Corps make changes going into championships weekend

Charles City, Iowa, was the home of "Music in Motion" on Sunday evening. Comet Field was blanketed with stars as the clear night proved perfect for a hot summer drum corps show. The corps are using this week to prepare for THE Midwest Championships held in Dekalb, Ill., this coming weekend.^Spirit of JSU took the gold medal with a score of 76.95. Alex O'Neill, a first-year snare member from Spirit of JSU, said that the corps has made a lot of changes to their show recently. "We even made changes today. But everyone is learning really quick." He felt they had a good show as a corps but that it "is hard to perfect the changes and make everything look like it's not new in the show." The second-place Colts from Dubuque, Iowa, scored a 74.30. The Colts recently took a few days in Dubuque to make major changes to the drill and color guard work in their show. They have now unleashed some twists to their already jazzy second half. Adam Mosaic, a first year snare from Gilbert, Ariz., said that the changes are coming a long and have made the over all package a lot better for the corps. "I'd like to get my head on straight and become more confident about my show," Mosaic said about going into THE Midwest Championships this weekend. The Capital Regiment received the bronze with a score of 67.20. According to third-year baritone Lezlie Garr from Dallas, the corps learned more than 10 new sets of drill on Saturday and put it on the field that night. "It made it a lot more fun and exciting -- and a lot more dangerous!" Even with the changes, she felt that this was one of the best shows so far. She also has a feeling that the staff has "something cooking" during their rehearsal days this week going into Dekalb. A major visual change earlier in the show came from the Colt Cadets who boldly presented their new corps uniforms. "The new uniforms are a lot better because they match with the Colts. We look like the Colts even though we are two different corps," said Holly Polkinghorn, a 15-year-old member of the color guard from Dubuque, Iowa. They scored a 34.75 over the Decorah Kilties, who scored a 31.75 Wilma Clammer, from Charles City, said she comes every year and enjoys the show and the performers tremendously. "I even predicted the winner tonight! Sometimes I don't," she said. "I love the color and the noise! It sends goosebumps down me!" Clammer plans to keep coming to "Music in Motion" as long as she can.