Catawba Ridge High School’s band had a triumphant weekend at the Winter Guard International Percussion and Winds World Championship, earning gold medals in both the Winds and Percussion divisions. The championships took place at various universities from April 18-21, with units from around the world competing in scholastic and independent divisions, divided into classes A, Open, and World.
The school’s indoor winds group made a remarkable comeback in the finals on Sunday, securing first place in music and visual to clinch the gold medal in the Winds Scholastic Open with an impressive score of 91.625. In contrast, their percussion ensemble won first place in their prelims and earned high music and artistry awards in the Concert World class. However, they fell short of winning gold in the finals with a score of 95.350. Despite this setback, their achievement marks their first world championship title since finishing third in 2022 and second in 2023.
Notably, Catawba Ridge High School’s bands are only the second group from South Carolina to win a World Class World Championship in percussion since Fort Mill High School achieved this feat over a decade ago. Their impressive achievements at the championships highlight their dedication, talent, and hard work towards perfecting their craft.