Marysville, Solon, Loveland Lead Ohio 2026 Large Mixed Rankings
By Stella Garey, Ohio contributor
Marysville “Swingers Unlimited” (4 first-place votes)
Swingers Unlimited sits at the top of the rankings, and their 2026 show was themed around all creatures scaly and cold-blooded. SU started off their season at Olentangy, where they suffered their only loss of the season at the hands of Indiana titan Center Grove. From then on, the group maintained a winning streak, and their in-state competitions included Twinsburg, Loveland, Ross and Solon. In late March, SU traveled to Massachusetts to compete at Waltham, Mass., which had last hosted them in 2022. Here they yet again brought home first place alongside a variety of caption awards. By the time the season came to a close they claimed a plethora of caption awards, including three Best Vocals and five Best Choreography. Swingers Unlimited’s 2026 show was a hit, and catapaulted the group to a total of 15 wins in the past five seasons.
Solon “Music in Motion”
Music in Motion brought their show to five competitions across Ohio this past season, and their show, titled “Break Free,” inspired audiences to find the hope and courage needed to do just that. January turned out to be a marvelous start to their season as they won first place at both Beavercreek and Findlay, where they brought home their share of caption awards. They then fell to Findlay at Medina in February before cruising through a diminished finals field at Kenton. Their final competition of the season brought them to Ross, where they walked away with second place, Best Vocals, Best Band, and Best Costumes. Counting three grand championships and numerous captions, 2026 was certainly a wonderful year for the group.
Loveland “By Request”
By Request was on fire this past season, and their show followed a collection of songs that defined a man’s life that was later rediscovered by his grandson. January brought the group to Beavercreek and Olentangy where they earned third place in finals at both events. By Request swept at South Dearborn, claiming their first Grand Championship since Beavercreek in 2024. Loveland lost to Fairfield, who they had previously beaten at Olentangy earlier in the season, at Ross and ended that night in fourth place. By Request had an incredibly successful outing at Fairfield, taking home first place alongside Best Choreography, Best Show Design, and Best Band. After their competitions in Ohio came to an end, the group closed the season in Nashville, where they were the first group out of finals at Show Choir Nationals.
Findlay “First Edition”
All around, First Edition had a great 2026 season; this year, their show immersed audiences in a story set in busy Las Vegas. FFE opened the season relatively late at Medina, where they shocked many show choir fans and observers by scoring a big win over Solon. That was followed by a jaunt to Indiana to compete at DeKalb, at which Findlay also earned first place, Best Vocals, Best Choreography, Best Crew, and Best Band. The group's local slate concluded at Solon, where FFE finished third behind Marysville and Grove City, the latter of whom they beat in prelims. Finishing off their season, the group traveled to Tennessee for Show Choir Nationals, where they placed ninth prelims.
Fairfield “Choraliers”
The 2026 season took the Choraliers around Ohio as well as West Virginia to compete with their show themed around the beloved story of Charlotte’s Web written by E.B. White. Choraliers started off their season at Olentangy, where they ended finals in fourth place behind Loveland, although caption awards for costumes and show design were nice consolation prizes. Fairfield landed on the podium at Loveland, scoring ahead of Olentangy, and scored an impressive 1-2 in finals alongside sister group Pure Elegance at Robert C. Byrd in West Virginia. Their last competition brought them to Ross, where they saw several familiar faces they’d seen previously in the season. Here they were able to take third place ahead of Loveland, who they had previously lost to at Olentangy at the start of the season.
Piqua “The Company”
The Company made headlines at several competitions across Ohio in 2026, and throughout the course of the season attended five in-state competitions to perform their show about being in show choir. Out of those five competitions they walked away as grand champion at a majority of them, emerging victorious at Van Buren, Hamilton, and Teays Valley. The Company outlasted Olentangy for top honors at Hamilton and placed over Grove City at Teays Valley. An intense early-season swing saw Piqua place fourth at Beavercreek and third at Findlay. That included dropping behind small mixed group North Royalton at the latter event, though they did beat fellow large mixed choir Marion Harding and claim a pair of captions.
Olentangy “Keynotes”
The 2026 season treated Keynotes quite nicely, and the group accomplished several
impressive feats throughout the course of the season with their show loosely centered around pinball. Starting off their season, the group competed at Marion Harding and won Grand Champion over Grove City in a shocking upset, and Olentangy also brought home Best Vocals, Best Choreography, Best Show Concept, and Best Costumes. It was the group's first win since 2022, meaning it was also the first triumph for any performer in the group over the past four seasons. At both Loveland and Marysville they ended the day in fourth place, but won Best Band at both contests against formidable opponents. They finished off competing in Ohio at Teays Valley, where they finished in second place behind Piqua, though it was a tight split-caption decision. To wrap up their season they traveled to Heart of America Orlando where they finished in fourth place at finals, placing very well in a field filled with national show choir names.
Grove City “Touch of Class”
Grove City's show this past season was themed around Europe. Throughout the 2026 season they attended four competitions in Ohio and also traveled to West Virginia to compete at Hurricane. Touch of Class emerged as grand champion at both Ada in November of 2025 and at Hurricane in February of 2026, claiming full vocals/choreo/band sweeps at both events. TOC enjoyed a reciprocal relationship with Hurricane, as Red Hot swept Grove City's contest as well. The other three competitions Grove City was at ended with the group in the runner-up position, falling to Olentangy at Marion Harding, Piqua at Hamilton and Marysville at Solon. However, a group never falling below second the entire season shows consistency and is something to be commended.
ETC “The All Americans”
All Americans' 2026 show followed the story of a mysterious Magic Man and the excitement and chaos he brought to an otherwise boring town. In addition to Jacob Jay Jones, this year the group was choreographed by April James, one of the most prestigious choreographers across the show choir community. In 2026 the group traveled to five competitions, and succeeded in making finals at every one of them. At both Northrop and Twinsburg they finished second, and at Homestead and Teays Valley, ETC ended in third. A Winfield event that ETC was originally scheduled to attend on Jan. 24 was rescheduled to Mar. 14; with Olentangy already booked for Marysville that day, ETC was the last Ohio program left standing and won the event over a cadre of smaller West Virginia programs to end the season on a high note.
Beavercreek “Friends”
Out of their five competitions in the 2026 season, Friends traveled to Indiana for two of their competitions, staying in Ohio for the other three. Their show followed the journey of a traveler who stumbled upon a haunted house, and while there found himself falling in love with a ghost of a girl he could never truly have. To start off the season, Friends traveled to Indiana where they competed at Edgewood against a variety of strong small and large mixed groups in finals. Friends also made finals appearances at Marion Harding, Loveland, and at Franklin Community. Taking a look at captions, the group brought home two Best Soloist awards and a Best Crew award. As one of the storied programs in Ohio show choir, Beavercreek remains a competitor in the Large Mixed division and looks to continue that in the future.
Receiving Votes: None.
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