On Saturday, July 20, all 22 World Class corps competed at the DCI Southwestern Championship at the Alamodome in San Antonio, the first time of the season that all of these groups came together on the same day. The top 10 corps all broke 80 points, up from seven corps that did so last weekend in Minneapolis. Only 0.25 points separated 1st place from 2nd and only 1.85 separated 1st from 4th. Among the top 12 corps, the only change in placements from Minneapolis was in the first two positions. While reading the following, please keep in mind that the scores of the two General Effect captions are counted for full value, but each of the scores of the three Visual and three Music captions are first divided in half, with each of those half scores then added for the Total Visual and Total Percussion score. View the complete recap of scores from San Antonio. Blue Devils (1st, 89.45) won only two captions, Visual Proficiency and Visual Analysis. They took 2nd in Visual Effect, Color Guard and all three Music captions; Brass, Analysis and Percussion. Music Effect placed 3rd from both judges. BD's Percussion score was 0.70 over that of Carolina Crown, which, after that score was divided in half, accounted for 0.35 of the 0.25 total spread, meaning that caption alone called the show. Although the corps won both Percussion and Color Guard in Minneapolis, they were 0.10 down in both captions in San Antonio. Carolina Crown (2nd, 89.20) was 1st in Color Guard, Brass and Music Analysis, over Blue Devils by 0.20 in Brass and 0.10 in the other two captions. (Remember to divide those spreads in half when considering the total score.) However, they were 2nd in total General Effect by 0.35 to Cadets, a total caption (combining Visual Effect and Music Effect) that they won by 0.50 just a week ago. That difference of 0.85, (and remember those Effect scores are NOT divided in half), are very telling in what happened in San Antonio. Visual Effect was 2nd and Music Effect 3rd. (In Minneapolis, the corps won both captions by 0.25.) Visual Proficiency and Visual Analysis was 2nd and Percussion was 5th. As explained in the above paragraph, Percussion alone called the show. But that fall in both Effect captions is somewhat unexpected based on results at previous events. The Cadets (3rd, 88.45) added 4 points to its score since Minneapolis, the most of any of the top seven corps. 1st in Visual Effect and Music Effect gave the corps top honors in Total Effect by 0.10 over Crown and 0.35 over BD. However, the Cadets were 3rd in Visual Analysis and all three Music captions, 4th in Visual Proficiency and 6th in Color Guard. (They were 3rd in all three Music captions last week as well and dropped one spot in Guard.) Santa Clara Vanguard (4th, 87.60) was 1st in Percussion, up from 4th in Minneapolis. 3rd place finishes in Visual Proficiency and Color Guard were the next highest placements, followed by 4th place finishes in the five remaining captions; both Visual and Music Effect, Visual Proficiency, Brass and Music Analysis. Phantom Regiment (5th, 85.75) had a high point for 4th in Color Guard and a low for 7th in Percussion. Visual Effect, Visual Proficiency, Visual Analysis and Music Analysis placed 5th, and Music Effect and Brass finished in 6th. Bluecoats (6th, 85.05) once again took 4th in Percussion and 5th in Brass, also moving up to 5th for Music Effect. Visual Effect, Visual Analysis and Music Analysis placed 6th and Visual Proficiency and Color Guard both took 8th. Last week, the corps wasn't lower than 7th in any caption. Madison Scouts (7th, 83.25) was highest in Visual Proficiency, which placed 6th. Both Effect captions, Brass and Music Analysis finished 7th. Visual Analysis, Color Guard and Percussion all took 9th. Last week, the corps was as low as 9th only in Percussion. The Cavaliers (8th, 83.20) added 4.60 to their Minneapolis score, the biggest point gain among all the top-12 corps. Percussion took 6th, just 0.10 under Crown's line. Visual Analysis and Color Guard were 7th, Music Effect and Music Analysis 8th and Visual Effect, Visual Proficiency and Brass all ended in 9th. Blue Knights (9th, 82.05) was 5th in Color Guard, up from 8th last week. 7th in Visual Effect and Visual Proficiency couldn't hold up 9th in Music Effect and Music Analysis, 10th in Visual Analysis, 11th in Brass and 12th in Percussion, the latter falling from 10th in Minneapolis. Boston Crusaders (10th, 80.95) was 8th in Visual Analysis and Brass, 10th in Visual Effect, Visual Proficiency, Brass and Music Analysis, and 11th in Music Effect and Color Guard. Last week, the spread between Crusaders and Blue Knights was only 0.05. In San Antonio, the spread widened to 1.10. Spirit of Atlanta (11th, 79.20) was 10th in Brass, 11th in both Effect captions and Percussion, 12th in Visual Analysis, Color Guard and Music Analysis, and 13th in Visual Proficiency. Last week in Minneapolis, all captions placed in the top-12. Blue Stars (12th, 78.05) was 8th in Percussion (up from 11th last week), 10th in Color Guard, 11th in Music Analysis and 12th in Brass. Visual Analysis was 13th, both Effect captions 14th and Visual Proficiency 16th. Crossmen (13th, 77.50) took 11th in Visual Proficiency, 12th in Visual Effect, 13th in Music Effect, Brass and Music Analysis, 15th in Visual Analysis and Color Guard and 16th in Percussion. Last week no caption was lower than 14th, and yet Crossmen was the next highest corps under the Blue Devils to move up a spot from Minneapolis. Troopers (14th, 77.05) was 12th in Music Effect and 13th in Visual Effect. Brass was 15th, Color Guard 16th and the remaining four captions were 14th. Last week, no caption placed lower than 14th. Pacific Crest (15th, 75.55) entered the fray this week and took 13th in Percussion, 14th in Visual Effect, Color Guard and Brass, 15th in Music Effect and Visual Proficiency, 16th in Visual Analysis and 17th in Music Analysis. Colts (16th, 75.05) dropped a spot since Minneapolis falling under Pacific Crest, with high points being 11th in Visual Analysis and 12th in Visual Proficiency. Color Guard took 13th, Music Analysis 15th and both General Effect captions 16th. Percussion was 17th and Brass 18th. The Academy (17th, 71.95) took 15th in Percussion, 16th in Brass and 17th in Color Guard. Music Effect, Visual Analysis and Music Analysis finished in 18th, with Visual Effect and Visual Analysis placing 19th. Oregon Crusaders (18th, 71.35) joined the tour this week for the corps' first year as a World Class unit. Their high point was 16th for Music Analysis, followed by 17th place finishes in Visual Effect, Visual Proficiency and Brass. Color Guard was 18th and Music Effect, Visual Analysis and Percussion all finished in 19th. Mandarins (19th, 71.25) also joined the tour this week. Music Effect and Visual Analysis finished 17th, Visual Effect, Visual Proficiency and Percussion 18th, and Color Guard, Brass and Music Analysis took 19th. Jersey Surf (20th, 66.40) also joined the tour and took 20th in both Effect captions, Visual Analysis and Percussion. Visual Proficiency, Brass and Music Analysis took 21st and Color Guard finished 22nd. Cascades (21st, 64.95) was 20th in Visual Proficiency, Brass and Music Analysis, 22nd in Visual Analysis and 21st in the remaining four captions. Pioneer (22nd, 63.00) also joined the tour and took 20th in Color Guard, 21st in Visual Analysis and 22nd in the other six captions. Genesis (1st, 73.25) was the only Open Class corps to compete in San Antonio. View the complete recap of scores from San Antonio.