INDIANAPOLIS – For Boston Crusaders, every last bit of 85 years was worth the wait.
One of the oldest active World Class corps, originated in 1940 and a founding member of Drum Corps International, took 27 years since the genesis of DCI to reach its first Top 12 appearance — a ninth place finish in 1999. 23 years after that, the corps earned a medal for the first time.
And in 2025, for the first time, its medal is golden.
“Winning this World Championship is surreal,” said Boston Crusaders executive director Chris Holland. “For the performers who made this happen, this is all about them. We’re a proud organization with 85 years of history, but that 85 years is about creating an experience for them. What they did this summer, what they did in Indianapolis, is pretty incredible.”
View scores from the DCI World Championship Finals
The Massachusetts corps began its recent rise into championship contention in the late 2010s, turning 2016’s 12th-place finisher into 2017’s sixth-place stunner. By the 2020s, Boston Crusaders were right in the thick of the title conversation, earning a 2022 silver medal.
But the wait wasn’t over — not until August 9, 2025. Two more years of “close, but not close enough,” finally came to an end Saturday night at the DCI World Championship Finals, as Boston Crusaders stood atop the drum corps world — a DCI World Champion more than five decades in the making.
“I’m unbelievably happy; this is one of the greatest moments of my life, and I couldn’t be more grateful,” said Boston Crusaders drum major Wes Booker. “When we started the season in Vermont, we had no idea what the season would come to. We’ve had this fire under us, and it was so much fun to perform, practice, and really love each other as a group. This was one of the most memorable summers of my life.”
1. Boston Crusaders » 98.425
2. Bluecoats » 98.250
3. Santa Clara Vanguard » 96.700
Boston Crusaders earned caption awards for Color Guard, Percussion and Brass at Saturday’s Finals.
In second place was Bluecoats, which earned caption awards for General Effect and Visual Saturday night. The Canton, Ohio corps, finished within just 0.175 points of the top of the standings, and earned its fifth top-two finish in the last six seasons.
“There’s so much that goes into these shows,” Bluecoats drum major Tony Gamez said. “It’s so amazing that the Bluecoats organization has gotten this far, to where it has come, since its inception in 1972.”
Following Bluecoats was Santa Clara Vanguard, which posted a 96.700-point outing. The California corps impressed in General Effect en route to a bronze-medal finish – three spots higher than its final 2024 placement – for 2025.
“This corps has such a maturity about everything that they do,” said Santa Clara Vanguard drum major Megan Conlan. “I feel so grateful to be able to lead a group of people who care that much about the activity, the show that we’re putting on every single day, and about each other.”
4. Blue Devils » 95.788
5. Carolina Crown » 94.800
6. Phantom Regiment » 94.300
7. Mandarins » 92.825
Blue Devils completed the 2025 season in fourth place; the corps has landed among the top five every season since 1974, and the top four every season since 1991. The 21-time World Champions ranked as high as third in Total Visual.
Carolina Crown, which found itself in sixth place midway through the season, made a strong late-season push into the top five — a designation it has held every year since 2007. The corps matched its 2024 placement, eclipsed its 2024 final score, and scored an impressive third place in Music Analysis.
“One of the biggest things is we feel like more of one corps than we ever have before,” said Carolina Crown drum major Mark Troy. The guard, the brass, and the percussion were the same. We rehearse the same; we treat each other the same. We all interact with each other, and that’s huge. We’re all truly committed to being here, loving each other, and having a great time.”
Completing a meaningful season on a high, Phantom Regiment ranked sixth, continuing to cement itself back among the top tier of World Class competitors. Regiment now holds the record for the longest continuous streak of Finals appearances, which now stands at an even 50.
“We’ve had to prove ourselves over and over again that this is where we belong,” said Phantom Regiment drum major Jonathan Dominguez. “We have to be undeniable to everybody and show them that not every show needs to be super flashy. We can bring everyone to us and we can be vulnerable to everybody.”
Mandarins’ 92.825-point showing earned the Sacramento-based corps seventh place Saturday night. The corps’ impressive marks in the Visual captions were an added bonus to a strong 2025 campaign that saw Mandarins reach a sixth-consecutive Finals appearance; prior to that streak’s genesis, the corps had never reached the Saturday night event.
8. Blue Stars » 91.175
9. The Cavaliers » 90.800
10. Troopers » 90.050
11. Colts » 88.050
12. Blue Knights » 87.450
Blue Stars moved up one spot from Semifinals into Finals, matching their 2024 position of eighth place. With this ranking, Blue Stars have now finished among the top eight in five of the last six competitive seasons. Blue Stars also ranked ahead of Mandarins in Brass.
One of the season’s most noteworthy improvements in terms of year-over-year competitive success, The Cavaliers earned ninth place, as compared to last year’s 11th place. Historically a strong suit, The Cavaliers’ percussion earned fifth overall.
“This season, in a way, has been one of a rebirth,” said Cavaliers drum major Will Colavitti. “I guarantee you this time last year, no one was thinking that we would be where we are right now, so in a way, it’s nice to prove people wrong. Drum corps as a whole is better when The Cavaliers are good.”
For the third year in a row, Troopers landed in 10th place, bringing strong emotion to audiences with their powerful production, “The Final Sunset.” The Casper, Wyoming corps impressed in Percussion, placing seventh.
“The story that we set in 2022 ends right here,” said Troopers drum major Simon Beltran. “There’s new stuff; it’s gonna be amazing, and it’s gonna be a new journey, but it really marks a turning point for us as a corps and showing fans that the Troopers are here to stay, and we’re going to continue making history.”
Colts, making the corps’ fourth-consecutive Finals appearance on Saturday, checked in at 11th overall in 2025. The Iowa corps fended off Blue Knights largely due to strong scores in the Visual captions.
After missing the Top 12 finalist cutoff in 2024, Blue Knights completed its 2025 mission of returning to the big show, as the corps out of Denver competed in Saturday’s finale.
“Performing today meant everything,” said Blue Knights drum major Adisyn Livingston. “We worked so hard this season and we’ve fought through so much adversity. Everyone has energy and different vibes for every show, but it’s finding the consistency that makes you good.”
One of the season’s headline makers, the Blue Knights improved on their 2024 14th-place finish to 12th overall on Saturday. Blue Knights’ final score of 87.450 was the corps’ highest since 2019.
“BK is back,” Livingston said.
With the echoes of the 2025 DCI Summer Tour still hanging in the air after Saturday night, the 2025 DCI season closed on a high note thanks to the dedication of performers, educators, administrators, and fans alike. The stage will be set once again at Lucas Oil Stadium when the World Championships return, August 6–8, 2026.
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