Percussion ensembles from Southern California grabbed all three medalist positions in the top division of the 2016 WGI Sport of the Arts World Championship this past weekend in Dayton, Ohio.
Taking top honors in the Independent World class on Saturday, April 16, Pulse Percussion took first place with a score of 98.000. The Westminster, California ensemble was originally founded in 2004 under the Impulse Youth Arts Association, an organization that currently operates the Open Class Drum Corps International group Impulse.
“It was very emotional. Really cool to see how far we’ve all come (this season),” a member of Pulse said in a video posted to Twitter on Saturday night that captured the group after its final performance of the season.
Overcoming an electronics malfunction during its semifinal round of competition (and an ensuing 10-point penalty for going overtime), RCC Indoor, a program run under Blue Devils Performing Arts, took home a silver medal (2nd, 97.563) less than a half a point behind Pulse during the Finals.
Broken City of Ontario, California became a first-time WGI medalist this weekend, walking away with the bronze after scoring 96.575 points.
Cavaliers Indoor Percussion was named the WGI Independent World "Fan Favorite" on Saturday.
A number of Drum Corps International-affiliated groups also fared well throughout the weekend, finishing in a pack in the middle of other finalists.
After an 11th-place finish overall during the preliminary round of competition on Thursday, Cavaliers Indoor Percussion jumped three places to finish in eighth place (91.900) in just the group’s second year as a WGI finalist. Entertaining audiences with their production, “The Lost Boys,” Cavaliers members were honored on Saturday with WGI’s coveted “Fan Favorite” award.
Staying ahead of Cavaliers Indoor during the Prelims and Semifinals, Cadets Winter Percussion fell below the group during the Finals competition by a little under three tenths of a point. The Cadets’ score of 91.638 put the ensemble in ninth place.
OC Indoor, a group tied to the DCI World Class drum corps Oregon Crusaders, finished just below the Cadets in 11th place with a score of 90.300.
Finishing in 12th place in its preliminary round of competition on Thursday, the Blue Knights percussion ensemble also competed in the Independent World division.
River City Rhythm members pose with the group's third-place trophy during the WGI Finals.
In WGI’s Independent Open class, Anoka, Minnesota’s River City Rhythm ended the weekend in third place with a score of 94.750, marking the first bronze medal finish in the history of the organization that fields an Open Class DCI drum corps during the summer.
From the West Coast, the Bakersfield College Drumline finished in sixth place with a score of 91.350. The indoor ensemble is a program of Golden Empire Performing Arts, which has run an Open Class drum corps since 2014.
Also in the Independent Open Finals competition, Pioneer Indoor, which shares an association with Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps, earned a score of 87.350 for 12th place.
5Points Percussion, which is operated under the same nonprofit organization as the Guardians Drum and Bugle Corps of Texas, finished in 13th place with a score of 85.600.
Legends Winter Percussion finished in eighth place in its preliminary round of competition on Thursday afternoon.
2016 WGI Percussion World Championship Highlights
Taking top honors in the Independent World class on Saturday, April 16, Pulse Percussion took first place with a score of 98.000. The Westminster, California ensemble was originally founded in 2004 under the Impulse Youth Arts Association, an organization that currently operates the Open Class Drum Corps International group Impulse.
“It was very emotional. Really cool to see how far we’ve all come (this season),” a member of Pulse said in a video posted to Twitter on Saturday night that captured the group after its final performance of the season.
Overcoming an electronics malfunction during its semifinal round of competition (and an ensuing 10-point penalty for going overtime), RCC Indoor, a program run under Blue Devils Performing Arts, took home a silver medal (2nd, 97.563) less than a half a point behind Pulse during the Finals.
Broken City of Ontario, California became a first-time WGI medalist this weekend, walking away with the bronze after scoring 96.575 points.
Cavaliers Indoor Percussion was named the WGI Independent World "Fan Favorite" on Saturday.
A number of Drum Corps International-affiliated groups also fared well throughout the weekend, finishing in a pack in the middle of other finalists.
After an 11th-place finish overall during the preliminary round of competition on Thursday, Cavaliers Indoor Percussion jumped three places to finish in eighth place (91.900) in just the group’s second year as a WGI finalist. Entertaining audiences with their production, “The Lost Boys,” Cavaliers members were honored on Saturday with WGI’s coveted “Fan Favorite” award.
Staying ahead of Cavaliers Indoor during the Prelims and Semifinals, Cadets Winter Percussion fell below the group during the Finals competition by a little under three tenths of a point. The Cadets’ score of 91.638 put the ensemble in ninth place.
OC Indoor, a group tied to the DCI World Class drum corps Oregon Crusaders, finished just below the Cadets in 11th place with a score of 90.300.
Finishing in 12th place in its preliminary round of competition on Thursday, the Blue Knights percussion ensemble also competed in the Independent World division.
River City Rhythm members pose with the group's third-place trophy during the WGI Finals.
In WGI’s Independent Open class, Anoka, Minnesota’s River City Rhythm ended the weekend in third place with a score of 94.750, marking the first bronze medal finish in the history of the organization that fields an Open Class DCI drum corps during the summer.
From the West Coast, the Bakersfield College Drumline finished in sixth place with a score of 91.350. The indoor ensemble is a program of Golden Empire Performing Arts, which has run an Open Class drum corps since 2014.
Also in the Independent Open Finals competition, Pioneer Indoor, which shares an association with Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps, earned a score of 87.350 for 12th place.
5Points Percussion, which is operated under the same nonprofit organization as the Guardians Drum and Bugle Corps of Texas, finished in 13th place with a score of 85.600.
Legends Winter Percussion finished in eighth place in its preliminary round of competition on Thursday afternoon.
2016 WGI Percussion World Championship Highlights