Catawba Ridge High School’s Bands Shine at Winter Guard International Championships with Gold Medals in Winds and Percussion

Catawba Ridge High School’s bands had a successful weekend at the Winter Guard International Percussion and Winds World Championship, bringing home 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, in only their second year in the division, placed third in prelims with the highest music score. However, they made a remarkable comeback in the finals on Sunday, clinching first place in music and visual to secure the gold medal in the Winds Scholastic Open with an impressive score of 91.625.

Catawba Ridge competed in the Percussion Scholastic Concert World and Winds Scholastic Open categories. In the finals, their percussion ensemble once again took first place and earned gold with a score of 95.350. This victory marked 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 the feat in 2003 and 2005. Their impressive achievements at the championships highlight their dedication, talent, and hard work.