Spartans stand tall at World Championships Week opener

MARION, Indiana — Spartans kicked off DCI Open Class World Championship competition in Marion, Indiana, the same way they left it a year ago: atop the leaderboard.

The defending Open Class gold medalists earned an advantage of 0.9 points over Monday night’s field, winning all captions except percussion in pursuit of back-to-back championship titles.

View scores from the DCI Open Class World Championship Prelims

“Tonight’s run was amazing,” Spartans drum major Ana Carolina Silva said. “We dealt with a lot of challenges tonight, but as a corps, we preserved through it. I’ve been talking about resilience with the corps so often this season, and I think tonight really proved that.” 

Spartans’ first-place finish came at the end of a frenetic night of drum corps that featured multiple weather delays. Despite those pauses, 10 drum corps and one SoundSport team wowed an energetic audience to kick off the 2024 edition of DCI World Championships Week. 

 

1. Spartans » 82.675
2. Blue Devils B » 81.775
3. Gold » 80.625

Tuesday night marked the first time Spartans and Blue Devils B have performed at the same venue since the 2022 DCI World Championship Semifinals in Indianapolis. 

Spartans held a firm lead of just under a point, with their strongest marks in the visual caption, 0.55 points ahead of the Devils. Year over year, Spartans added more than fourth tenths to their Open Class Prelims score. 

Blue Devils B managed to keep things particularly close in the general effect (0.15 behind) and music captions (0.2 behind).

“Tonight’s run was absolutely magical,” Blue Devils B drum major Mason Khan said. “Everything that we practiced showed up. We had energy, but more importantly, we had control and I think that’s what matters.” 

Gold — last season’s Open Class silver medalist — finished in third, but ranked ahead of Blue Devils B in overall visual and percussion. The San Diego corps’ percussion section ranked first on the scoresheets, two tenths ahead of the Devils and fourth tenths ahead of Spartans. 

Having the opportunity to perform for the crowd seated inside Wildcat Stadium is a highlight for the corps each season, according to Gold drum major Charlie Ly. 

“Every single year, the most exciting crowd we get to perform in front of is the Marion crowd,” Ly said. “We’re very happy to be back.” 

 

4. The Battalion » 78.900
5. Columbians » 78.050
6. River City Rhythm » 76.600

The Battalion maintained a solid advantage over Columbians, comparable to recent head-to-head meetings, while closing in on the 80-point threshold. Hitting 80 points would be an all-time first for the Utah corps that is celebrating its 10th anniversary season this summer. 

“I really enjoyed tonight’s run,” Battalion drum major Rece Davis said. “All the members poured their heart and soul into this show. I think there was a lot of anxiety and nerves being cooped up because of the rain delay, but I’m proud of them for being able to clear their minds.” 

While Columbians ranked ahead of The Battalion in General Effect 1, the Salt Lake City corps built much of its advantage on a strong lead in total visual, 0.75 points ahead.

River City Rhythm rounded out the top-six corps with a score of 76.600, an improvement of more than five points from the same event a year ago. The Minnesota corps outscored The Battalion and Columbians in percussion.

 

7. Raiders » 72.600
8. Colt Cadets » 72.150
9. 7th Regiment » 71.550
10. Les Stentors » 66.525

Just over one point separated Raiders, Colt Cadets and 7th Regiment; Raiders came out ahead of the pack as a result of, most notably, standout general effect scores.

According to Raiders drum major Mary Lopez, the corps’ progress over the course of the season built up to a meaningful Monday night performance. 

“Being here in Marion is so emotional,” Lopez said. “Last year was my rookie year, and seeing how much this corps has improved in the span of one year is amazing. I couldn’t be more proud of the members seeing the final product come together.” 

While scoring behind Raiders, Colt Cadets fended off 7th Regiment by 0.6 points thanks largely to advantages in general effect and total music. 7th Regiment, however, outscored both Raiders and Colt Cadets in total visual. Les Stentors rounded out the Open Class lineup in 10th place, while ranking 10th in all captions. 

Indianapolis’ Eclipse represented the SoundSport division, earning a gold rating. Monday marked the second-year ensemble’s fifth performance of 2024, as the season builds toward its Saturday, August 10 appearance at the SoundSport International Music & Food Festival. 

“It feels really good to be home,” Eclipse drum major Lennon Sherard said. “The crowd is so amazing, and it’s nice to have people who want to pull into the show.” 

All 10 of Monday’s Open Class competitors will take to the field at Wildcat Stadium Tuesday night, as they vie for medals, caption awards, and more at the DCI Open Class World Championship Finals.  

View the DCI Open Class World Championship Finals Lineup

Day-by-day guide to the 2024 DCI World Championships

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