Several Iowa Choirs Start on the Right Foot at Waukee Starstruck
- Ava Sammons
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
By Ava Sammons, Iowa contributor
Waukee Starstruck 2026 hosted choirs from four different states in one of this weekend’s biggest competition lineups for the state. The snow managed to hold off for Waukee this year, a competition aptly nicknamed “snowstruck” on more than one occasion. Fans still had to brave the cold, but choirs managed to bring the heat to Waukee High School’s gym. With all but two programs stepping on the competition stage for the first time this season, it was near impossible to predict what storylines would unfold. Four of Starstruck 2025’s finalists returned for another shot at one of Iowa show choir’s biggest stages, all with the hopes of coming out on top.
Overall Results
GC: Ankeny Centennial “Spectrum” (BV/BC)
1RU: Valley “Choralation” (BB)
2RU: Ankeny Centennial “Vortex”
3RU: Sioux Falls Jefferson “Legacy”
4RU: Southeast Polk “RAMification”
5RU: Norris “Gold”
At a competition of this size, it’s rare for a school to have two choirs make it into finals, let alone having two choirs make their way to the top three. Ankeny Centennial Spectrum came out on top of the podium for the year second a row, grabbing both major captions. Centennial’s newest group jumped up two placements from their first competition in Sioux Falls. Vortex continues to make a name for themselves against top mixed groups throughout the Midwest, and their performance at Waukee has further proven that they deserve to be part of the conversation for Iowa’s strongest choirs.
Sandwiched in between Ankeny Centennial’s groups, Valley Choralation landed in the second place spot with their “Where The Wild Things Are” set. Choralation definitely put their best foot forward at their first competition of the season; time will tell whether this placement is indicative of their success the rest of the season. Sioux Falls Jefferson made the trip to central Iowa for the first time in two years and were able to hold their own against a plethora of strong Iowa groups. Also stepping out on competition stage for the first time this season, local choir RAMification and traveler choir Norris gave solid early-season performances, landing them a spot in the top six at a highly competitive event.
Dallas Center-Grimes, a week off placing sixth at Des Moines Christian, did not make the finals round at Starstruck. Maryville Spectrum, competing for the first time after hosting last weekend, also did not advance.
Womens Division
1st: Southeast Polk “Vocal Gold”
2nd: Valley “Amplification”
3rd: Norris “Titanaires”
Prep Division
1st: Valley “Ignition”
2nd: Ankeny Centennial “Eternal Rush”
3rd: Norris “68th Street Singers”
Choirs in Waukee’s womens and prep divisions also put their best foot forward despite being in notably smaller competition field than their varsity counterparts. Southeast Polk Vocal Gold has started making a name for themselves in the single-gender scene over the past couple of seasons; with this early-season win, this season is looking bright for them. Valley Ignition won the prep division for the second year in a row at this competition, also starting off the year on the right foot.