The competition was airtight Saturday at the University of Delaware, with Norwin (PA) topping a group of 26 bands at the BOA Newark Regional Championship. Just 0.6 points separated the top three, with the western Pennsylvania band earning a high score of 78.650. 

John P. Stevens wasn’t far behind with a score of 78.350; the New Jersey band earned top marks in music performance and general effect, but lost to Norwin by more than a point in visual performance. Green Hope (NC), which also defeated Norwin in general effect, earned a score of 78.050 to take third.

Virginia’s James Madison (4th, 76.450) and Connecticut’s Trumbull (5th, 76.100) were neck and neck; while Trumbull held a major advantage over James Madison in general effect, music and visual performance captions made the difference.

Just a tenth separated Thomas Jefferson (6th, 75.300) and Brick Memorial (7th, 75.200). Despite a tie between the two in visual performance, Thomas Jefferson’s music scores helped the band overcome a deficit in general effect. Arlington (VA) wasn’t far behind in eighth, with a score of 74.550.

Rounding out the group of ten finalists, Governor Thomas Johnson (9th, 72.650) edged Westfield (10th, 72.400) thanks to slim leads in music performance and general effect. 

Green Hope at the 2018 BOA Mid-Atlantic Regional

While there was a significant gap between Westfield and its closest competitors at the finalist (Top 10) cutoff in prelims, 11th through 14th were separated by just one-tenth of a point. Elizabeth (NJ) and West Orange (NJ) tied with a score of 70.250, with Victor (NY) scoring 70.150 and Urbana (MD) scoring 70.050.

Spring-Ford (PA) wasn’t far behind that group, taking 15th place with a score of 69.950. The southeastern Pennsylvania band fended off South County (16th, 69.200) thanks to impressive seventh-place visual performance scores in prelims.  

Behind Bridgewater Raritan (17th, 67.850), three-tenths separated the next three bands. Chantilly (18th, 66.900) defeated James W. Robinson (19th, 66.850) and Archbishop Alter (20th, 66.600), largely due to its general effect scores. Chantilly lost to James W. Robinson in both music performance and visual performance. 

Phoenixville Area (21st, 64.050) held off Scotch Plains-Fanwood (22nd, 63.150), holding a lead of nearly two points in general effect. Things were as close as could be between Altholton (23rd, 60.800) and Washington Township (60.750), with the former keeping a slim lead on the wings of a sizable advantage in general effect. 

Bayard Rustin (25th, 57.000) and Danbury (26th, 55.200) rounded out the fierce competition in Newark.