News…

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Thirty-four high school bands from 27 counties showcased their talents in the 3rd annual West Virginia Marching Band Invitational at the University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field on Saturday, Oct. 25. The West Virginia University “Pride of West Virginia” Mountaineer Marching Band also performed. A complete list of winners is included.

Cabell Midland High School won the Overall “Honor Band” Award as well as the Grand Champion Award for Division I schools and Philip Barbour High School won the Grand Champion Award for Division II schools.  

Bands were judged on general effect, marching and maneuvering, music, music effect, percussion, drum major, color guard, majorettes and feature twirler.

Participating bands were Brooke High School, Wellsburg, Brooke County; Buffalo High School, Buffalo, Putnam County; Cabell Midland High School, Ona, Cabell County; Chapmanville Regional High School, Chapmanville, Logan County; Doddridge County High School, West Union, Doddridge County; Gilmer County High School, Glenville, Gilmer County; Greenbrier East High School, Lewisburg, Greenbrier County; Harman School, Harman, Randolph County; Huntington High School, Huntington, Cabell County; Hurricane High School, Hurricane, Putnam County; Independence High School, Coal City, Raleigh County; Musselman High School, Inwood, Berkeley County; Nicholas County High School, Summersville, Nicholas County; Nitro High School, Nitro, Kanawha County; Oak Hill High School, Oak Hill, Fayette County; Paden City High School, Paden City, Wetzel County; Parkersburg High School, Parkersburg, Wood County; Petersburg High School, Petersburg, Grant County; Philip Barbour High School, Philippi, Barbour County; Poca High School, Poca, Putnam County; Preston High School, Kingwood, Preston County; Princeton High School, Princeton, Mercer County; Richwood High School, Richwood, Nicholas County; Ritchie County High School, Ellenboro, Ritchie County;  River View High School, Bradshaw, McDowell County; Scott High School, Madison, Boone County; Sherman High School, Seth, Boone County; Sissonville High School, Sissonville, Kanawha County; St. Albans High School, St. Albans, Kanawha County; St. Marys High School, St. Marys, Pleasant County; Summers County High School, Hinton, Summers County; Wahama Junior/Senior High School, Mason, Mason County; Wayne High School, Wayne, Wayne County; and Wirt County High School, Elizabeth, Wirt County.

The winners of the Marching Band Invitational are as follows:

Overall Award (Honor Band)
Cabell Midland High School

Division 1
Grand Champion: Cabell Midland High School
First Runner-Up: Musselman High School
Second Runner-Up: Princeton  High School

Division 2
Grand Champion: Philip Barbour High School
First Runner-Up: Poca High School
Second Runner-Up: Wayne High School

Miss Majorette
1st Place: Sarah Norris, Cabell Midland High School
2nd Place: Kendra Amick, Richwood High School

Division 1 (A) Band Awards
1st Place: Buffalo High School
2nd Place: Paden City High School
3rd Place: Gilmer County High School

Division 2 (A) Band Awards
1st Place: Richwood High School
2nd Place: St. Marys High School
 3rd Place: Wirt County High School

Division 1 (AA) Band Awards
1st Place: Poca High School
2nd Place: Sissonville High School
3rd Place: Ritchie County High School

Division 2 (AA) Band Awards
1st Place: Philip Barbour High School
2nd Place: Wayne High School
3rd Place: Scott High School

Division AAA Band Awards
1st Place: Princeton High School
2nd Place: St. Albans High School
3rd Place: Nitro High School

Division AAAA Band Awards
1st Place: Cabell Midland High School
2nd Place: Musselman High School
3rd Place: Hurricane High School
           
Division 1 (A) Percussion Awards
1st Place: Buffalo High School
2nd Place: Paden City High School
3rd Place: Gilmer County High School

Division 2 (A) Percussion Awards
1st Place: Wirt County High School
2nd Place: Richwood High School
3rd Place: Doddridge County High School

Division 1 (AA) Percussion Awards
1st Place: Poca High School
2nd Place:  Summers County High School
3rd Place: Ritchie County High School

 Division 2 (AA) Percussion Awards
1st Place: Wayne High School
2nd Place: Philip Barbour High School
3rd Place: Nicholas County High School
                       
Division AAA Percussion Awards
1st Place: Princeton High School
2nd Place: Brooke High School and Nitro High School
3rd Place: St. Albans High School
                       
Division AAAA Percussion Awards
1st Place: Cabell Midland High School
2nd Place: Musselman High School
3rd Place: Hurricane High School

Division 1 (A) Drum Major Awards
1st Place: Wahama Junior/Senior High School
2nd Place: Buffalo High School
3rd Place: Gilmer County High School

Division 2 (A) Drum Major Awards
1st Place: Richwood High School
2nd Place: St. Marys High School
3rd Place: Doddridge County High School
           
Division 1 (AA) Drum Major Awards
1st Place: Petersburg High School
2nd Place: Poca High School
3rd Place: Sissonville High School

Division 2 (AA) Drum Major Awards
1st Place: Wayne High School
2nd Place: Philip Barbour High School
3rd Place: Nicholas County High School

Division AAA Drum Major Awards
1st Place: Princeton High School
2nd Place: Nitro High School and St. Albans High School
3rd Place: Oak Hill High School

Division AAAA Drum Major Awards
1st Place: Cabell Midland High School
2nd Place: Musselman High School
3rd Place: Hurricane High School

Division 1 (A) Color Guard Awards
1st Place: Paden City High School
2nd Place: Wahama Junior/Senior High School
3rd Place: Gilmer County High School

Division 2 (A) Color Guard Awards
1st Place: Doddridge County High School
2nd Place: Sherman High School
3rd Place: Richwood High School

Division 1 (AA) Color Guard Awards
1st Place: Sissonville High School
2nd Place: Poca High School
3rd Place: Petersburg High School

Division 2 (AA) Color Guard Awards
1st Place: Wayne High School
2nd Place: Philip Barbour High School
3rd Place: Scott High School

Division AAA Color Guard Awards
1st Place: Princeton High School
2nd Place: Brooke High School
3rd Place: St. Albans High School

Division AAAA Color Guard Awards
1st Place: Cabell Midland High School
2nd Place: Musselman High School
3rd Place: Hurricane High School

Division 1 (A) Soloist Award
1st Place: Harman School (Flute)

Division 2 (A) Soloist Award
1st Place: Richwood High School (Trumpet)

Division 1 (AA) Soloist Award
1st Place: Poca High School (Flute)

Division (2) AA Soloist Award
1st Place: Philip Barbour High School (Trumpet)

Division AAA Soloist Award
1st Place: St. Albans High School (Flute)

Division AAAA Soloist Award
1st Place: Cabell Midland High School (Saxophone)

Twirler Awards
1st Place: Cabell Midland High School
2nd Place: St. Albans High School
3rd Place: Nicholas County High School

Majorette Awards
1st Place: Philip Barbour High School
2nd Place: Buffalo High School
3rd Place: Richwood High School

Best Dressed Director
Genia Sever, Independence High School

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History (WVDCH) also inducted the first three band directors into the Marching Band Hall of Fame. Honorees included Julia Kade of Princeton, Mercer County; Sherry L. Poole of Ripley, Jackson County; and Rhonda E. Smalley of Huntington, Cabell County. Together they have spent more than 110 years inspiring young students with a love of music and teaching spectacular performance skills that the audience can celebrate and enjoy. The inductees were selected from a list of nominations submitted to the WVDCH.

The West Virginia Marching Band Invitational was sponsored by the WVDCH in participation with the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, the Higher Education Policy Commission and the West Virginia Department of Education and The Arts. The Marching Band Invitational helps to promote, encourage and celebrate arts education throughout West Virginia.

For more information about the Marching Band Invitational, contact Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner of the division, at (304) 558-0220 or at caryn.s.gresham@wv.gov.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org.

– 30 –