Williamsville AAAA: 73.950 Geneseo (Music, GE, Percussion, Color Guard) 72.850 Dunlap 72.100 Monticello (Visual) 68.500 Pontiac Township NMB Invitational Recap 2025.pdf

Prospect Knight of Champions A: 68.100 H.D. Jacobs (Music, GE) 67.950 Huntley (Visual, Percussion ) 63.100 Glenbrook North (Color Guard) 62.450 Wheeling 57.200 Fenton AA: 78.150 Warren Township (Music, GE, Percussion) 74.300 Lake Park 73.050 Batavia (Visual, Color Guard) 71.400 Elk Grove 64.200 Round Lake AAA: 81.500 Plainfield North (Music, Visual, GE, Percussion, Color Guard) 71.950 Mundelein 70.750 Grayslake North 69.400 Rolling Meadows 68.750 Alan B. Shepard Knight of Champions 2025 recap.pdf

Nah, I'm just blind and entered the wrong class. 🙂