Ohio Recovers from Winter Storm with Action at Findlay and Olentangy
- Simon Zimmerman
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
By Simon Zimmerman, Ohio contributor
Not even a major winter storm can stop Ohio show choir! This weekend, two major competitions will take place in Ohio at Olentangy and Findlay to close out January. Several will be returning to the stage after a week off, while others will be making their debut, with several choirs from outside the state traveling in as well to mix things up.
Findlay FEst
Large Mixed - Lebanon “Singers,” Marion Harding “Harding Singers,” Huntington (WV) “Illusions,” Hamilton “Prestige,” Solon “Music in Motion,” Piqua “The Company”
Small Mixed - Milton-Union “Center Stage,” Walsh Jesuit “Harmony Gold,” North Royalton “Royal Harmony,” Medina “Encore Entertainment Company,” Kenton “Top Twenty”
Men’s Division - Marion Harding “Singers Xtreme”
Findlay’s annual FEst competition was cancelled in 2025 due to low attendance, but it is back for the 2026 season with a great lineup. The top of the field will likely be Solon and Piqua. Both have Grand Championships under their belt already this season, with Piqua’s coming at Van Buren and Solon’s at Beavercreek, where Piqua took 4th. Also, Lebanon and Hamilton were also at Beavercreek; Hamilton beat Lebanon in the daytime round, but neither made finals. Both groups should have a path to finals at Findlay, given the less crowded field. The other two groups in Large Mixed are Marion Harding, which took 3rd at Van Buren (behind Piqua), and Huntington, which took 5th at Nitro.
Small Mixed is also looking to be quite interesting this year. The favorite is likely Kenton; Top Twenty placed 2nd overall at North Royalton last weekend, taking Best Visuals in the process. Walsh Jesuit was also at North Royalton last weekend, though they did not place. Royal Harmony served as hosts last weekend, giving them early season performing experience at a competition, which isn’t nothing. They’ll be looking to build on the good season they had in 2025, which saw them win their first Grand Champion title ever. Finally, Medina and Milton-Union will both be beginning their 2026 competitive seasons at Findlay.
Finals at Findlay FEst could be an interesting battle. Solon and Piqua, given their placements so far this year, are likely locks, but beyond that, the field is open. It is entirely possible that the finals field is just the six Large Mixed groups; however, one or more of the Small Mixed choirs can find their way into finals.
Olentangy Keynote Classic -
Large Mixed - Center Grove (IN) “Sound System,” Fairfield “Choraliers,” Loveland “By Request,” Marysville “Swingers Unlimited,” Twinsburg “Great Expectations,”
Small Mixed - Bishop Luers (IN) “Minstrels,” Whitehall-Yearling “Music Unlimited,” Martinsburg (WV) “Good Times”, Teays Valley “Prominent Rendition”
Women’s Division - Martinsburg (WV) “GLITZ,” Marysville “Swingers Select,” Fairfield “Pure Elegance,” Loveland “Allure,” Center Grove (IN) “Debtones”
Yeesh - this competition is going to be quite tough across all divisions, with a lineup featuring several standout groups. Probably the most prominent is Center Grove, who has risen above a tough Indianapolis area scene to string together two undefeated seasons in a row; they’ll be looking to start another one here. Center Grove (CG) will be facing competition from Marysville, who took Best Choreography from CG the last time they met at Fairfield 2025, and Loveland, who have a Best Choreography award to their name already this season (from Beavercreek two weekends ago). Fairfield can’t be counted out either, as they beat Loveland twice in 2025 during a stellar campaign where they placed no lower than 2nd. Of these groups, Loveland is the only one with the advantage of having competed already this season, which may play a factor with groups as closely matched as these. Twinsburg rounds out the Large Mixed division, making their season debut after being forced to cancel their first competition due to winter weather last weekend.
The hardest division to predict is Small Mixed. The only group that has competed so far is Bishop Luers, who started their season last weekend at Anderson with a 2nd-place finish in Small Mixed. For the rest of the groups, this is their first competition. Teays Valley and Martinsburg both had multiple finals placements in 2025, with Good Times even claiming a GC at Robert C Byrd, while Whitehall-Yearling had solid divisional placements in 2025. Who wins this division is anyone’s guess.
Finally, the Women’s division is going to see several top women’s groups from the region competing. The standout group here is the Center Grove Debtones, who were considered by many the best single gender group in the country in 2025 after a dominant undefeated run in a tough Indianapolis scene. Loveland’s women are a group to watch at this competition; they are the only group to have competed so far in 2026, having won the Women’s division at Beavercreek and placed 6th in overall finals. Pure Elegance, for their part, are beginning their season at Olentangy, but are coming off a solid 2025 season that saw two finals placements and several divisional wins. Marysville’s women’s group, Swingers Select, will also be looking to begin their sophomore season with a good result.
The Keynote Classic will have two finals divisions: a Women’s finals, which will take three groups, and a Mixed finals, which will take 5 groups. For Women’s finals, the Debtones are almost certainly a lock, with the other two spots likely going to the best two of Fairfield, Marysville, and Loveland. Center Grove, Fairfield, Loveland, and Marysville will likely take up four of the five mixed finals slots, with the 5th place Large Mixed group or the top Small Mixed group likely contending for the last finals spot.