Schools
For 1st Time, Marching Mustangs 4th in State
The Downers Grove South Marching Mustangs took fourth of 45 bands at the Illinois State University marching competition, the band's best finish at the competition in the history of the program.
The Marching Mustangs had its best finish ever at the 45th Annual State of Illinois Marching Band Championship Oct. 29.
The band took fourth overall of 45 bands. Fourteen made it to the final round of competition.
Drum Major Josiah Williams, a DGS junior, said his favorite moment of the season was standing on the field with the other drum majors waiting as the 14th to fourth bands were announced.
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The Marching Mustangs took 11th overall at the competition last year and missed making it to the final round in 2009 by a fraction of a point.
"That kind of progress is unprecedented," said Director Craig Roselieb. "First we were proving we could make finals. Then we were proving that we could stay there."
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Senior Erin Quinn, a flute section leader, said the Marching Mustangs have a new reputation.
"We went from being kind of an underdog to beating out really good bands and being fourth in the state," she said.
Roselieb credited the success to a strong group of student leaders and senior class. The band had 35 seniors this year, the second biggest in the band's history.
"The level of the show was even higher this year," he said. "It paid out big in the end."
Williams said the band is extremely different from his freshman year. The change is the band SOP's -- standard operating procedures -- implemented to structure rehearsals.
"They help maintain focus so things go more smoothly," Williams said.
One SOP example -- when the band is learning drill, the drum majors will call out, "check", "adjust" and "standby" for the band to check where they're standing, adjust to perfect the drill and then wait for the next step.
Roselieb said his proudest moment was the band's last rehearsal before the ISU competition.
"It was the most exciting and consistent," he said. "Everyone was focused on the same thing."
Williams said with the stricter rehearsal methods in place, he believes the band will continue its progress.
"It's amazing that we've maintained that growth," Williams said. "We have the standards, we have the staff. It's only up from here."
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