Top Indy groups take on Southern Powerhouse at Best of the Midwest
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Will Kaiser, Indiana contributor
This week marks one of the biggest comps in Indiana this year, with CG Best of the Midwest bringing in some of the best groups within the metro and from out of state. A one-and-done format allows the competition to end at a more reasonable hour than many weekends on the calendar. The competition in the large divisions offers groups ranked by Homeroom show choir, and it could be one of the marquee single-gender competitions of the year. Let's take a look at all the major storylines going into this weekend.Â
Large Mixed
Oak Mountain "Singers" (3rd-Ranked Southern Group), North Central "Counterpoints" (3rd-Ranked Indiana Group), Fishers "Electrum" (8th-Ranked Indiana Group), Franklin Central "FC Singers" (5th Ranked Indiana Group)
This division will provide answers to what has been an exciting and tumultuous start to the season in Indianapolis. Oak Mountain will provide a litmus test for how some of these Indy groups will fare nationally Singers took a strong second with Best Overall Effect to Clinton Attache (Clinton's first major caption loss since 2020). If Oak Mountain takes a high placement here, they will cement their national standing after a strong season last year.
North Central, who will perform second, has flown up the Indiana rankings over the last two weeks and hopes to use its improved vocals to get a statement grand championship, proving their grand championship at Southmont and first runner up at Plainfield are no fluke.
Fishers, who will perform second, looks to improve upon last week's results, in which they placed second behind a vocally dominant Lafayette Jefferson group that also took best vocals from Franklin Central this year. Electrum is one of the best dancing groups around and has shown the ability to grow week in and week out, so expect them to come out strong at this competition, ready to prove they are one of the best Indy has to offer.
Franklin Central will cap off the night, looking to stake their claim on this competition after winning this division the past two years. Last week, FC Singers placed first runner up behind Carmel at a very difficult national competition in Chesterton. They have been dominant in the visuals category over the past two seasons, which may lead them to their second grand championship of the season and prove they deserve a top four ranking in the state.
Large Treble
North Central "Descants" (4th-Ranked Indiana Group), Fishers "Sound" (2nd-Ranked Indiana Group), Franklin Central "High Voltage" (6th-Ranked Indiana Group), Oak Mountain "Muses"
This Lineup could be an early contender for the Univoice competition of the year. Leading off are the North Central Descants, fresh off their first Indy win since 2019. They are followed by Fishers Sound, a group that has proved they can be the best in Indy year in and year out. They have started the season with a resounding win at Homestead and look to be in top form going into this competition.
FC High Voltage is coming off a strong performance at Chesterton, where they placed second behind the 2nd-ranked Carmel Accents. They will be extremely competitive at this competition and took the choreography caption off Sound here last year, so watch out for them at the end of the night.
To close out this division, Oak Mountain Muses from Alabama will take on the Indy circuit and hope to make the impact their southern compatriots, Tupelo Synergy could not at FC last year. They will close out what is sure to be a top-tier Univoice division
Small Mixed
Greenfield "Legacy", New Palestine "Crimson Heat", Shelbyville "Synergy, Winfield (WV) "General Admission", Roncalli "Royal Rhapsody" (1st-Ranked Indiana small mixed group), Batesville "Singers", Franklin Central "Encores"
First-ranked Roncalli returns, looking to win its third competition of the year against several Indiana groups. They will rematch with New Palestine, whom they defeated last weekend at Plainfield in a split caption decision. Crimson Heat has been the closest so far to knocking off Royal Rhapsody, who has been undefeated in the small mixed division the past two seasons. This field is wide open, especially with a strong West Virginia Winfield coming in with two overall second-place finishes this season. With so many high quality groups at this competition, many are in the running for placements by the end of the night.
Small Univoice
New Palestine "Diamond Sensations", North Central "Accents", Fishers "Accents", Franklin Central "Flight", Winfield (WV) "Emerald Elegance", Cathedral "Irish Adrenaline" | (2nd-Ranked Small Womens group)
In the small womens division, three prep groups will take on three small mixed groups, which opens up the morning. Cathedral Irish Adrenaline, who won this competition the past two years, will compete for the fourth time and look for its second win in of the season. They will have to contend with a powerful force in Winfield Emerald Elegance, who has taken two overall grand championships, defeating their mixed group in two straight combined finals. Diamond Sensations placed second in their debut last week at Plainfield, placing just behind Cathedral. Fishers, North Central, and Franklin Central will debut their prep-univoice groups this week, offering insight into the programs' futures.