Expanded Rankings - Ohio Rankings 2/21
- Feb 26
- 12 min read
By Michael McHargh, Ohio Contributor
Four regional experts were surveyed on 25 of Ohio's best show choirs over halfway through the competition season. Here is an extended breakdown of these groups as they take on their final few competitions of the 2026 season.
Large Mixed:
Marysville “Swingers Unlimited” (4 first-place votes, NC)
Findlay “First Edition” (+2)
Solon “Music In Motion “ (-1)
Loveland “ By Request (-2)
Fairfield “Choraliers” (NC)
Olentangy “Keynotes” (NC)
Piqua “The Company” (NC)
Grove City “Touch of Class” (NC)
ETC “The All Americans” (NC)
Beavercreek “Friends” (NC)
Marysville “Swingers Unlimited”
For the past several seasons, Marysville has been one of the leading choirs in the state and this year they are continuing the trend. SU has not lost to another choir from Ohio since 2023 and this weekend will be another test for that, with them facing last season's number one group, Solon, as well as a rematch with Fairfield and Loveland. This season has brought two commanding Grand Championships as well as a First Runner-Up finish, with one Vocals caption, two Choreography captions, one Band caption, and many other awards and accolades. Looking ahead for Marysville, they have only three competitions left as well as hosting their own Showcase in mid-March.
Findlay “First Edition”
After a rocky 2025 season with a completely new creative team, Findlay’s First Edition regained their footing in 2026, earning Grand Championship titles, Best Vocals, and Best Choreography at their first two competitions of the season. 2026 brought a slightly different show design to FFE than we have seen in the past with more of a story line and central characters while maintaining the traditional feel and look that we have come to love from Findlay. The rest of the season will continue to test Findlay as they will face Marysville and Grove City at Solon and run an Indiana-heavy gauntlet at Show Choir Nationals. If FFE looks to make finals at SCN, a podium placement at Solon is almost necessary.
Solon “Music In Motion”
Solon has had a consistently upward trajectory since the pandemic, going from winless seasons in 2022 and 2023 to an undefeated season in 2025. MIM has maintained some of that same dominance this season but not without a few bumps and bruises along the way. They started their season off with two Grand Championships, but one of them being a captionless win at Beavercreek. Their first loss came at Medina, dropping the Vocal caption, Choreography caption, and Grand Championship title to Findlay. Their next competition at Kenton was a sweep and their third Grand Championship of the season, but not without a controversial situation in the preliminary round, which left their divisional competitor out of finals. Solon will close out their competition tour this weekend at Ross where they will face a very tough handful of local competitors: Fairfield, Loveland, and top ranked Marysville.
Loveland “By Request”
Unlike many of their competitors, Loveland has lacked consistency in the last few years, with some seasons faring better than others. 2025 was one of the roughest seasons that By Request has seen in recent years, being their first winless season since 2010. This year, the tides seem to be settling in Loveland’s favor as they have snagged captions and hit the podium at every event so far, including a full sweep at their last competition. Loveland is halfway through their season with three more competitions ahead of them, each of them getting increasingly more difficult. This weekend Loveland will have a full out rematch with every choir in their division at Ross, followed by an arduous battle with out-of-state competitors at Fairfield, and finally ending their season with a Show Choir Nationals appearance.
Fairfield “Choraliers”
Fairfield has been one of the most varied choirs within the last five years, from competing in Small Mixed, back to Large Mixed, and ranging in placements from Grand Champion to 6th Place. 2025 saw their biggest leap in improvement, placing either First or Second at every event, sweeping groups along the way. Fairfield has had a climbing record this season, earning Fourth Place, Third Place, and then a Grand Championship with the Vocals and Choreography captions at their most recent competition. The Choraliers will bring their season to an early close this weekend at Ross, before hosting their own Crystal Classic.
Olentangy “Keynotes”
The Keynotes from Olentangy have re-established themselves as a threatening group, from taking captions off Ohio’s top groups in recent seasons to earning a Grand Championship this season. 2025 saw their first swing of major improvement, besting groups like ETC, Findlay, and Loveland. 2026 has continued that tear of excellence, adding Grove City to the list of groups that they have taken down. Looking ahead, The Keynotes will have two more opportunities at upsetting some of Ohio's best. This weekend they will face off with Piqua and ETC, while next week they will take on a variety of nationally acclaimed choirs from Ohio, Indiana, and California at Marysville’s Showcase.
Piqua “The Company”
Piqua is a group that saw a massive increase in dominance after the pandemic and has carried that momentum ever since. In the past 5 seasons, The Company has won 11 of their 22 competitions, and placed outside of the podium only twice. This season, Piqua has fallen to just Loveland, Solon, and Noblesville (IN). The Company will close out a strong season this weekend at Teays Valley where they will face ETC and Olentangy.
Grove City “Touch of Class”
Grove City’s Touch of Class is another group who has seen a steady climb in competitiveness after the pandemic, earning 7 of the program's 8 total Grand Championships in the last four years. This season has seen two Sweeping Grand Championships and two Second Place finishes for TOC, signaling another year of success for them. The only two choirs to best them this season were Olentangy and Piqua, who were dominant enough to take the Vocals and Choreography captions from Grove City at each of their battles. Grove City will close out their season at Solon where Findlay and Marysville will threaten their streak of Top 2 placements.
ETC “The All Americans”
The All Americans from ETC could also be considered one of the most varied groups in Ohio after the pandemic. In the first few competition seasons after the pandemic, ETC missed finals several times and lost to their single-gender group, but 2024 brought an undefeated season. 2025 brought the highs and the lows, podium placements as well as missing finals again. ETC has only seen Second and Third placements this year, faltering to Marysville and some of Indiana’s most dominant choirs. This weekend will be The All American’s last shot at earning a Grand Championship for this season, but it will not be an easy feat for them with the success of their competitors, Olentangy and Piqua.
Beavercreek “Friends”
Beavercreek seems to be the group that hasn’t seen much of a resurgence of competitiveness after the pandemic, including their first winless season since 2014. They have been very consistent, making finals at all but two of their competitions in the last 5 years, but the Friends have been giving “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” energy. 2026 continues the trend with placements anywhere from Second to Fifth Place, like many previous seasons. Beavercreek will conclude their season at Marysville where their main goal will be securing one of the five finals spots.
Small Mixed:
Ross “Legacy” (4 first-place votes, NC)
Euclid “Varsity Chorale” (NC)
North Royalton “Royal Harmony” (NC)
Garfield Heights “Music Express” (NC)
Twinsburg “Great Expectations” (NC)
Kenton “Top Twenty” (NC)
Alliance “Jet Setters” (NC)
Edgewood “Choraliers” (NC)
Buckeye Valley “Visions” (Not Ranked)
Hamilton “Prestige” (NC)
Receiving Votes:
Teays Valley “Prominent Rendition”
Medina “Encore Entertainment Company”
Ross “Legacy”
Ross initially came out of the pandemic as a sneaky Large Mixed powerhouse, stealing captions and beating many of Ohio’s long time premier groups. After a creative team change in 2024, Ross found themselves having to settle back into the Small Mixed division. After a couple years in Small Mixed, Ross has found their groove and become a force to be reckoned with in 2026. This season has brought three consecutive finals appearances, including a divisional Choreography caption and Tier II win at Homestead (IN) over North Royalton as well as Indiana and West Virginia based choirs. Looking ahead, Ross will head to Fairfield and Marysville to close out their season.
Euclid “Varsity Chorale”
Euclid has one of the most impressive tracks in Ohio’s history. The group initially folded after the pandemic, but returned in the 2023 season, stringing together some scattered divisional placements and finals appearances. 2025 was where things took off for Varsity Chorale, where they had their best season by far, including their first ever Grand Championship, which was then followed by two more. 2026 has continued to bring them success, besting many of Ohio’s Small Mixed choirs as well as Marion Harding. VC has placed on the podium at every event this season, earning all three possible placements. Their next competition will match them up with Kenton and North Royalton for top honors at Alliance before they conclude their season at Solon, which will be their largest and toughest competition yet.
North Royalton “Royal Harmony”
North Royalton is another group who saw a sharp rise in competitiveness in recent years. From their first divisional win in 2024 to their first overall Grand Championship in 2025, Royal Harmony has continued to display their new found dominance in 2026 with no signs of stopping. After starting off the season hosting their own competition, Royal Harmony has earned two Second Place finishes; the first was at Findlay, where they placed over Piqua, and the second at Homestead (IN), where they earned the Vocal and Band Caption in Tier II finals. This weekend, they will head to Alliance where they will be looking to earn their first overall Grand Championship of the season, but it won’t come easy as they will be facing Euclid for the first of two times this season. They will conclude their season at Solon, where their main goal will be earning a spot in finals.
Garfield Heights “Music Express”
Music Express has had a very long history in Small Mixed, being one of the top groups in the division before the pandemic. After the pandemic, they were frequent contenders in finals but struggled to bring home overall wins. In recent seasons, things continued on a downward trend for them, leading to more missed finals and lower divisional placements. Despite their more recent decline, Garfield Heights came back in a big way in 2026. They kicked off their season with an overall Grand Championship and Best Vocals caption at North Royalton, followed by a Second Place finish at Walsh Jesuit, and a Fourth Place finish at Medina. Music Express will also finish their season at the very stacked Solon Show Choir Invitational.
Twinsburg “Great Expectations”
Long time show choir fans know that Twinsburg was one of Ohio’s premier Large Mixed choirs with stellar show designs and impressive choreography, but after the pandemic and creative staff changes, the Great Expectations have found a new home in the Small Mixed division. The 2022-2024 seasons were a bit rougher for GE with few finals appearances; however, 2025 saw the group start to regain their competitive edge. This upward trajectory continues this season with GE making finals at each of their competitions so far and placing Second overall at Kenton, their highest placement since 2019. The group is halfway through their season with just three more competitions left. This weekend they will be looking for another podium placement at Grove City, followed by attending Solon and Norwell (IN) to round out the season.
Kenton “Top Twenty”
The Top Twenty from Kenton is another long-time competitor in the Small Mixed division who has had extremely varied results within the past few seasons. They tend to do well in Small Mixed focused competitions, earning podium placements, overall captions, and the occasional Grand Championship, but they tend to have a tougher time making finals at competitions with several Large Mixed and Unisex choirs. This season continues that trend. Kenton started with a preseason podium placement at Ada, placing behind Grove City and Alliance. During the "regular" season, Kenton earned a Best Overall Choreography caption and Second Place overall at North Royalton, before missing the finals round at Findlay. They will head to Alliance this weekend before ending their season at Jay County (IN).
Alliance “Jet Setters”
Alliance is a group that surprised audiences this season, having significant improvement from their previous years. The group started the season with their highest ever placement at Ada, earning Second Place over Kenton, Teays Valley, and Van Buren. They have continued that momentum in the season earning a couple divisional wins and several overall placements, including four podium placements. The Jet Setters will host this weekend and then close out their season with a trip to Norwell (IN).
Edgewood “Choraliers”
After the pandemic, Edgewood was the sure fire top Small Mixed group in Ohio, frequently making finals, earning captions, and even earning the program’s first overall Grand Championship in 11 years in 2023. In 2026, the group saw a massive shift in success following a director change. The group started off missing finals at their first two events, before placing Sixth at Hamilton. This weekend, The Choraliers will be heading to Nashville to compete at the Heart of America competition, before closing out their season at the very popular Solon Invitational.
Buckeye Valley “Visions”
Buckeye Valley is another one of Ohio’s Small Mixed choirs that has been successful before, during, and after the pandemic. Division wins, finals appearances, and captions are no rare occurrence for them, and 2026 seems to be continuing that success for the group. The Visions started their season with a Tier II win and Best Vocals at Carroll (IN) and followed that up with a Tier IV win at Kenton, this time with the Vocals and Choreography captions. This weekend they will be competing for a spot in the Tier II finals at Teays Valley and will be completing their season at Fairfield next weekend.
Hamilton “Prestige”
Hamilton’s Prestige is often considered a wildcard for Ohio as they have teetered between Large and Small Mixed for several years. In the past few seasons, they have settled into the Small Mixed division while still attending larger competitions. This year, the group has been able to earn only one finals appearance so far, placing Fifth overall at Findlay, besting groups like Medina, Kenton, and Milton-Union. Prestige’s biggest shot at a high placement is this weekend at Teays Valley where they will be competing in the Tier II division, before concluding their season at Avon (IN).
Single Gender:
Marysville “Swingers Select”(4 first-place votes, NC)
Loveland “Allure” (NC)
Olentangy “She-notes” (+1)
Fairfield “Pure Elegance” (-1)
Grove City “Class Act” (NC)
Receiving Votes:
ETC “Rouge”
Marysville “Swingers Select”
Although they are Ohio’s youngest unisex group, Swingers Select carries the same level of poise and success as the mixed choir from their program. In 2025 the group made finals at three out of their four events, and they have gone three for three so far in 2026. They started off this season swapping placements with Fairfield from prelims to Unisex Finals at Olentangy, earning Third Place. They then won the Unisex division and placed Third Overall at Twinsburg, besting ETC’s Rouge and Mayfield’s Small Mixed choir in finals. Most recently, they swept the Unisex Finals at Loveland, placing above Olentangy and Fairfield. This weekend they will face Fairfield and Loveland again, this time at Ross. Marysville will conclude their season at Solon where they will face Grove City.
Loveland “Allure”
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Allure is one of Ohio’s oldest unisex groups with an extensive history of success including divisional wins and overall finals appearances. The group has faced their fair share of tough competition in recent seasons ranging from divisional wins and overall final placements to missing finals and lower divisional placements. This is still true in the 2026 season. Allure kicked off their season in a strong way, winning the treble division and placing Sixth overall at Beavercreek, but followed that up by not placing in the Unisex Division at Olentangy. Things turned around for Allure at South Dearborn (IN) where Allure won their division and placed Third overall, placing above Marion Harding. The rest of their season gets increasingly difficult; this weekend they will have a rematch with Fairfield and Marysville before facing some of the nation's best unisex groups at Fairfield. They close with an even bigger test at the larger and Indiana-heavy Unisex Division at Show Choir Nationals.
Olentangy “She-notes”
The increasing success within the Olentangy program is not only within their mixed group as the She-notes are having one of their best seasons in years, making finals at both of their competitions this season. They began their season with a divisional win over Grove City and a Fourth Place finish overall at Marion Harding, followed by a Second Place finish in Unisex Finals at Loveland, placing over Fairfield for the second time in program history. This weekend they will face two dominant Unisex groups at Teays Valley, ETC’s Rouge and Emerald Elegance from Winfield (WV). They will then conclude their season at Marysville, facing choirs from Ohio, Indiana, and California.
Fairfield “Pure Elegance”
Pure Elegance is the oldest Unisex choir from Ohio, dating all the way back to 2007. In recent years, the treble division has been the most inconsistent from week to week and Fairfield shared that same sentiment. PE started their season with a commanding Second Place in Unisex Finals at Olentangy, but then missed Unisex Finals weeks later at Loveland. Flipping the script, Pure Elegance won their division at Robert C. Byrd (WV) and placed Second overall in finals. This weekend will be the season ending matchup for Fairfield, where they will have a rematch with Loveland and Marysville.
Grove City “Class Act”
Class Act experienced a huge upswing in competitiveness after the pandemic, and they have maintained a high level of success each year, earning divisional wins and overall finals appearances each year. This season continues that trajectory of success with three overall finals appearances and two divisional wins under their belt. They will conclude their season like many other choirs at the Solon Show Choir Invitational where they will be looking to earn their fourth consecutive finals appearance.
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