Same Faces, New Placements: Ohio Show Choir Rankings (2/7/26)

By Michael McHargh, Ohio contributor

Four regional experts were surveyed on 20 of Ohio's top show choirs. The results, plus some news and notes, are included below.

Large Mixed

1. Marysville “Swingers Unlimited” (2 first-place votes, no change from last week) 

2. Solon “Music In Motion” (2 first-place votes, NC)

3. Loveland “By Request” (NC)

4. Fairfield “Choraliers” (NC)

5. Olentangy “Keynotes” (+3)

6. Grove City “Touch of Class” (-1)

7. Piqua “The Company” (-1)

8. Findlay “First Edition” (-1)

9. ETC “The All Americans” (NC)

10. Beavercreek “Friends” (NC)

    Receiving Votes: None.

News and Notes

• It's yet another week on top for Marysville after sweeping a smaller-than-expected field at Twinsburg this weekend. Solon continues, trailing not far behind.

• Olentangy makes a significant jump after claiming their first overall Grand Championship since 2022, beating Grove City and claiming both major captions. 

Small Mixed

1. North Royalton “Royal Harmony” (3 first-place votes, +1)

2. Euclid “Varsity Chorale” (1 first-place vote, +1)

3. Ross “Legacy” (+1)

4. Garfield Heights “Music Express” (-1)

5. Twinsburg “Great Expectations” (NC)

6. Edgewood “Choraliers” (-5)

7. Kenton “Top Twenty” (NC)

8. Alliance “Jet Setters” (NC)

9. Teays Valley “Prominent Rendition” (NC)

10. Medina “Encore Entertainment Company” (NC)

Receiving Votes: Hamilton “Prestige”

News and Notes:

• North Royalton snags the top spot, despite not competing on Feb. 7.

• Edgewood takes a sharp dive after missing finals at Walsh Jesuit, while Euclid garners a first-place vote after winning at Walsh.

• Most other placements remain the same.

Single-Gender

1. Fairfield “Choraliers” (2 first-place votes, +1)

2. Marysville “Swingers Select” (1 first-place vote, +1)

3. Loveland “Allure” (NC)

4. Grove City “Class Act” (1 first-place vote, -3)

5. ETC “Rouge” (NC)

Receiving votes: Olentangy “She-Notes”

News and Notes

• There are major changes after Grove City took a tough loss at Marion Harding, knocking them out of the top three. Fairfield jumps to claim the top spot with Marysville just behind them. Olentangy’s recent success is enough to earn a few votes but not enough to enter the five ranked groups.

Looking Ahead

This weekend appears to be yet another big weekend with four competitions featuring Ohio choirs. Loveland and Medina merit their own preview article, but Homestead and Hurricane offer some smaller intriguing storylines.

Homestead Classic Showcase (Fort Wayne, Ind.)

Edgewood, ETC, North Royalton and Ross will head to Homestead to battle a very dense  field of some of Indiana’s best choirs. Edgewood and ETC will compete in the Large Mixed division that will take only three out of the six choirs into finals. They will be facing groups like Fishers, Huntington North, and Lafayette Jefferson, so making finals won’t be easy.

In the small mixed division, North Royalton and Ross will battle with 10 other choirs from Indiana and West Virginia. The small mixed division will take six finalists, so both ensembles have a good chance of advancing to the evening round.

In the large womens division, ETC Rouge will be one of six choirs vying for top placements in the division, which will take three finalists. Of the choirs attending, the biggest threat to Rouge would be Fishers Sound, which hails from an Indianapolis womens circuit that is arguably the best in the country. 

Hurricane Red Hot Championship (Hurricane, W. Va.)

Four Ohio schools will head to east to West Virginia to face a handful of West Virginia’s top choirs. The large mixed division will feature Grove City and Marion Harding, who saw each other last weekend at Marion Harding’s home event. After a switch from first place in prelims to a second place finish last weekend, Grove City will be looking to win, if not sweep, this competition. Marion Harding has had a tougher run this season, losing to a few powerhouse small mixed choirs, so they will be looking to secure a podium spot this weekend.

The only choir in the medium mixed division is St. Clairsville, who is very familiar to the West Virginia scene. They’ve made finals at their first two competitions this season, so they will be looking to continue that streak here. 

In the small mixed division, Central Crossing will take their first swing at an out-of-state competition since 2006. After not receiving a placement at North Royalton, they will be looking to change that narrative here and snag a finals spot as well.

The single-gender division features Grove City, Marion Harding, and two other schools from West Virginia that only have womens choirs. Grove City Class Act made finals here last season and placed third overall so it is safe to assume they will be looking to have a similar storyline here this week. Marion Harding Singers Xtreme has yet to compete against any other single-gender choir this season, so this will be a good gauge for the rest of the season for them.