MARION, Indiana — At Indiana Wesleyan University’s Wildcat Stadium Tuesday night, Spartans achieved a rare feat in DCI history — a three-peat.
The corps from Nashua, New Hampshire captured its third-consecutive Open Class gold medal — and fourth in the past five competitive seasons — at the DCI Open Class World Championship Finals, winning by a commanding margin.
“The energy that we put on the field was showing all of the effort that we’ve been putting in an entire season,” said Spartans drum major Ana Silva. “It’s really all about the members, and it’s about each person caring for each other. We always say, take care of the person next to you, encourage the person next to you, and that’s how we become a team.”
View scores from the DCI Open Class World Championship Prelims
Since the inception of Open Class in 2008, Spartans are just the second corps to win three titles in a row.
“I think the thing I’ll remember the most about this season is how strong together our horn line was and how close we were as a family,” said Spartans tuba player Brayden Jessie. “There’s just a lot of intertwined connection, and the excitement that we get to share together when we’re done is insane.”
1. Spartans » 82.150
2. Gold » 80.875
3. The Battalion » 79.750
4. Columbians » 77.775
While Spartans stood atop Tuesday’s lineup — and swept all caption awards — several corps made their own history, including fellow medalists Gold and The Battalion.
For Gold, its second-place finish marked the corps’ sixth-consecutive season atop the podium as an Open Class medalist, with three silver medals in that span.
The Battalion set all-time bests at Tuesday’s event, earning an Open Class medal for the first time in its 11 years of operation and four years of DCI World Championship appearances. The Utah corps’ Tuesday tally paced slightly ahead of its 2024 Open Class Finals result.
“This is the first time in the corps’ history that we’ve ever been in the top three,” said Battalion drum major Nathan Steinhaus. “This is the corps’ best record ever. I think the closest we’ve come was our show yesterday, and now we’re almost at 80 points which is insane. The drive of this corps is unmatched by any group I’ve ever seen or been a part of.”
Columbians’ fourth-place finish matches the corps’ best-ever Open Class finish, the same as its final ranking in 2023. That same season, the corps earned a spot among the Top 25 at the DCI World Championship Semifinals, an event it will be aiming to return to after finishing 26th a season ago.
“Tonight’s show was amazing,” said Columbians drum major Colby Muchlinski. “I loved the energy that the corps was bringing. I loved the fact that this is what we’ve been working for, and the corps knows it, and they just brought it to its full extent, because this is what we came here to do. This was the goal of our season; our goal was Open Class Finals. Everything after this is ‘let’s just see what we can do.’”
5. River City Rhythm » 76.300
6. 7th Regiment » 74.225
7. Raiders » 73.750
River City Rhythm earned a strong ranking in its 10th-anniversary season, finishing among the Open Class top five for the first time ever. The Minnesota corps has never made the DCI World Championship Semifinals, and will be aiming to make more history when its focus shifts to Indianapolis.
“Tonight was definitely our best run for sure,” said River City Rhythm drum major Carter Grupe. “Potentially making Semifinals is very exciting. We still gotta keep pushing; we’re just gonna get back to it tomorrow and hope for another great run. Whether we make it or not, just being grateful for the show that we had this year and knowing that we had our best show and doing our best is all that matters.”
7th Regiment also took a significant step forward this season, improving its Open Class placement from ninth in 2024 to sixth in 2025 and maintaining its lead over Raiders thanks especially to strong Visual scores.
“Tonight’s show went really well; the energy was just perfect,” said 7th Regiment drum major Leo Tamura. “The corps members are all excited. The fact that we’re here and doing this is really getting their energy up and really getting them excited to be here.”
As for Raiders, 2025 marked the corps’ second-consecutive year earning seventh in Open Class. Last summer, that placement set a new all-time best for the New Jersey corps.
8. Colt Cadets » 71.050
9. Les Stentors » 68.350
Colt Cadets’ eighth-place finish marked back-to-back seasons of the corps making the top eight within the Open Class division. In ninth, Les Stentors completed the Open Class leaderboard with a final score of 68.350. The Canadian corps improved on its 2024 Open Class Finals performance when it scored 67.225.
Several Open Class corps that did not compete in Marion had successful seasons, touring in and around their home regions. Two of those corps, Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Zephyrus and Tennessee-based Memphis Blues performed as brand-new affiliate Open Class members in 2025, marking noticeable growth within the division.
On Tuesday, the former took home the “Most Improved” award, given annually to an Open Class corps as voted on by participating corps directors.
“It is an incredible achievement for all the hard work, blood sweat and tears that went into it,” said Zephyrus president and CEO Matthew Sumner. “I’m happy to take it back to Tulsa and share it with everyone there.”
Sumner not only expressed gratitude for the award, but he also noted the upward trajectory of the Oklahoma corps as it looks ahead to the 2026 season.
“What’s absolutely incredible about this is seeing the improvements not only from the members but the volunteers and the organization as a whole, so it’s very interesting coming from an idea around a kitchen table to something that’s real tangible,” Sumner said. “The journey has just been absolutely incredible, and we are grateful for it, and there’s a lot more room to expand.”
With the conclusion of Open Class competition in Marion, all nine of Tuesday’s Open Class participants will head to Indianapolis for the culminating events of the 2025 DCI Summer Tour.
Thursday at the DCI World Championship Prelims, Tuesday’s Open Class corps will square off against not only one another, but also 20 World Class corps and five International Class corps, as all 34 vie for spots in Friday’s World Championship Semifinals.
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