Neck and Neck Battles Shape the El Paso-Gridley Showdown

18 Groups representing four states competed at the El Paso-Gridley Show Choir Showdown this weekend, and the results certainly present a lot to talk about.

Final Results

GC: Dwight D. Eisenhower “Express”

1RU: Troy Buchanan “Express” (BV)

2RU: Mt. Zion “Swingsations” (BC)

3RU: Sparta “Upstage Adrenaline” (BB)

4RU: Manteno “Magic” 

5RU: Mt. Zion “You’ve Got Male”

Single Gender

1st: Mt. Zion “You’ve Got Male” (BV,BC)

2nd: Mt. Zion “Les Femmes”

3rd: Sparta “Rise Of Adrenaline” (BB)

Festival Mixed

1st: Troy Buchanan “Soundwave” (BV)

2nd: Sullivan “Singers” (BC)

3rd: Crete-Monee “Cavaliers”

4th: Carmel Catholic “Cadence”

5th: Herscher “Class Act” (BB)

Headlines

Eisenhower Ends With A Bang

At the top of the Mixed Division, Dwight D. Eisenhower took a shock no caption victory, as they came out on top of a top three that was the definition of neck and neck. Eisenhower was narrowly in second for both the visual and vocal captions, but they were still able to get the votes they needed to take the first place spot. This is by far the biggest victory in the program’s history, and a resounding message to the show choir world that they’re for real, and they’re here to stay. Troy and Mt. Zion took second and third with the vocal and visual captions respectively, further showing how insanely close this competition was. Below the top three, Sparta represented Wisconsin well with a solid fourth place finish, and Manteno bounced back with a finals appearance after missing finals at Crete.

The You’ve Got Male Train Keeps Chugging

Mt. Zion “You’ve Got Male” came out on top of a small but mighty single gender division, beating out their counterparts Les Femmes and Wisconsin power Rise Of Adrenaline, as well as making their second overall finals of the year. This makes another stop in a historic season for YGM, as they continue their most consistently successful season in a long time. YGM’s schedule doesn’t get any easier from here on out, as they face Indiana powerhouse Westfield at Glenwood, and a whole smorgasbord of challengers at their last two comps. But YGM has proven both here and at Naperville, they’re up for any challenge.

Carmel Catholic Turns Heads in a Shaken-Up Tier II

As many expected, the balance of power was shaken up once again in Illinois’ festival mixed division; however, there was one school that turned a lot of heads, Carmel Catholic. CC is a school that doesn’t really get out too much, as they only go to one or two competitions a year, but this year they decided to get their hands dirty in a very competitive division. Here, they proved that they belonged with the best, as they rode very tight choreography and a strong vocal presence to a solid fourth place finish, above a very strong Herscher Class Act. Cadence will compete next at John Hersey, where they will face a one on one against Peotone.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Dwight D. Eisenhower and Sparta have ended their seasons on a high note, however most everyone else still has some season left to give. Mt. Zion plays the host role next weekend at a competition where Troy Buchanan will look to prove themselves in a stacked field against groups like Center Grove, Wheaton North, and Carroll. Crete-Monee and Peotone also return to action at Mt Zion, where Crete will get another shot at taking down Troy Buchanan Soundwave. Sullivan also plays the host role, at a comp where Manteno and Batavia will look to notch some solid placements, and Herscher will defend their home turf against BEAT Amplitude from Indiana. Expect the balance of power to shift even more in Illinois in the coming weeks, and always be prepared for the most chaotic, as Illinois has given almost every week this season.