Middleton High School’s marching band and color guard earned a second place finish in Class AAAA at the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) Marching Band State Championships on Oct. 17.
The Cardinals earned a score of 85.9 as well as a caption award for Best Percussion. It’s the second consecutive year the Cardinals have earned Best Percussion as well as second place at the State Championships; in 2024, the Cardinals took first place.
The competition was held at UW-Whitewater. The marching band and color guard includes more than 230 students, and their road to state included first place finishes at the Waukesha North Bandfest, the Stoughton Marching Invitational and the Sauk Prairie Marching Invite.
“We are incredibly proud of the hard work the students have put into this season,” said band director Eric Rothacker. “We have students from every part of the school and across all grades come together over a very short period of time to put an amazing show on the field. I am so thankful to every member of the marching band and the leadership team that has helped guide us to this amazing achievement.”
Rothacker also thanked the program’s volunteers for their support of the band’s successful season.
This year’s theme was The Light That Remains. The band was conducted by student drum majors Elise Deitte, Haley Jodlowski, and Sebastian Kellar.
In addition to Rothacker, the ensemble is led by band directors Doug Brown and Michael Ver Voort; color guard coach Kasey Graff; and percussion coaches Patrick Coughlin, Sebastiaan de Waart, and Tanner Day. Field staff coaches include Noah Brockway, Shu Cui, and Darlayne Coughlin.
Photo credit: Amy Unbehaun
This article was written for the October issue of Community Compass, the District-wide monthly newsletter.