Changes Are on the Rise (Ohio Rankings 1/31)

Michael McHargh
49 minutes ago
4 min read

By Michael McHargh, Ohio contributor

Four regional experts were surveyed. The results, plus some news and notes, are included below.

Large Mixed

Marysville "Swingers Unlimited" (2 first-place votes, +1)
Solon "Music in Motion" (2 first-place votes, -1)
Loveland "By Request" (+2)
Fairfield "Choraliers" (-1)
Grove City "Touch of Class" (-1)
Piqua "The Company" (No change)
Findlay "First Edition" (NC)
Olentangy "Keynotes" (NC)
ETC "All Americans" (NC)
Beavercreek "Friends" (NC)
Receiving Votes: None.

News and Notes

Solon and Marysville remain at the top, continuing to dominate the Ohio scene. Neither choir has lost to an Ohio group for at least the last two seasons.
Loveland makes a triumphant return to the top three after beating their long-time friendly rival, Fairfield, at Olentangy.
Things remain the same on the lower half, with Piqua, ETC, and Beavercreek all not quite getting the placements they'd hoped for last weekend.

Looking Ahead

As for large mixed, the two major headlining competitions this weekend are Marion Harding and Twinsburg.

At Marion Harding, the large mixed division will feature Beavercreek, Grove City, and Olentangy. While Grove City is the likely favorite for this event, Olentangy has been known to cause some surprising upsets, especially in recent years. The Keynotes were able to hold off Beavercreek three times last season, and it is safe to assume that Beavercreek will be hungry to even the score between them.

At Twinsburg, ETC will face off with Marysville with the addition of West Virginia’s top choir, Hurricane’s Red Hot. Marysville swept ETC last year at Marion Harding, so ETC will most certainly be looking to get their lick back. Marysville has had a very successful run at Twinsburg, winning the competition every year that they have attended since 2013, so they will be eager to hold on to their reign.

Small Mixed

Edgewood "Choraliers" (3 first-place votes, no change)
North Royalton "Royal Harmony" (1 first-place vote, +5)
Euclid "Varsity Chorale" (+1)
Twinsburg "Great Expectations" (-1)
Ross "Legacy" (-3)
Garfield Heights "Music Express" (-1)
Kenton "Top Twenty" (NC)
Alliance "Jet Setters" (NC)
Teays Valley "Prominent Rendition" (+1)
Medina "Encore Entertainment Company" (Not Ranked)

Receiving votes: Hamilton "Prestige"

News and Notes

Edgewood holds on to that top spot for another week, but is threatened by an extremely strong North Royalton, who was able to knock Piqua down a spot on the podium at Findlay FEst.
Panelists are monitoring the situation between Euclid, Twinsburg, and Ross as competitions unfold and each group secures good placements.
Medina knocks Hamilton out of the top ten with their season debut, making finals at Findlay.

Looking Ahead

This weekend is extremely busy for the small mixed scene, with five different competitions featuring a total of 18 small mixed choirs from Ohio.

Looking at the out of state competitions, Buckeye Valley and Crestview will head to Fort Wayne, Ind., to face a deep lineup of many Indiana favorites. Over in West Virginia, Teays Valley and St. Clairsville will battle with some of West Virginia’s best small mixed choirs at Poca.

As for the local competitions, one of the biggest small mixed matchups of the season will take place at Walsh Jesuit. The medium division features Edgewood, Euclid, Garfield Heights, and Medina, and the small features Alliance, Strongsville, and Van Buren. There’s an immense amount of history and tension among all of these choirs, especially at this competition, so it is guaranteed to be a bloodbath. With only four groups advancing to finals, every group has to come out of the gate swinging to secure a spot.

Twinsburg features a smaller lineup of groups who will all be vying for spots in finals. Bedford, Cuyahoga Valley Christian, and Mayfield will face off with the addition of two of West Virginia’s best small mixed choirs, Jefferson and Martinsburg. While Mayfield has an extensive history of competing at Twinsburg, they will face two very new faces for the first time here. CVCA debuted last season for the first time at Walsh Jesuit and Bedford will debut for the very first time this weekend. Securing a spot in finals will be a tough feat for these Ohio groups as they have had a tumultuous history with both Jefferson and Martinsburg, so they will need to make big waves in order to upset the small but mighty treble division and out-of-state competitors.

The final competition that features small mixed choirs is Marion Harding. Elgin, Norwood, Perrysburg, and River Valley will face off, all for the first time this season. While Elgin and River Valley have long histories at this competition, Perrysburg has gained a lot of momentum in recent years and has become a force to be reckoned with.

Single-Gender

Grove City "Class Act" (3 first-place votes, no change)
Fairfield "Pure Elegance" (1 first-place vote) (NC)
Marysville "Swingers Select" (NC)
Loveland "Allure" (-1)
ETC "Rouge" (NC)
Receiving Votes: None.

News and Notes

Grove City remains at the top of the heap for yet another week, but Fairfield poses a threat to their reign after their impressive finish at Olentangy.
Loveland slides a spot after missing finals at Olentangy.

Looking Ahead

As for single-gender, the two major headlining competitions are the same as the large mixed division, Marion Harding and Twinsburg.

At Marion Harding, Class Act will go toe to toe with the Olentangy She-Notes for the first and only time this season. The She-Notes were one of the last two Ohio-based groups to beat Class Act back in 2023, so this matchup will be tense. Womens groups are eligible for finals at Marion Harding, so both of these groups will not only be looking for a divisional win but also an impressive placement in the top six.

At Twinsburg, Rouge will get their opportunity for a rematch with Swingers Select after a time penalty at Marion Harding cost them a finals appearance there in 2025. Similarly to Marion Harding, womens groups are eligible for finals so both of these groups will be aiming for an impressive placement in finals.