DAYTON, Ohio – Returning to the DCI World Championships for the first time since 2024 — and competing on Monday after a weeks-long break from the tour — Blue Devils B faced an uphill climb heading into Tuesday’s DCI Open Class World Championship Finals.
Sitting in third place after the Prelims competition, the Concord, California corps answered any lingering doubts with a commanding performance, surging to the top of the leaderboard with a winning score of 81.725
“I got chills across my whole body, and my feet went numb, and I was like, ‘Uh oh’ — like I was preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best,” Blue Devils B fifth-year trumpet player Bryce Hull said of the corps’ championship moment. “It was like a wash of relief, my whole body went numb, I couldn’t feel my fingers. We are so excited.”
Tuesday’s triumph earns Blue Devils B its sixth Open Class World Championship title — the corps’ first since 2016 — adding fresh hardware to the program’s storied legacy in Welcome Stadium’s championship debut. With Tuesday’s comeback victory, Blue Devils B became the first Open Class corps to win in Finals after trailing in Prelims since 2008.
“I can’t even describe it, It’s like a family to me, I’m beyond proud of them,” Blue Devils B drum major Mason Merritt said. “I’m beyond honored to even be in front of them every single day. I can’t wait to celebrate this with them in the next few days. There’s so much love and kindness here, and I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
1. Blue Devils B » 81.725
2. The Battalion » 81.500
3. Gold » 80.300
Just 0.25 points separated Blue Devils B and The Battalion at the top of the Open Class leaderboard; while the Utah corps earned top scores in General Effect, Blue Devils B led the way by a substantial margin in overall Visual, and held a slim lead in overall Music thanks to its caption award-winning brass and percussion scores.
For The Battalion, an Open Class silver medal is still historic; the Utah corps’ previous best finish, earned a year ago, was bronze.
“All of the work that we put in from yesterday’s performance to today really impacted our performance; it was an amazing performance,” Battalion drum major Connor McDonald said. “This is probably the best one that we’ve had yet.”
As for Gold, 2026’s third-place finish marks the corps’ seventh season in a row earning an Open Class medal — earning four bronze and three silver in that span. The southern California corps took home the caption award for Color Guard; its first time winning such honors, and its second-ever Open Class caption trophy.
“Our color guard is fantastic,” Gold executive director Kevin Valentine said. “We had a very small guard out there, only 11 on the field, but they’re well-trained and doing some great work. We’ve got a great staff doing great work for them.”
4. Memphis Blues » 77.600
5. River City Rhythm » 76.675
6. Columbians » 75.175
Memphis Blues backed up its impressive result from Monday night, capping off a debut trip to the DCI Open Class World Championship Prelims with a fourth-place finish. In doing so, the Tennessee corps became the second corps to earn fourth place or better in its debut Open Class Championship appearance since the Open Class division was formed in 2008, matching Columbians’ first-time efforts in 2023.
River City Rhythm, which matched last year’s all-time-best Open Class Finals placement, scored ahead of Memphis Blues in overall Music. In sixth, Columbians weren’t far behind, and outpaced River City Rhythm in overall Visual.
Following Tuesday’s competition in Ohio, Columbians’ focus will shift to Indianapolis, where the corps will look to return to the DCI World Championship Semifinals’ Top 25 after missing out by one placement a year ago.
“Tonight was just one of our best performances to end on,” Columbians drum major Kate Ross said. “Just knowing that we made it this far, and knowing that Indianapolis is going to be our ‘victory run’ is exciting.”
7. Colt Cadets » 73.225
8. Raiders » 72.025
9. 7th Regiment » 70.625
Colts Cadets earned a historic finish at Tuesday’s event, earning its highest ever Open Class Finals ranking and score; the previous high placement, eighth, was set in each of the last two seasons, with the previous high score, 72.050, being set in 2024.
The Dubuque, Iowa corps most notably found success in Visual captions.
“We worked really hard, we were all staying super positive and motivated, and we just pushed through,” Colt Cadets drum major Alayna Covarrubias said.
After a close competition in Open Class Prelims — the two were separated by less than half a point — Raiders opened up a sizable lead over 7th Regiment to lock up eighth place, and ranked an impressive sixth in Percussion. The New Jersey corps outscored its Connecticut counterpart by 1.2 points, while also outscoring Colt Cadets in overall Music.
7th Regiment outscored Raiders in overall Visual and ranked seventh in Color Guard.
“It has taken a lot of hard work from not only the horn line but also from the percussion section and the color guard,” Raiders drum major Olivia Young said. “It’s really great that they were able to put it all together into one big show and put all their hearts into it in the end.”
10. Les Stentors » 69.400
11. Eclipse » 67.325
12. Heat Wave » 63.950
Also making notable strides were Les Stentors making the trek south to Ohio and representing Quebec, Canada. The corps closed in on the 70-point mark, outscored 7th Regiment in General Effect and Visual Proficiency, and improved upon last season’s Open Class Finals tally by more than a point.
“They had fun, and I think that they did a really great performance,” Les Stentors corps director Maude-Emmanuelle Boisvert said. “Most of those kids don’t get the chance of traveling that much, so it’s great for them to see another country and to live the DCI experience.”
Rounding out the night’s competitive field were Eclipse and Heat Wave — the former competing in its first Open Class Finals since starting as a SoundSport team in 2023, and the latter returning for the first time in seven years. Eclipse impressed in several captions, and outscored Les Stentors in overall Music.
Representing DCI’s International Class, Tuesday night’s Finals kicked off with a special performance by the Mercedes Marching Band from Mercedes Norte, Heredia, Costa Rica. The group earned a score of 61.025 in its very first DCI performance.
“As a group we’ve always wanted to grow together and push forward,” director Pedro Hernández Rojas said. “Where better to do it than here, where we can represent our country on the international stage. We are absolutely excited to be here and it’s a dream come true for the entire ensemble.”
All 13 of Tuesday’s competitors will now head west for the DCI World Championships in Indianapolis, with appearances slated for Thursday’s DCI World Championship Prelims at Lucas Oil Stadium.
