Illinois Show Choir Rankings (2/13/26)

By Dylan Moss, Illinois Contributor

This is the Third edition of Homeroom’s poll rankings of Illinois for the 2026 season, covering and considering results from the week of 2/21 and earlier. Three regional experts considered 39 groups and ranked 20 across 3 divisions.

Championship Mixed

1. Wheaton North “Flight” (3 First Place Votes)

2. Mt. Zion “Swingsations” (NC)

3. Dwight D. Eisenhower “Express” (+2)

4. El Paso-Gridley “Modulations” (-1)

5. Mundelein “Sound” (-1)

6. Wheaton Warrenville South “The Classics” (+1)

7. Glenwood “Titan Fever” (-1)

8. Waubonsie Valley “Sound Check” (NC)

9. Naperville North “Entourage” (+1)

10. Manteno “Magic” (New Entry)

Receiving Votes: Oswego “Commotion” 

News and Notes

Eisenhower Rises at El Paso

One of the biggest storylines of this historically chaotic Illinois season has been the rise of Dwight D. Eisenhower “Express,’ who after a rocky start missing finals at Milton, had notched two second place finishes against great competition. That storyline fittingly reached its apex last weekend at Express’ final competition at El Paso-Gridley, where they won in a no caption victory against powerhouse groups in Mt. Zion and Troy Buchanan (MO). This is a monumental victory for the program which vaults them into the top three in our rankings, and cements them as a real contender in the state of Illinois. Going down the rankings, Mt. Zion notches a solid podium finish with Best Choreography, proving their strength is still intact in that regard, and Manteno gets back at Oswego to make it into finals, and also make it back into the top ten.

Groups Return to Action at Mt. Zion and Sullivan

Illinois will host two competitions this weekend, the Mt. Zion Midwest Invitational and the Sullivan Show Choir Invitational. At Mt Zion, number one group Wheaton North “Flight”, as well as Naperville North and Glenwood return to action to defend their home turf against out of state powers, Troy Buchanan (MO), Center Grove (IN), and Carroll (IN). Meanwhile at Sullivan, Wheaton Warrenville South, Manteno, and Batavia compete against Indiana titan Zionsville. Some groups will look to defend their current high standings, while others are looking for a get back. Nonetheless, this weekend could see a big shift in the balance of power in Illinois.

Single Gender

1. Mt. Zion “You’ve Got Male” (2 First Place Votes) (+1)

2. El Paso-Gridley “Hi Fidelity” (1 First Place Vote) (-1)

3. Wheaton Warrenville South “Esprit” (NC)

4. Mt. Zion “Les Femmes” (+1)

5. Mother McAuley “Mac Melody” (-1)

News and Notes

You’ve Got Male Takes The Throne

Mt. Zion “You’ve Got Male” proved they just can’t be stopped last weekend at El Paso, taking home the single gender division crown as well as making finals once again ahead of solid competition. YGM is having a historic season not just for their group, but bass groups in general, as these kinds of results are almost unprecedented. These results also vault YGM to the top spot of the single-gender rankings, breaking HiFi’s iron grip. This week, YGM takes a week off, but then will face great contenders at Glenwood and WWS. If they can make waves at those competitions, they may hold on to the top spot for the rest of the season.

Opportunities Arise at Mt. Zion and Sullivan

The competitions at Mt. Zion and Sullivan this weekend both sport smaller single gender divisions, but both are full of rich opportunities for groups to make some waves. At Mt. Zion, unranked Naperville North “Vivant” takes on Carroll and Center Grove’s treble groups to advance to two choir single gender finals. If Vivant can make these finals, it would give a huge boost to them and prove they can compete against great groups. Likewise, Wheaton Warrenville South Esprit takes on the Zionsville Choralaires at Sullivan, as well as having the opportunity to make overall finals. If Esprit takes advantage, it may pay dividends for them as well.

Festival Mixed

1. Sullivan “Singers” (+4) (1 First Place Vote)

2. Crete-Monee “Cavaliers” (-1) (1 First Place Vote)

3. Danville “Delegation” (-1) (1 First Place Vote)

4. Carmel Catholic “Cadence” (New Entry)

5. Herscher “Class Act” (-1)

Sullivan Dances To The Top

The El Paso-Gridley Showdown featured a bloodbath of a festival division, featuring the best from Illinois and elsewhere. While out of state group Troy Buchanan “Soundwave” took the overall win with Best Vocals, the Sullivan “Singers” took a solid second place finish with the Best Choreography caption, placing ahead of all the Illinois groups there. The Singers proved that while their choreographer is still unknown, they are the visual standard of Illinois festival mixed, which puts them in a strong position to end the season in their newfound number one spot.

Carmel Catholic’s Grand Debut

Carmel Catholic “Cadence” certainly made a statement at the first comp of their very short season last weekend. Cadence isn’t a group we see too often, so they entered the Showdown as quite the unknown quantity, however they absolutely turned some heads with an unexpectedly strong performance. This performance earned them a very strong fourth place finish up with the best in the division, including ahead of a Herscher group who has earned a division win this season. While Carmel Catholic may not compete often, they are absolutely a group to watch out for when they do pop up.

The Battles Just Don’t Stop

While all the festival mixed action happened at one competition last weekend, this weekend it takes place over a few competitions. At Mt. Zion, Crete-Monee will get another shot at taking down Troy Soundwave, which would be a resounding victory for Cavs. Meanwhile, Herscher defends their Illinois turf from BEAT “Amplitude”, a solid Indiana contender at Sullivan. Finally, Danville returns to the fray at Lafayette Jefferson in Indiana. There, they will see many strong Indiana groups, including Norwell, Franklin Community, and Edgewood. If they can get a strong placement there, it would provide a major boost to Danville in the rankings.