Winner’s Circle, 2/28/26: Blair, Herbert Hoover, Quincy, Warrensburg and Millard North Make an Even 500
- 23 minutes ago
- 8 min read
By William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief
Winning isn’t everything, but it certainly is something. Here’s a look at who took overall Grand Championships this past weekend, and what it means in historical context.
Disclaimer: Win totals are sourced from showchoir.com. Only overall event grand champions are listed. Not every show choir competition is documented online, and as such, all win totals should be considered unofficial. To view a full spreadsheet of data, click here.
Alabama
Auburn: Homewood The Network claimed a full southern sweep (vocals/choreo/overall effect) over Oak Mountain and Grenada at the Showdown. Homewood has now won two consecutive Showdowns and numbers seven wins overall at the event, with a 2024 Oak Mountain win and a 2021 Enterprise win standing as the only non-Network triumph at the event.
California
Esperanza: Burbank In Sync rode its vocal prowess to the win at Spectacular, taking musicianship over Los Alamitos Sound FX. It was Burbank’s first win of the season, pushing their win streak to 18 regular seasons. In Sync is the first repeat winner in Esperanza’s four-year competition history, with Glendora and John Burroughs chipping in one each.
Illinois
Mt. Zion: Center Grove Sound System appeared at the Midwest Invitational for the first time since 1998 and took vocals and choreo over Carroll and Wheaton North to win. CG’s win streak now sits at 18 consecutive competitions from Mar. 4, 2023 onwards. Sound System’s 17 wins at Illinois competitions are most among all out-of-state groups, besting Clinton (10).
Sullivan: In the first Sullivan Show Choir Invitational held since 2023, Zionsville Royalaires took a clean sweep to win over Wheaton Warrenville South. Zionsville got back in the win column after a winless 2025 season, bumping up to 38 recorded wins. The win was Zionsville’s first Illinois triumph in nearly a quarter-century, as Royalaires last won the Mundelein Invitational in 2002.
Indiana
Franklin Central: Carmel Ambassadors outpaced Fishers, Brownsburg and Plainfield to win the Hoosier Show Choir Classic with vocals and choreography. The win was Carmel’s sixth consecutive, as Ambassadors have not lost since Franklin Central one year ago. This was Carmel’s third win at FC, coming after back-to-back wins in 2022 and 2023.
Huntington North: Noblesville NHS Singers won both Best Vocals and Best Choreography to win the Midwest Showcase over Homestead and Northrop. The win was Noblesville’s first since this event two years ago and is their 14th all-time. NHS Singers has joined Center Grove, Homestead, Carroll, Carmel and DeKalb as multi-time winners at Huntington North.
Lafayette Jefferson: North Central Counterpoints claimed a sweep win at the Xtreme Show Choir Showdown over Columbus North and Lawrence North. The win was NC’s first at Xtreme, becoming the seventh different winner in event history. Counterpoints have now won at 13 different competitions, with Lafayette Jefferson and Southmont joining the list this season.
Mooresville: Avon Accents outran Castle and New Palestine to win the Spotlighter Invitational. Accents have now won the event four consecutive years and have five wins total at Mooresville, one behind North Central for most in event history. Avon now tallies 16 wins in Indiana, tied with Homestead and Loveland for 12th among all groups.
Iowa
Bishop Heelan: Ankeny Visual Adrenaline swept Sioux City East and Sioux Center for the Crusader Classic win. VA finished the season with two wins, their fifth straight multi-win season dating back to 2022. Ankeny has now won 19 different show choir competitions, totaling 37 wins. That’s tied with Cedar Rapids Kennedy, North Central and Totino-Grace for 35th on the all-time list.
Central Lee: Quincy Electric Blue took Best Vocals over Ottumwa and Mt. Pleasant (the Best Choreography winner) to triumph at the Central Connections Invitational. It is Electric Blue’s first grand championship. Quincy joins Mt. Pleasant, Keokuk, Holy Trinity, Pella, Benton, El Paso-Gridley, Onalaska and Ottumwa as winners at Central Lee.
Davenport West: Davenport North Northside Establishment won Westside Showdown with two captions over Waubonsie Valley and Oswego. NSE has now won three competitions this season, the most in recorded history. Davenport North now numbers 20 all-time wins, tied for 71st with Auburn, Cabell Midland, Iowa City and Prairie.
Liberty: Linn-Mar 10th Street Edition swept Ankeny Centennial and Waukee to win at Storm the Stage. 10SE is the only winner in the event’s two-year history. Linn-Mar’s win streak now sits at 22 consecutive competitions, including five undefeated seasons after the pandemic. They end 2026 with 51 recorded wins, currently tied with Carmel, Hastings and Johnston for 16th all-time.
Marion: Valley Choralation executed a clean sweep for the victory at Masquerade, beating Gretna East and De Pere. It was Choralation’s second consecutive win at Masquerade. The program has now won multiple competitions in back-to-back seasons, the first time in history that’s happened. Valley sits at 17 all-time wins, tied for 82nd on the all-time list.
Southeast Polk: Johnston Innovation swept Waukee Northwest and Elkhorn North to win at the Rhythm and Music Showcase. It was Inno’s fifth consecutive win at the RAM Showcase, as Johnston has turned back all challengers since the pandemic. Johnston finishes 2026 with three wins on the year, the third straight season it has tallied a trio of wins.
Western Dubuque: Davenport Central Central Singers Inc. grabbed six total captions alongside the win at The Main Event, clearing Onalaska and Mundelein. It is CSI’s sixth consecutive win at the event, dating back to 2020. Davenport Central now has 24.5 wins in the state of Iowa, passing Waukee for seventh in recorded history.
Massachusetts
Somerset Berkley: Daniel Hand VIBE sang their way to victory at the Classic, taking vocals over Waltham and Andover. Daniel Hand now has two consecutive wins at Somerset Berkley and has three wins so far this season, remaining undefeated in New England. VIBE now counts 41 recorded wins, tied with Waubonsie Valley for 28th all-time.
Mississippi
Oak Grove: West Jones Imagination took Best Visuals and Best Show Design to win the Magnolia Invitational over Brandon and Northwest Rankin. The win was Imagination’s second consecutive at the event and their third this season, the most they’ve ever recorded. West Jones counts 13 overall wins, seven of which have come in the last three seasons.
Missouri
Carthage: Warrensburg Soundwave hadn’t placed all year but swept Mt. Vernon and Nevada to take the triumph at Soundfest. The win was Warrensburg’s first in recorded history and comes in the sixth season of director Chad Ray’s tenure. Warrensburg is the 18th different Missouri school to record a win at a show choir competition and is the sixth different recorded winner at Carthage.
Hollister: Lexington Southern Accents took Best Vocals and won the Invitational over Cole Camp and Green Ridge. Lexington has now won at Hollister three years in a row, remaining the only winner in the event’s history. Southern Accents’ three wins all-time are third in recorded annals behind Broken Arrow and Jenks.
Platte County: Webb City Singers rallied from second in prelims to first in finals, taking a vocals/choreo win over Rock Bridge and Smith-Cotton. The win is Webb City’s first of the season, extending their winning streak to four seasons. Director Melinda Benham will retire with 12 recorded wins in Webb City’s show choir history.
National
Heart of America Nashville: Tupelo Synergy opted out of the womens division and into the mixed division and triumphed over Hastings and Jenks. The win was Synergy’s second of the season in three attempts and their first victory at a national event. Tupelo’s four wins as a program are tied with 18 other programs, among them fellow Mississippi outfit Northwest Rankin.
Nebraska
Bellevue East: Blair Ovation took a split-caption decision over Dallas Center-Grimes and Wahoo en route to the win at the inaugural Battle of the East. The win was Ovation’s first in recorded history and comes in the midst of a seven-competition finals streak. Blair joins fellow Nebraska high school one-time winners Beatrice, Bellevue East, Columbus, Gering, Kearney, Lincoln Southeast, Scottsbluff and Wahoo.
Grand Island: Gretna Revolution took six total captions for the victory at the Islander Invitational over Hastings and Grand Island Northwest. The win was Gretna’s third at Grand Island following triumphs in 2017 and 2024. Revolution now has four consecutive multiple-win seasons dating back to 2023, encompassing 12 of the program’s 19.5 wins during that span.
Norris: Urbandale Studio dispatched Millard West and Lincoln Southwest, picking up a two-caption win at Fields of Talent. This was Urbandale’s fifth win in Nebraska, following triumphs at Gretna in 2014, Millard West in 2016, UNL in 2019, and Omaha North in 2023. Studio concludes its 2026 campaign with 53.5 recorded wins, good for 15th on the all-time list.
Omaha Westside: Millard North Middle School Stampede won Westside’s middle school-only competition Battle of the Show Choirs. It is Stampede’s first overall event win (they have won the middle school division at events that have included high school groups). Millard North is the fifth different winner of Battle of the Show Choirs, joining Beadle, Russell, Elkhorn North Ridge and Liberty.
Ohio
Alliance: Euclid Varsity Chorale repeated as champions of the Royal Aviation Competition, taking Best Vocals and Best Choreography ahead of Scranton and North Royalton. VC now has two wins this season and five across the past two seasons, tied with Gretna East and La Crosse for most among programs with no wins prior to the 2025 season.
Grove City: Hurricane Red Hot took all three major captions over Shepherd Hill and Lebanon to win Voices in the Grove. Red Hot now has two consecutive wins at Grove City and three in the last four years, tying ETC, Garfield Heights and Teays Valley for most wins all-time at the event. Securing their second win of 2026 means Red Hot now has six consecutive multi-win seasons.
Ross: Marysville Swingers Unlimited claimed Best Choreography and won the Legacy Championship over Solon and Fairfield. The win was Marysville’s second consecutive win at Ross, joining Loveland as the only multi-time winners in event history. Marysville now tallies 67 recorded grand championships, tied with John Burroughs for eighth on the all-time list.
Teays Valley: Piqua The Company beat the Olentangy Keynotes in a split-caption decision to emerge victorious at the Classic. It is Piqua’s first win at TV, becoming the 16th different winner in 26 recorded editions of the Classic. The Company now counts 29 recorded wins, ninth among Ohio programs and tied for 47th on the all-time list with Millard West and Waconia.
South Dakota
Sioux Falls O’Gorman: Bloomington Kennedy Rhythm in Gold captured a sweep over Elkhorn South and Mitchell to win Standing O. RIG has now won the event two of the three years it has happened. Kennedy has racked up four wins this season, tying 2016 (wins at Altoona, Waconia, Emmetsburg and Sioux Falls Washington) for most in program history.
Vermillion: Bloomington Jefferson snagged Best Choreography and the win at the Rhythm in Red Invitational over Millard South and Sioux Falls Jefferson. Both Bloomingtons have won on the same day twice in the 2026 season, having previously done so on Jan. 24. Jefferson broke into the top 100 in the all-time list (tied for 95th with 15) and secured its first multi-win season since a three-win 2010 campaign.
Tennessee
Donelson Christian: Enterprise Encores swept from the middle mixed division in the no-finals Music City Show Choir Invitational, outscoring Bradley Central and Appling County. The win is Enterprise’s first since 2021, and their first “regular season” win since 2015. The win was an emotional one, coming on the weekend of the 19th anniversary of a devastating 2007 tornado that hit Enterprise High School and claimed the lives of multiple Encores members.
Texas
Keller Central: In the only Texas competition this year without an Oklahoma group in attendance, Keller Blue Lights swept Fossil Ridge, Timber Creek and L.D. Bell to win Lone Star. The win is Blue Lights’ second consecutive at Keller Central and their first of the season, establishing a three-season win streak. Keller’s seven wins at Texas competitions is tied with Broken Arrow for second-most all-time.
Virginia
Hanover & Mechanicsville: Cosby Spotlight took a full sweep over Midlothian, Manchester and Kecoughtan en route to the win at Festival of Choirs. The win was Cosby’s eighth at Festival of Choirs, most of all winners in event history. Spotlight now sits at 27 recorded wins, tied with Ankeny Centennial and Buffalo Grove for 51st on the all-time list.
West Virginia
Cabell Midland: Herbert Hoover High Impact cleared Clover Hill and Poca to win at the Rhythm in Red Invitational. It was HH’s first recorded grand championship, captured with a “Tell-Tale Heart” show. Based off tentative awards announcement times, Hoover was the last of this week’s five new winners, making them unofficially the 500th recorded event grand champion in show choir history.