On Saturday night, the Rincon/University Ranger Marching Band earned a Superior with Distinction rank at the ABODA State Marching Band Festival. The Rangers competed with schools from across the state at Dobson Stadium.
Over thirty of the Division I marching bands competed to earn top 10 status.
The Rangers were the only marching band from Tucson to earn a spot at the State Championships this coming Saturday, and Sunday at Glendale Community College.
The Rangers won all five caption awards, including Auxiliary (Color Guard), Percussion, Music Performance, Visual Performance, and General Effect.
The Rincon/University Ranger Marching Band is the second largest band in the state. According to Andria McWhirter, PR Officer for the Rangers, Saturday’s win was the highest the band earned under the leadership of director Jeff Marchant.
The Ranger’s show entitled “Uninvited” focuses on the struggle of being left out and excluded.
“Our band director has never encouraged us to focus solely on winning, or that that is the most important thing. Instead, he focuses on teaching us how to support each other, and work as a team, and push ourselves to be the best we can be individually and as a whole. Everyone has to support each other and have a common goal. We have an amazing support system between each other, and between us and our band staff, but we really need support from within the community and the school district,” said McWhirter. “Our goal isn’t to be the best band in the city, or the state, but to finish that performance on Saturday knowing that we poured our heart and energy in it and every single person gave it their best shot, and if that gets us first place or last place, it doesn’t matter.”