High school marching bands compete in festival at KU

Brass met artificial grass Saturday as 21 high school marching bands competed at Kansas University’s Memorial Stadium.

Five judges rated bands on music, percussion, auxiliary, marching and overall effect at the 20th annual Heart of America Marching Festival. Judges gave out four top prizes, one in each division.

Schools were placed in divisions based on the number woodwind players it had. Division 1 bands had the most woodwinds with 100 or more, and division 4 bands had the least, with 48 or fewer.

Here are the results:

Division 1

1st place: Olathe North High School

2nd place: Lawrence High School

3rd place: Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

Division 2

1st place: Maize High School

2nd place: Olathe South High School

3rd place: Shawnee Mission East High School

Division 3

1st place: Atchison High School

Division 4

1st place: Elkhorn High School (Neb.)

2nd place: Saint Thomas Aquinas High School

3rd place: Raytown South High School (Mo.)