The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of emotion and competition for the Tyrone Indoor Percussion Team, the Tyrone Color Guard, and the Star-Lite Indoor Competition Teams.

They began at the Region 11 Championships at IUP on April 27 and ended at the Atlantic Coast Championships in Wildwood, NJ on May 4.

All three groups showcased their talent and came away with exceptional scores.

Region 11 Championships

On Saturday, April 26, they all competed in the Region 11 Championship competition at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. This was the last competition before the finale in Wildwood, New Jersey.

At IUP, the Tyrone Indoor Percussion team placed first (of one) in their category with a score of 92.00.

The Tyrone Indoor Color Guard team placed first (of seven) in their category with a score of 81.60.

The Star-Lite Senior Twirlers placed first (of one) in their category with a score of 87.09.

The Star-Lite Junior Twirlers placed first (of two) in their category with a score of 86.42.

The Star-Lite Dance Team placed first (of two) in their category with a score of 87.50.

Atlantic Coast Championship

All three Star-Lite teams went into Wildwood seated in first place overall in their respective categories. This is the first time in many years that the Star-Lite Teams have accomplished this.

Moving forward to Wildwood means new competition for these teams. All five teams practiced relentlessly throughout the season to perform to their greatest potential in Wildwood.

To make it to the finals, teams first had to compete in a preliminary competition. In large groups, such as color guard, score and placement in the preliminary competition determines whether a unit will progress to finals or not.

Tyrone Color Guard

Tyrone Color Guard re-formed as a scholastic team just three years ago, and this was the first time that they advanced to finals “in many years,” according to Tyrone’s Band Director Dave Hock.

Making it to finals as a color guard unit is no easy feat, as there can be upwards of 40 units in a single category.

This year, Tyrone’s Color Guard team competed against seven units in round two of the preliminary competition for their division. They earned the third-highest score of their round, sitting at 81.50.

In finals, Color Guard placed 13th (of 13) in their division, scoring 78.70.

Tyrone Indoor Percussion

Tyrone’s Indoor Percussion secured their third consecutive Atlantic Coast Championship title and their second in the Scholastic Open Stationary Percussion division this season.

Senior EWmma Witkamp was pleased with the team’s performance, both at the championships and throughout the indoor season.

“While we were at Wildwood and throughout the season, every person worked hard, and we worked well as a group. The music was very difficult, but every person was able to learn their part and how their part fit into the show,” Witkamp said. “Our communication showed our ability to work together, and our movements and expressions showed our passion for the music.

Tyrone’s Indoor Percussion team competed against one other unit in the preliminary round. Because percussion units aren’t as vast in the Scholastic Open Stationary division, both competing units advanced to finals.

In the preliminary competition, Tyrone’s Percussion scored a 94.70, putting them just four-tenths behind their competition.

During the finals, the Percussion team demonstrated exceptional effort, achieving an impressive score of 96.40 and earning them first place (of two) in their division by just three-tenths of a point.

Witkamp highlighted the effort of fellow band members Cole Hunter, Cliff Wilson, Evan Laird, and Jackson Conrad for their talent and leadership.

“Cole and Cliff are both experienced in indoor, and they have both spent a lot of time and effort practicing to become the musicians they are today. Evan and Jack, although they are newer to indoor, have pushed themselves to become the best musicians they can,” Witkamp said.

Star-Lite Competition Teams

The Star-Lite teams also competed in a preliminary competition for their respective categories.

The Star-Lite Senior Twirlers placed second (of four) in their preliminary competition, scoring 86.29.

The Star-Lite Junior Twirlers placed first (of three) in their preliminary competition, scoring 86.83.

The Star-Lite Dance Team placed first (of two) in their preliminary competition, scoring 87.64, 8.83 points ahead of their competition.

The Star-Lite Teams also competed in finals for their respective divisions.

The Star-Lite Senior Twirlers brought home a silver medal, placing second (of four) in their division with a score of 87.72.

The Star-Lite Junior Twirlers scored 86.64 in their final competition, which sent them 1.79 points ahead of their competition. This placed them first (of three) in their division and earned them the title of Atlantic Coast Champions in just their first year in the Independent Novice Twirler division.

The Star-Lite Dance Team achieved a final score of 89.37, surpassing their competitor by 9.73 points. This performance secured their first-place position in their division, earning them their second consecutive Atlantic Coast Championship title in the Independent Novice Dance category.

This was the second season in which the Star-Lite Dance Team competed. The Team successfully maintained an undefeated record in regular-season competitions and defended its title as Atlantic Coast Champions.