INDIANAPOLIS — After one night of action at the DCI World Championships in Indianapolis, it’s anybody’s game atop the 2025 leaderboard.
Just 0.175 points separated the top two corps at Thursday’s DCI World Championship Prelims, as Boston Crusaders inched closer to a first-ever DCI World Championship title and narrowly edged out the defending champion Bluecoats.
“We’re just thinking about having the best three runs of our life,” Boston Crusaders drum major Wes Booker said. “We’re trying to stay as consistent as possible and keep our A-game the entire time.”
View all scores and recap from Thursday’s DCI World Championship Prelims
1. Boston Crusaders » 97.325
2. Bluecoats » 97.150
3. Santa Clara Vanguard » 95.875
4. Blue Devils » 95.588
For Boston Crusaders — who recently introduced music from the 2014 film, “Interstellar,” in their closing movement — the corps took top scores in General Effect and Total Music.
“That last ‘Interstellar’ hit was pretty special; that run was the first time we ever got to perform that hit in a dome, and it hits a little bit differently here,” Booker said. “I could feel the crowd behind me, which was pretty special to hear.
Bluecoats, though, remained neck-and-neck with the leaders, posting the top numbers in overall Visual.
“The crowd’s so electric, and I feel it behind me, and that revamps everything that we do, and it was absolutely amazing,” said Bluecoats drum major Tony Gamez. “The corps is going to stick to our guns, trust the vibe, trust the energy, and I know we’re gonna have a great run.”
Santa Clara Vanguard and Blue Devils — who haven’t competed since a July 19 San Antonio event that saw Vanguard defeat its fellow northern California corps for the first time since 2019 — were separated by 0.287 points in the former’s favor Thursday night.
While Blue Devils scored ahead in General Effect, Vanguard shined in the Visual captions and held a slim lead in Total Music, as the two corps continue to vie for 2025 medalist positions.
5. Carolina Crown » 94.638
6. Phantom Regiment » 93.650
7. Mandarins » 92.450
Carolina Crown and Phantom Regiment continued an exciting race for the last spot in the top five corps after Thursday night, with Mandarins not far behind as the corps jostle for positions amongst top competitors.
The Fort Mill, South Carolina corps expanded its 0.075-point lead over Phantom Regiment, tallied August 4 in Canton, Ohio, to a commanding 0.988-point margin on Thursday. Crown also scored an impressive first place in Music Analysis.
“I have nothing; that was a perfect run,” said Carolina Crown drum major Mark Troy. “Nothing stuck out, I have no complaints. I think that was the best thing we could’ve had for Prelims. Lucas Oil Stadium is the capital of band. Being on this field, being in front of this crowd, being in this dome, this is the best thing anyone can ask for.”
Though Carolina Crown did have the overall upper hand against Phantom Regiment, the Rockford, Illinois did pass Crown in the Visual Analysis caption. Not far behind, Mandarins matched its seventh-place status from 2024’s Prelims competition and was also able to outscore Crown in Visual Analysis.
8. The Cavaliers » 91.163
9. Blue Stars » 90.488
10. Troopers » 90.325
The Cavaliers, who ranked 11th last season, are in position to be one of the summer’s most improved corps in terms of final placement after taking eighth Thursday night. With Music scores as a standout highlight, the Rosemont, Illinois corps earned a lead over Blue Stars; the largest since mid-July, at 0.675 points.
“That run was exactly what we wanted on night one,” said Cavaliers drum major Will Colavitti. “The guys are on a mission, and they accomplished that mission tonight, and there’s no doubt in my mind they will continue to do that over these next two days. They didn’t have any fear about playing in this dome.
Blue Stars maintained a tight lead ahead of Troopers, outscoring the Wyoming corps by just 0.163 points thanks in large part to a noticeable advantage in the Visual captions. Troopers, though, who will have the opportunity to earn their third Top 10 finish in a row, ranked ahead of Blue Stars in both General Effect and Total Music.
Troopers’ push to the finish has been energized by continued additions to the storyline of their production, “The Final Sunset.” On Thursday, fans witnessed one of these additions, as they saw the show’s main “Trooper” character get smited by a devil figure as a cellist played in the background.
“As many people know, this is the final chapter to what the Troopers have been building up to,” said Troopers drum major Simon Beltran. “Halfway through the show, the Trooper has to come to terms with his past, we see the cello show up again, but the Trooper also has to come to terms with all the things he did. We see the devil show up again, and it’s a way of saying, ‘He did all this, and now his legacy lives on, and we remember it.”
11. Colts » 88.038
12. Blue Knights » 87.600
13. Spirit of Atlanta » 86.625
14. Madison Scouts » 85.550
15. Pacific Crest » 83.863
Colts and Blue Knights have spent plenty of time going back and forth this season; the Iowa corps gained a small advantage of 0.438 points with slim leads in all three main scoring captions. Blue Knights, who are looking to return to the Top 12 for the first time since 2023, finished ahead of Colts in percussion and Visual Analysis.
Spirit of Atlanta landed just over a point outside of the coveted Top 12, and outscored both Colts and Blue Knights in Total Music. The Georgia corps, which hasn’t appeared in the DCI World Championship Finals since 2013, also kept a decent amount of breathing room ahead of the 14th-place Madison Scouts.
“The goal is to try and close the gap that is between us and 12th place,” said Spirit of Atlanta drum major Peyton Brillhart. “Making Finals would be the next step into Spirit entering that next neighborhood where I truly think that they deserve to be, where they can show everyone who’s in the stadium here on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday what they have to offer and what they have yet to bring, and what they can achieve with the standard we uphold.”
Following closely behind Spirit of Atlanta was Madison Scouts, who scored 85.550 and ranked ahead of Spirit in the Visual captions. Rounding out the Top 15, Pacific Crest outscored both Spirit and Scouts in Total Visual.
“Today’s show was a great representation of where we are,” said Pacific Crest drum major Justine Nava. “I’m so proud of the corps members, they really put all of themselves into it, and I think we couldn’t have had a better run.”
16. Music City » 83.050
17. The Academy » 82.550
18. Crossmen » 82.500
19. Spartans » 81.725
20. Gold » 79.975
Music City, The Academy and Crossmen provided one of the closer three-way races of the day, with Music City pacing ahead by about half a point, buoyed by strong scores in General Effect. The Academy outscored Music City in Total Music, and edged ahead of Crossmen by just 0.05 points despite scoring behind the San Antonio, Texas corps.
“The first word that comes to mind about our run today is ‘spectacular,’” said Academy drum major Sammy Rodriguez. “The air in Lucas Oil always sparkles with drum corps. Somebody on the bus today described it as a ‘cathedral’ of marching music, and I totally agree with that. Hearing the stadium resonate with our sound and pure energy is one of the greatest feelings on Earth.”
Fresh off of their third consecutive Open Class gold medal, Spartans took 19th place Thursday, not far off from the likes of Crossmen, Music City, and The Academy; in total, less than 1.5 points separated the four corps. The New Hampshire corps, impressively, ranked 16th in Color Guard.
Gold landed inside the Top 20 at Thursday’s Prelims — a season-ending feat the corps accomplished in 2022 and 2023 — and gained solid breathing room ahead of the rest of the pack thanks especially to its General Effect scores.
21. The Battalion » 78.500
22. Genesis » 78.075
23. Seattle Cascades » 77.500
24. The Stampede » 76.750
25. Columbians » 74.750
26. River City Rhythm » 73.700
After earning its first ever Open Class bronze medal Tuesday night in Marion, Indiana, The Battalion impressed at Thursday’s Prelims, ranking 21st and outscoring multiple World Class corps.
Should the Utah corps maintain its placement, it would shatter its previous all-time best — last year’s 24th-place finish.
“Being able to perform in Lucas Oil again, and especially for all the rookies having this as a first-time experience for them all, is absolutely wonderful,” said Battalion drum major Linda Segura. “The energy was passion, love, and also a sense of fire within it.”
As for Seattle Cascades, the corps earned 23rd place in Prelims and scored ahead of The Battalion in Music Analysis. A 23rd-place season-ending finish would match the corps’ ranking from 2024.
“The run went absolutely amazing; the ballad was beautiful,” said Seattle Cascades drum major Zoe Arambul. “I was nervous performing in Lucas Oil, but it was amazing. The energy of the corps was also amazing tonight.”
In its last trip to Indianapolis, The Stampede fell short of a Semifinals bid by just 0.675 points. This year, the ensemble left no doubt, ranking 24th and scoring more than three points ahead of the Semifinals cut-off.
“I’ve never been happier with a run, and I think our members should really be proud of ourselves,” said Stampede drum major Ariel Frank. “Performing in Lucas Oil was insane; I’ve never been in a venue this big, let alone performed in one. It’s so cool to have this many people watch us do something we love.”
For Columbians and River City Rhythm both corps made historic performances and punched their tickets to Friday’s Semifinals competition. In 25th place, Columbians will return to Semifinals after just missing out on the event in 2024.
“Today was one of the best runs we’ve ever had; I love how the corps came together to make such an amazing product like that today,” said Columbians drum major Colby Muchlinski. “Coming here to the stadium, it feels like home, and I can feel it when I’m in front of the corps.”
As for River City Rhythm, due to a rule that stipulates an International Class ensemble cannot push a World or Open Class corps out of Semifinals competition, the Minnesota corps will make its first-ever Semifinals appearance on Friday.
27. 7th Regiment » 72.375
28. Raiders » 72.200
29. Colt Cadets » 70.550
30. Les Stentors » 67.375
7th Regiment arguably had one of the most improved seasons in 2025 compared to 2024, as the Connecticut corps jumped three slots from 30th place at 2024’s Prelims to 27th at 2025’s event. The corps’ tally of 72.375 marked its highest DCI World Championship Prelims score since the event moved to Indianapolis in 2009.
“Our performance went really well; being on the podium when the corps is performing is the best feeling ever,” said 7th Regiment drum major Leo Tamura. “Even when we were walking in the tunnels, to be there with the corps is just an amazing feeling.”
The Princeton, New Jersey-based Raiders also had a strong showing at Thursday’s Prelims. The corps improved its 2024 Prelims score (71.300) by nearly a full point and matched its highest-ever Prelims placement.
“I am so proud of everything that the corps members have been putting in; tonight’s run was absolutely amazing,” said Raiders drum major Mary Lopez. “Lucas Oil Stadium, especially, is a different environment compared to the outside shows we’ve been doing, and just to be able to march on this field with all the DCI drum corps is truly an honor.”
Colt Cadets finished its season in 29th place on Thursday, which matched the corps’ 2024 Prelims placement. The connection between the members of the Dubuque, Iowa corps has created an environment for growth as the corps heads into the 2026 season.
“Our member base is mainly younger, so it’s really great that we all get to come out and perform together on such a large field with such a large audience,” said Colt Cadets drum major Isabella Ortellado. “I don’t think I’ve been in a corps that has been such a family. The corps was one of the most well-connected groups that I’ve ever been in, and I’m so excited for what they do this year, next year and in the future.”
Canadian corps Les Stentors – outdoing its 2024 score of 66.075 by 1.3 points – rounded out the top 30 on Thursday.
31. Calgary Stetson Show Band » 66.125
32. Beijing 57 High School » 65.500
33. Calgary Round-Up Band » 62.000
34. High School Affiliated to BIT » 61.750
A handful of international groups – including two Beijing, China marching bands and two groups from Calgary, Alberta – finished out Thursday’s leaderboard. The ensembles’ performances marked the first time they have ever competed in Indianapolis during DCI World Championships Week.
Competitively, less than a point separated Calgary Stetson Show Band and Beijing 57 High School, while less than half a point separated Calgary Round-Up Band and High School Affiliated to BIT.
“We put a lot of work and effort into this entire season, and I’m really glad that it shined through in everyone’s performance on the field today,” said Stetson drum major Nicol Liu. “Performing at Lucas Oil Stadium was awesome.”
While Thursday marks the conclusion of both Chinese bands’ run of Indiana performances, all three Canadian ensembles will participate in Saturday’s SoundSport International Music & Food Festival presented by Jazz Wealth.
As for the Top 25 from Thursday, they’ll prepare for performances at Friday’s DCI World Championship Semifinals, set to begin at 1:30 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium.
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