Return of the Contenders: Choirs 1-25

Preview shows are going on, competition schedules are being released, and dance captains are worried that their groups will forget the choreography over Christmas break.

That means it's time to take a look at who will run America's show choir competitions in 2026.

Over the past few weeks, HomeRoom Show Choir has previewed 100 of the country's premier show choirs, giving fans from casual to hardcore everything that matters in advance of a fast-approaching competition season.

Rankings are based on HomeRoom Show Choir’s 2025 Final National Rankings. Interested in digging deeper? View the 2025 Final National Rankings or see how the rankings were compiled.

2025 #1 Ranked Choir: Linn-Mar “10th Street Edition” (1st in Iowa)

2026 Director: Trent Buglewicz (12th season)

Choreographers: April James (24th season), Lexi Robson Buglewicz (13th season) and Braxton Carr (7th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - hosting; Jan. 24 - Gretna East; Jan. 31 - Prairie; Feb. 14 - Urbandale; Feb. 28 - Liberty

Last year’s Return of the Contenders noted that then-number one Linn-Mar would have to earn a repeat berth at the top of the list, and they did exactly that. Their 2025 show, based on Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s work The Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, didn’t drop a vocal, choreography, or band caption all season en route to another season that redefined what it means to be an elite show choir. The excitement for this year’s show, Grand Hotel, has already ramped up, complete with a grandhotel.show website that contains plenty of clues about the show. 10SE will face Gretna, Lincoln East and others to kick off the season, Johnston and Westside at Urbandale, and plenty of other foes at Prairie and Liberty. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

2025 #2 Ranked Choir: Johnston “Innovation” (2nd in Iowa)

2026 Directors: Laura Grimm (6th season) and Brianna DeMoss (5th season)

Choreographers: Stephen Todd (11th season) and Erik Hall (4th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Blue Valley; Jan. 24 - hosting; Feb. 14 - Urbandale; Feb. 21 - Davenport Central; Feb. 28 - Southeast Polk; Mar. 28 - HOA Orlando

After losing to Waukee Northwest early in the 2025 season at Linn-Mar, Johnston pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and got to work, resulting in a three-competition win streak, including beating Waukee Northwest at Urbandale. Johnston has been consistently great since the pandemic, and there are no signs of that slowing down. Johnston will, however, have much harder competition in 2026, facing Broken Arrow at Blue Valley, Linn-Mar and Westside at Urbandale, and Los Alamitos, Mt. Zion, and Westside again at Heart of America Orlando. But, due to a creative team that has figured out what works and is sticking with it, Johnston will have no trouble finding success in 2026. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland contributor

2025 #3 Ranked Choir: Solon “Music in Motion” (1st in Ohio)

2026 Director: Gary Lewis (20th season) 

Choreographers: Marah Cover and Eric Hayes (3rd season) 

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Beavercreek; Jan. 31 - Findlay; Mar. 7 - hosting; additional dates to be announced 

Solon’s rise to the top of Ohio these past two seasons has been nothing short of extraordinary. In those two seasons, Solon competed 10 times, winning eight of those competitions. This included an undefeated 2025 campaign where they defeated nearly every major Ohio group, as well as several from Indiana. In 2026, Solon will look to continue their extraordinary rise, though tough competition stands in their way. At Beavercreek, Solon will have to face Piqua, Loveland, Hurricane, and Noblesville, and they will face Piqua again two weeks later at Findlay. Besides those competitions, nothing else about their schedule is confirmed. But, watch out for a potential matchup with Marysville, perhaps the only other Ohio group at Music in Motion’s level, as well as contests against other Ohio contenders, including Findlay and Grove City. - Simon Zimmerman, Ohio contributor 

2025 #4 Ranked Choir: Westside “Amazing Technicolor Show Choir (1st in Nebraska)

2026 Director: Andrew Jacobson (1st season)

Choreographer: Stephen Todd (10th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Gretna; Jan. 24 - Millard West; Jan. 31 - hosting; Feb. 14 - Urbandale; Feb. 21 - Omaha South; Mar. 28 - HOA Orlando

The 2025 season was famously known as longtime director Doran Johnson's last season with ATSC, and because of this, he went out with a bang, creating what can only be described as a triumph of a show. Now that he has retired, former Lincoln Southwest director Andrew Jacobson has stepped into his shoes as successor. While Jacobson's show design is different from what ATSC is known for, there are a few things that will stay the same: competing against the best groups in Nebraska, like Millard West, Papio South, and Gretna East; Stephen Todd will choreograph ATSC; and the group will make their yearly trip to a regional competition. This year, Westside will travel to Heart of America Orlando, where they will face Johnston and Los Alamitos for a national-level championship. ATSC will also take a trip to Urbandale to compete against Linn-Mar and Johnston, the top two Iowa groups last season. 2026 acts as a transition year for Westside, but with Jacobson directing, ATSC should be in good hands. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland contributor

2025 #5 Ranked Choir: Center Grove “Sound System” (1st in Indiana)

2026 Director: Jennifer Dice (21st season)

Choreographer: April James (6th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 31 - Olentangy; Feb. 7 - Fishers; Feb. 14 - Pike; Feb. 21 - hosting; Feb. 28 - Mt. Zion; Mar. 7 - Warren Central; Mar. 21- Show Choir Nationals

There is not enough space on this list to fully describe what this group has done over the past two seasons. They have won every competition that has been put out in front of them and have made themselves the outright best group in Indiana, a title that is uniquely difficult, which makes the feat more impressive with each win. CG doesn't seem interested in resting on its laurels, taking one week off this season over a two-month marathon. The main obstacle in their way will not be any singular competition or group, but instead the mighty task of maintaining their standard of excellence through twelve performances in a row, a mighty feat of endurance. After achieving back to back undefeated seasons, there are no signs that this high-powered group will slow down anytime soon. - Will Kaiser, Indiana contributor 

2025 #6 Ranked Choir: Gretna “Revolution” (2nd in Nebraska)

2026 Director: Katelyn Wallace (4th season)

Choreographer: Stephen Todd (4th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - hosting; Jan. 24 - Gretna East; Feb. 7 - Papio South; Feb. 14 - Chesterton; Feb. 28 - Grand Island; Mar. 7 - Lewis Central 

For the third year in a row, Gretna achieved being one of the top ranked powerhouses of Nebraska. Their vocals were consistently impressive last season, taking the Best Vocals caption at every competition. Three sweeps meant they were a challenging opponent for anyone who went against them in Nebraska. Revolution is spreading their wings to Chesterton, Indiana, in 2026 to face some of the best groups from all over the country. Brandon, Carmel, Wheaton North, and Carroll are among some of the top-tier groups Gretna will face at Chesterton. With their ability these past few seasons, they could very well come out on top and prove that Nebraska is a strong force to be reckoned with. - Arte Reed, Nebraska contributor

2025 #7 Ranked Choir: John Burroughs “Powerhouse” (1st in California)

2026 Directors: Brendan Jennings (20th season) and Jen Oundjian (3rd season)

Choreographers: Dominic Matas (9th season), Emily DePauw (18th season), Amanda Richardson (9th season) and Erik Hall (15th season)

Competition Schedule: Feb. 14 - Brea Olinda; Mar. 7 - Burbank; Mar. 14 - Wheaton Warrenville South; Apr. 11 - hosting; Apr. 18 - Oceanside

John Burroughs Powerhouse has been one of the most celebrated names in show choir for decades, and their 2025 season was no different. They started off their season with three straight Grand Champion titles at Brea Olinda, Esperanza, and Hart, and finished off the year with a first runner up placement and showmanship at Oceanside against one of the toughest divisions of the season. Powerhouse also made history in 2025 by being the first-ever show choir to be invited to perform at an ACDA National Conference. Looking into 2026, Powerhouse is sure to have another successful year, but not without its challenges. They will go up against Los Alamitos at Burbank, as well as ending the season against Los Alamitos and Burbank at Oceanside. Burroughs will also travel to Illinois this season to compete at Wheaton Warrenville South. - Jackson Ferrier, Western contributor

2025 #8 Ranked Choir: Ankeny “Visual Adrenaline” (3rd in Iowa)

2026 Director: Ben Walters (11th season)

Choreographers: Kevin Chase (11th season) and Alex Schultz (3rd season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Benton; Jan. 30 - Ankeny Centennial; Feb. 14 - North Polk; Feb. 28 - Bishop Heelan

Ankeny Visual Adrenaline may just need a bigger trophy case with how much hardware they take home every season. Visual Adrenaline achieved three grand championships last season; each was accompanied by a plethora of caption awards, including three Best Vocals, three Best Bands, and two Best Choreography captions. Looking ahead, Ankeny is hoping to defend their titles at Benton and Ankeny Centennial in the early part of their season. February will bring them the opportunity to reclaim the top spot at North Polk, which they haven’t competed at since 2024, as well as the opportunity to make a name for themselves at Bishop Heelan in northwest Iowa. VA continues to raise the bar every year, and 2026 is looking to be no exception for them. - Ava Sammons, Iowa contributor

2025 #9 Ranked Choir: Homewood “The Network” (1st in Alabama)

2026 Directors: Byron Mosquera and Cody McDonald

Choreographers: April James and Randy Sage

Competition Schedule: Feb. 14 - hosting; Feb. 28 - Auburn; Mar. 20 - Show Choir Nationals; additional dates to be announced

Homewood enters this next competition season after an undefeated 2025 campaign featuring four grand championships. While any undefeated season should be celebrated, one could argue their hardest competition (that being a solid Oak Mountain and middle-of-the-pack Auburn) raises one question: what is the true strength of this group? With that being said, Homewood will face their most difficult competition in several years at Nationals, facing the likes of Center Grove and others. Will Homewood only continue their regional success or will they take a step up in the national circless? Only time will tell how Homewood responds to the greater challenge that lies ahead of them. - Tony Holeman, Southern contributor

2025 #10 Ranked Choir: Clinton “Attaché” (1st in Mississippi)

2026 Directors: David Fehr (34th season) and Chance Anderson (2nd season)

Choreographers: April James (29th season), Dexter Bishop (17th season) and Kellis Oldenberg (12th season)

Competition Schedule: Feb. 14 - Homewood; Feb. 21 - Jackson Prep; Mar. 7 - Glenwood; Mar. 19-21 - hosting Show Choir Nationals

While they are the second highest-ranked Southern show choir, Clinton still remains atop the southern hierarchy and hasn’t lost a competition in-region since 2009. The same question remains that has persisted over the last decade: will this be the year someone finally topples the absolute domination that is Clinton? Until proven otherwise, everyone will assume not. But crazier things have happened, and they will face Grenada and Brandon at Jackson Prep. - Tony Holeman, Southern contributor

2025 #11 Ranked Choir: Carmel “Ambassadors” (2nd in Indiana)

2026 Directors: Kyle Barker (9th season), Katherine Kouns (11th season) and Anna DeBard (2nd season)

Choreographers: Dwight Jordan (12th season) and Ellie Jordan (2nd season)

Competition Schedule: Feb. 14 - Chesterton; Feb. 21- Northridge; Feb. 28 - Franklin Central; Mar. 14 - Brownsburg; Mar. 21 - Noblesville

Carmel looks to extend their winning streak into 2026 after closing out last season with three straight grand championships, including a Show Choir Nationals victory over Los Alamitos and Zionsville. Their show last year, “Road to El Dorado,” chronicled the journey to the mystery city of gold known as El Dorado. Their exciting story show featured a beautiful ballad and a variety of well-executed dance styles, both of which have become key elements of Carmel’s domain in recent seasons. In 2026, their path toward an undefeated season appears easier on paper, with their schedule lacking appearances against Linn-Mar and Center Grove, top-five groups who each beat Carmel last season. This year, Carmel’s toughest competitions appear to be Chesterton and Brownsburg, where they will face Franklin Central, who they defeated in a split-caption victory last year, as well as Zionsville, Gretna, Brandon, and Mitchell, all premier groups in their respective regions. - Nathan Ensley, Associate Editor

2025 #12 Ranked Choir: Wheaton Warrenville South “The Classics” (1st in Illinois)

2026 Director: Chris Miller (9th season)

Choreographer: Dwight Jordan (18th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 31 - Davenport North; Feb. 7 - Crete-Monee; Feb. 14 - Naperville North; Feb. 28 - Sullivan; Mar. 7 - Janesville Craig; Mar .14 - hosting

The Classics took on a different identity than what many are used to from them last season, as they excelled in vocals more than visuals, their usual bread and butter. Nonetheless, they found plenty of success with two grand championships, four vocal captions, and no placements lower than third. The Classics face what appears to be a lighter schedule than last year’s gauntlet this season. However, with groups such as Davenport Central, Valley, Mt. Zion, Zionsville, and Onalaska challenging them, there is still little room to not be on their "A" game. While many may wonder what identity The Classics will have this season, there is little doubt that what they produce will be top-quality as usual. - Dylan Moss, Illinois contributor

2025 #13 Ranked Choir: Sioux City East “The Headliners” (4th in Iowa)

2026 Director: Jeremy Hess (5th season)

Choreographer: Mike Weaver (22nd season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Ralston; Jan. 31 - Bloomington Kennedy; Feb. 14 - Lincoln Northwest; Feb. 28 - Bishop Heelan, Mar. 7 - hosting, Mar. 14 - Millard North 

After a historically successful 2025 season featuring a haunted hotel theme, The Headliners will look to slightly switch gears with their 2026 dancing around the world show. This year they are looking to assert dominance at competitions they have visited in the past, but are also looking to take on a new stage. For one, Sioux City East will be attending the Lincoln Northwest Capital Classic for the first time. While The Headliners may not face the choirs that defeated them last season, they will compete against number-eight ranked Ankeny Visual Adrenalin” at the Bishop Heelan Crusader Classic. That competition could shape up to be a season-defining moment, and this season will certainly be exciting for The Headliners. - Timothy Laubach, Iowa contributor

2025 #14 Ranked Choir: Millard West “West in the Groove” (3rd in Nebraska)

2026 Director: Zack Bjornsen (13th season)

Choreographer: Stephen Todd (12th season) 

Competition Schedule: Jan. 24 - hosting; Jan. 31 - Lincoln East; Feb. 7 - Papio South; Feb. 21 - Omaha South; Feb. 28 - Norris; Mar. 7 -  Fairfield

Here we are! A brand new day has finally dawned for Millard West after they closed out the night in 2025. Reflecting on the past season, West in the Groove achieved four wins and one fourth place at one of the toughest competitions of the season, Urbandale. Year after year, Millard West proves to be one of Nebraska’s best powerhouses. Looking ahead, a huge year is coming up for WIG. Locally, their most notable opponents will be Lincoln Southwest, Gretna, Mitchell, and Westside. Fairfield will be their out-of-state competition, all the way in Ohio. At Fairfield, they will face new competitors, including Plainfield, Brandon, and Zionsville. Millard West’s competition lineup is looking quite stacked, but their past success indicates that they should pull through with some great results. - Arte Reed, Nebraska contributor

2025 #15 Ranked Choir: Oak Mountain “Singers” (2nd in Alabama)

2026 Director: Michael Zauchin (13th season) and Caroline Stewart (1st season)

Choreographer(s): To be announced

Competition Schedule: To be announced

Oak Mountain returns after one of their most successful seasons in program history, claiming two grand championships, with their only loss coming against Homewood. Singers defeated several nationally-acclaimed groups including Brandon, Petal, and Wheaton Warrenville South. Such success creates a target, and that makes Oak Mountain a group that others will be aiming to beat at competitions this season. Will Oak Mountain continue this newfound success? Or alternatively, will one of their adversaries get the best of them? Additionally, assistant director Gavin Dover left the program for a role outside of show choir, and Oak Mountain alum Caroline Stewart is now the program's second-in-command. - Tony Holeman, Southern contributor

2025 #16 Ranked Choir: Davenport Central “Central Singers, Inc.” (5th in Iowa)

2026 Director: Michael Reese (21st season) and Peyton Reese (2nd season)

Choreographer: Heath Gemar (1st season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 31 - Davenport North; Feb. 7 - Norwalk; Feb. 14 - North Polk; Feb. 21 - hosting; Feb. 28 - Western Dubuque

After going undefeated in 2025, Davenport Central has more expectations in 2026. There are a few big choreography changes in Iowa, and CSI has one of the biggest ones. After Andy Haines retired in 2025, Heath Gemar stepped uin to fill his shoes. Davenport Central will have tougher opponents in 2026, starting off by facing Valley and Wheaton Warrenville South at Davenport North, battling Valley again and Ankeny at North Polk, and competing against Onalaska at Western Dubuque. Can Davenport Central go undefeated two seasons in a row? Only time will tell. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland contributor

2025 #17 Ranked Choir: Los Alamitos “Sound FX” (2nd in California)

2026 Director: Moana Dherlin (9th season, 1st as head director), Cara Jennings (2nd season) and Matthew Davis (1st season)

Choreographer(s): April James (17th season), Cara Jennings (10th season) and Sam Mulligan (1st season)

Competition Schedule: Feb. 28 - Esperanza; Mar. 7 - Burbank; Mar. 14 - hosting; Mar. 28 - HOA Orlando; Apr. 18 - Oceanside

One of the most storied programs in show choir history is under new management for the first time in 17 years. Sound FX managed a mid-season director change in 2025 and still put together some impressive results, including a second-place finish at Show Choir Nationals and a no-caption win at a stacked Oceanside competition. Sound FX’s new director, Moana Dherlin, is no stranger to the program, or to winning on the biggest stages. Dherlin racked up an impressive 20 wins as co-director of Sound Trax, the premier womens group at Los Alamitos, in a decade of service. You can expect some small changes from the new commander-in-chief of FX, but to expect any sort of significant fall off would be a huge underestimation of the talented students in the program and Dherlin’s superstar potential. -Chris Mendoza, Western contributor

2025 #18 Ranked Choir: Hurricane “Red Hot” (1st in West Virginia)

2026 Director: Joseph Kincaid (11th season)

Choreographers:  Tori Brindis (4th season), Payton Bellman (1st season) and Randy Sage (5th season)

Competition Schedule: To be announced

2025 was a successful season for Red Hot, winning five grand championships, including Heart Of America Nashville, while their show band, Thermo Dynamics, remained undefeated for a second straight year. Red Hot thrives on storytelling, difficult choreography and theatrical style set designs, earning them caption awards in multiple categories.  After graduating nearly thirty seniors, new soloists, dance captains, and instrumentalists will grace the stage for Hurricane. Can these fresh faces maintain the legacy set by the classes before them or will 2026 be a rebuilding year for this consistent top twenty-five contender?  Although not yet public, the rumored schedule has Red Hot’s young choir traveling between three and five hours for almost all of their six competitions.  - Tonya Chase, West Virginia Contributor 

2025 #19 Ranked Choir: Gretna East “Equinox” (4th in Nebraska)

2026 Director: Nathan Wallace (2nd season)

Choreographers: Stephen Todd (1st season) and Matt Watson (2nd season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Gretna; Jan. 24 - hosting; Jan. 31 - Lincoln East; Feb. 14 - Elkhorn South; Feb. 28 - Marion; Mar. 7 - Sioux City East

No one expected the insane leap in quality that Gretna East took in 2025. After only making finals once in 2024, Gretna East took on new leadership in the form of Nathan Wallace and Matt Watson. This led to them winning their first competition of the season at Gretna, beating other Nebraska titans like Papio South, Elkhorn South, and Millard North. It was a win so improbable that Equinox was not even among the community picks to make finals before the competition began. After that, Equinox took two more grand championships in 2025. This year, Gretna East has the opportunity to do even better now that they added Stephen Todd as a choreographer. Their road to further trophies will not be easy, though. This year, Equinox will go against top Nebraska groups Westside and Millard West, while also battling premier out-of-state competition, including Mitchell and Valley. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland contributor 

2025 #20 Ranked Choir: Onalaska “Hilltoppers” (1st in Wisconsin)

2026 Director: Richard Moses (14th season) and Jennifer Saner (4th season)

Choreographers: Lexi Robson Buglewicz (3rd season), Jarad Voss (17th season) and Rachel Schoenecker (2nd season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 10 - Holmen; Jan. 17 - hosting; Jan. 24 - Sparta; Jan. 31 - Sauk Prairie; Feb. 14 - La Crosse; Feb. 28 - Western Dubuque; Mar. 7 - Janesville Craig

The Hilltopper domination tour ran for yet another season in 2025, tallying five victories at Wisconsin contests to bring Onalaska’s historical total to at least 62 wins in the Badger State. Hilltopper continues to be the class of Wisconsin show choir after the pandemic, and there’s no indication that this year’s “Lost Boys and Golden Girls” show will stray from that. However, they will see potent out-of-state competition, including Waukee Northwest at Holmen, Bloomington Kennedy at Sparta, Davenport Central at Western Dubuque and Wheaton Warrenville South at Janesville Craig. Beating those regional powers would make 2026 a signature, legacy-defining season for Onalaska. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

2025 #21 Ranked Choir: Marysville “Swingers Unlimited” (2nd in Ohio)

2026 Directors: Jeremy Alfera (22nd season) and Kain Anderson (2nd season)

Choreographers: Randy Sage (17th season), Dwight Jordan (8th season) and Ellie Jordan (8th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 31 - Olentangy; Feb. 7 - Twinsburg; Feb. 14 - Loveland; Feb. 28 - Ross; Mar. 7 - Solon; Mar. 14 - hosting; Mar. 28 - Waltham

Marysville has firmly established their dominance on the Ohio circuit, having defeated every in-state group several times within the past three years. In 2025, Swingers Unlimited fell only to Center Grove and Zionsville from Indiana, along with California’s Big Three of Burbank, John Burroughs, and Los Alamitos. Looking ahead to 2026, Swingers Unlimited will face many familiar competitors, aiming to remain on the podium throughout the season. Their schedule features matchups with Center Grove, ETC, Fairfield, Findlay, and Loveland before closing the year with a trip to Waltham, Massachusetts, where they have swept in both of their previous appearances. - Michael McHargh, Ohio Contributor

2025 #22 Ranked Choir: Broken Arrow “Tiger Rhythm” (1st in Oklahoma)

2026 Director: Justin Rosser (15th season)

Choreographers: Lexi Robson Buglewicz (7th season) and Braxton Carr (4th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan .17 - Blue Valley; Feb. 7 - Joplin; Feb. 14 - Jenks; Feb. 21 - LD Bell; Mar 7 - Southlake Carroll

Broken Arrow 2025 was one of, if not the best season, in program history. Tiger Rhythm knocked off Hastings, Webb City, Keller, and Davenport North and was even leading after prelims in a close head-to-head matchup against Center Grove at Heart of America Los Angeles. After what was a very travel-heavy season in 2025, Broken Arrow has taken a step back by only attending competitions in neighboring states. Tiger Rhythm will still face tough competition at Blue Valley. Here, Broken Arrows will take on familiar foes Webb City, Neosho, and Johnston, the last of which TR fell to last season at Urbandale. Broken Arrow is historically undefeated at every comp they are attending in 2026 (not including LD Bell as it will be their first appearance), and they are not going down without a fight. - Elli Peck, Oklahoma Contributor

2025 #23 Ranked Choir: Mitchell “Friend de Coup” (1st in South Dakota)

2026 Director: Nic Caberos (2nd season)

Choreographer: Sam Mulligan (1st season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 31 - Prairie; Feb. 7 - Papillion-La Vista South; Feb. 21 - hosting; Feb. 28 - Sioux Falls O’Gorman; Mar. 7 - Sioux City East; Mar. 14 - Brownsburg

2025 proved that Mitchell was in good hands with Nic Caberos. Now 2026 will show everyone what Mitchell is like with Sam Mulligan and without Stephen Todd. Seeing Mitchell without Todd's choreography is definitely going to be different, but only time will determine if this will lead to more success for Mitchell, especially since they’re going to arguably harder competitions than last season. Facing Iowa titans like Linn-Mar and Cedar Rapids Kennedy at Prairie, impressive Nebraska groups like Gretna and Millard West at Papio South, and Indiana powerhouses Carmel and Franklin Central at Brownsburg, it’s going to be a contentious season for Mitchell. But iIf they have a successful season in 2026, tit's a great sign for more success in the years to come. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland Contributor

2025 #24 Ranked Choir: Lincoln Southwest “Resonance” (5th in Nebraska)

2026 Directors: Leighton Ware (1st season) and Samantha Costa (2nd season)

Choreographers: Ben Eklund (14th season), Melissa Eklund (1st season) and Matt Watson (1st season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Lincoln Links; Jan. 24 - Standing Bear; Jan. 31 - Lincoln East; Feb. 7 - hosting; Feb. 14 - Elkhorn South; Feb. 28 - Norris

Lincoln Southwest remained on par with Nebraska’s best during the 2025 season, not dropping below third at all. Their highlight last season was Standing Bear, where Resonance narrowly took the Grand Championship with best choreography over Gretna. The departure of Andrew Jacobson will create new opportunities for Resonance to prove themselves under the direction of Wahoo’s previous director and LSW alum Leighton Ware. Their toughest competition will likely be at Norris and Lincoln East, where they will face Millard West, Urbandale, and Pius X, who all pose a significant challenge for a Lincoln Southwest group under new direction. - Arte Reed, Nebraska Contributor  

2025 #25 Ranked Choir: Grenada “Visions” (2nd in Mississippi)

2026 Director: Jenni Winter (14th season)

Choreographer(s): Matthew Murphy (14th season) and Claire Barker (12th season)

Competition Schedule: Feb. 7 - Jackson Academy; Feb. 14 - Tupelo; Feb. 21 - Jackson Prep; Feb. 28 - Auburn; Mar. 7 - Biloxi; Mar. 20 - Show Choir Nationals

Visions finished with three grand championships last season. With that success, some may say Grenada was the third best group in the Southern circuit last year. Due to competition times and scheduling conflicts, some may also say Grenada’s results don’t accurately show how strong of a group this show choir was last year, despite the three wins. But who’s to say about past events? Grenada has a chance to get their get back this year at a handful of regional competitions stacked with top-shelf talent, and the entire South will be keeping a close eye to see what happens. A return to Show Choir Nationals can make the entire nation turn a close eye as well. - Tony Holeman, Southern Contributor