All the Usual Suspects Gear Up for South Dakota's 2026 Show Choir Season

By Quinn Masek, Siouxland contributor

Another year has gone, and in terms of South Dakota show choir, 2025 was a pretty standard year, but there were still a few exciting things that happened.

The biggest change in 2025 involved Mitchell Friend de Coup. Director Nick McGraw left in mid-2024 after five seasons, and Lincoln Northeast director Nic Caberos stepped in. While some were uncertain about how this would change Mitchell's program, Caberos showed that he is very capable of leading the group as FDC placed in the top three of every single one of their competitions. Those included podiums at stacked Urbandale and Wheaton Warrenville South contests, while also winning at Bishop Heelan and Sioux City East. Caberos showed that FDC is in safe hands, hopefully for years to come.

Another pleasant surprise was Sioux Falls Washington sweeping over Pius X at Lincoln Southwest. Washington was the underdog going into this competition, but ended the night with Best Vocals, Best Choreography, Best Band, Best Show Design, and Overall Grand Champion.

With the spotlights come the shadows as well. Aberdeen Central, after having impressive 2023 and 2024 seasons, failed to replicate that magic as they cracked the top three once and only took home a single caption award the entire season. Sioux Falls Roosevelt had a very impressive 2024 season, taking Best Band at every competition they went to and taking Grand Champion twice. In 2025, however, they missed out on finals at their first two competitions before bouncing back and sweeping at Emmetsburg.

What's changed for 2026?

While there are only two big changes in South Dakota show choir, they both ironically involve the same person: Sam Mulligan. Mulligan has taken over choreographing for Mitchell Friend de Coup, replacing longtime choreographer and Mitchell alum Stephen Todd. Mulligan and has also taken over at Sioux Falls O’Gorman Ovation, replacing Kevin Chase, who choreographed the group for three seasons. Mitchell and O’Gorman are vastly different in terms of quality, so seeing them both switch to Mulligan will definitely lead to some interesting results. It’s too early to say how this creative decision will affect either group, but these are two groups to keep an eye out for in 2026. Other than that, former Hot Springs director Hayes Chohon has assumed that title at Harrisburg South Middle School.

Who has something to prove?

Aside from Mitchell and O’Gorman, there are really only two other South Dakota schools with something to prove.

Aberdeen Central had a really good two-year run in 2023 and 2024, but they came down to earth a bit in 2025. Now they need to show that the 2025 season was just a fluke and bounce back with an amazing show. They are staying very local this season, going to all four of the Sioux Falls competitions plus Sioux City East. Perhaps with less travel burden Aberdeen Central will bounce back.

Sioux Falls Washington has been increasing in performance quality over the last few years, and that quality is going to be put to the test in 2026. Their second competition will be at Linn-Mar in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a competition where they are the underdogs as they are not guaranteed to make finals. If Washington misses finals here, it would be the first time the group has missed finals since a stacked 2020 Elkhorn South lineup.

What competitions look good?

There are seven different competitions in South Dakota this season, but there are four that really stand out:

Jan. 10: Being the first weekend in the show choir season, it’s hard to predict exactly how the Sioux Falls Jefferson Cavalier Classic will turn out. This is an interesting matchup that’s foreign to South Dakota, pitting all of the usual South Dakota groups against each other that also throws in Ankeny Centennial, one of the biggest powerhouses in Iowa, and an early-season Omaha South. There is also the real possibility of Ankeny Centennial’s advanced girls group Vortex making finals, meaning one of the South Dakota groups might have to miss out.

Jan. 31: Now, the Sioux Falls Roosevelt Executive Showcase is special for a completely different reason: There are realistically nine different groups that could be finalists: Sioux Falls Washington, Aberdeen Central, Sioux Falls Jefferson, O’Gorman, Skutt Catholic, Hastings (Nebraska), Sioux Center, Fort Worth Southwest and Harrisburg, and there is not a single one of them that is an immediate standout. This is going to be a tricky competition to try to predict, and there won't be a good idea of how things will shake up until we get closer to the competition.

Feb. 28: The only weekend where there are two different competitions in South Dakota, both Sioux Falls O’Gorman Standing O and Vermillion Rhythm In Red Invitational offer unique matchups. O’Gorman pits Minnesota titans Waconia and Bloomington Kennedy against Nebraska icon Elkhorn South and local groups like Mitchell and Aberdeen Central. Meanwhile, Vermillion features an unlikely matchup between Bloomington Jefferson, Sioux Falls Jefferson, and Millard South. Both are going to be worthwhile competitions in their own rights.