2005 DCI Division I Championship Semifinals

Foxboro, MA
August 12, 2005

 1. Cadets               98.125
 2. Cavaliers            97.375
 3. Phantom Regiment     96.075
 4. Blue Devils          94.550
 5. Madison Scouts       92.600
 5. Bluecoats            92.600
 7. Carolina Crown       91.125
 8. Boston Crusaders     89.750
 9. Santa Clara Vanguard 87.625
10. Blue Knights         87.875
11. Glassmen             87.775
12. Spirit               85.757
13. Colts                84.075
14. Crossmen             84.050
15. Capital Regiment     81.400
16. Southwind            80.950
17. Seattle Cascades     78.100
17. Mandarins            78.100

2005 DCI Division I Championship Quarterfinals

Foxboro, MA
August 11, 2005

 1.  Cadets               98.050
 2.  Cavaliers            96.500
 3.  Phantom Regiment     95.275
 4.  Blue Devils          94.225
 5.  Madison Scouts       92.525
 6.  Bluecoats            92.400
 7.  Boston Crusaders     89.425
 8.  Carolina Crown       89.350
 9.  Santa Clara Vanguard 87.625
10.  Blue Knights         87.400
11.  Glassmen             87.125
12.  Spirit               85.625
13.  Crossmen             83.125
14.  Colts                82.975
15.  Capital Regiment     79.925
16.  Southwind            79.525
17.  Seattle Cascades     78.550
17.  Mandarins            78.550
19.  Pacific Crest        77.250
20.  Esperanza            76.200
21.  Magic                75.975
22.  Troopers             71.675
23.  Pioneer              71.525
24.  Kiwanis Kavaliers    68.600

2005 DCI Division II/III Championship Finals

Brockton, MA
August 11, 2005

Division II       
1. Spartans           96.275
2. East Coast Jazz    95.625
3. Blue Stars         92.675
4. Fever              91.850
5. Teal Sound         91.650
6. Impulse            90.375
7. Oregon Crusaders   88.575
8. Jersey Surf        88.325
9. Memphis Sound      87.025

Division III
1. Raiders            87.750
2. Taipei Yuehfu      87.600
3. Yamato             85.675
4. Revolution         84.950
5. Capital Sound      82.900
6. Allegiance Elite   80.650
7. Pride of the Lions 80.075
8. Dutch Boy          78.500
9. Lake Erie Regiment 77.500

2005 DCI Division II/III Championship Prelims

Brockton, MA
August 9, 2005

Division II
 1. Taipei Yuehfu 87.250
 2. Raiders 85.900
 3. Yamato  85.025
 4. Revolution  82.875
 5. Capital Sound 80.250
 6. Allegiance Elite  79.725
 7. Pride of the Lions  78.475
 8. Dutch Boy 76.900
 9. Lake Erie Regiment
10. Citations 74.500
11. Les Stentors  70.575
12. Cadets of NYC    70.425
13. Stragnas         67.225
14. Spirit of Newark 66.700
15. Saint John's     65.925
16. Racine Scouts    64.775
17. 7th Regiment     63.725
18. HYPE             62.700
19. Targets          56.850
20. Blue Saints      41.425

Division III
 1. Spartans         94.450
 2. East Coast Jazz  94.100
 3. Blue Stars       92.600
 4. Fever            90.750
 5. Teal Sound       89.675
 6. Impulse          88.075
 7. Oregon Crusaders 87.875
 8. Jersey Surf      86.225
 9. Memphis Sound    84.925

DeKalb welcomes back drum and bugle corps

(www.daily-chronicle.com)

Members of the Chicago Royal-Airs Senior Exhibition Corps had the most gray hair of any of the groups performing Friday night at Hopkins Park, but most said they feel like teenagers when they take to the field.

Seven drum and bugle corps gave spectators a sneak peek of the performances they will be giving during the Drum Corps Midwest Championships tonight. Most of those performing were junior corps with members under 21 years old.

Rich Tessitore said playing the baritone bugle takes him back to when he participated with the Norwood Park Imperials. He left the group when he “aged-out” at 21.

The 60-year-old Palatine resident is a member of the Chicago Royal-Airs alumni group, which formed in 2002. The group, which was started in Chicago’s northwest side neighborhood of Humboldt Park, was together for 10 years.

“We’re mostly all old drum corps people,” Lisa Nuske, 40, said.

“You gotta say old?” Tessitore said.

“Just look at him,” she said and laughed. He pointed at her with the cigar he was smoking.

The group has about 100 members; about 50 performed in Friday night’s concert. They take the field tonight at Huskie Stadium at the conclusion of the 28th annual championships.

Nuske said the average age of group members is about 56.

“We’re all well over 21,” she said.

Corps members are from throughout Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Some members come from California and there’s a Canadian in the group, too.

Nick Tomasi, 65, drove in from Defiance, Ohio – about 260 miles from DeKalb.

Tessitore, who runs a machine shop, said he always looks forward to performing.

Nuske agree.

“It makes us feel like we’re kids again,” she said as the group walked across Sycamore Road to Hopkins Park after warming up. “It brings us back to when you were in junior corps … When you’re here it brings you back to being 16 years old.”

Tomasi interrupts: “Really? My body doesn’t feel like it,” he said and laughed.

Other members of the corps start laughing. They make jokes about who their sponsors should be and start naming various geriatric drugs.

“Here you forget about your arthritis and aches,” Nuske said.

Tony Laskowi, 61, of Aurora said that since rejoining the corps, his doctor has said his blood-sugar levels have remained low.

“He asks, ‘What have you been doing?’” he said and laughed.

John Olker, 55, of Kalamazoo, Mich., said he appreciates the other group members’ dedication and the fact that the group also has a full field show. He said if the group just played music, most members wouldn’t participate.

Olker said he participated in several groups after the Royal-Airs disbanded in 1968. His last performance was in 1979 when he left the now defunct Chicago Connection corps.

“Basically three-fourths of this group I grew up with,” Olker said. “I consider them friends. How many friends do you have more than 40 years?”

He and other members said being a member of the corps takes up a lot of time, but it’s worth it.

“At first I couldn’t believe we were doing this again,” Laskowi said.

“Now I don’t want to quit,” Olker said. “I will continue to do it.”

Other members who heard him agreed, nodded and lined up to get on stage.

2004 DCA World Championships Finals

Scranton, PA
September 4, 2004

Open Class
 1. Empire Statesmen       96.513
 2. Syracuse Brigadiers    96.188
 3. Reading Buccaneers     95.450
 4. Hawthorne Caballeros   95.100
 5. Minnesota Brass        91.438
 6. Renegades              91.225
 7. Yokahama Inspires      89.588
 8. Bushwackers            88.638
 9. Connecticut Hurricanes 84.475
10. Corpsvets              83.075


Class A
 1. Kingston Grenadiers    79.850
 2. Govenaires             75.163

2004 DCA World Championships Prelims

Scranton, PA
September 3, 2004

Open Class
 1. Empire Statesmen       96.863
 2. Syracuse Brigadiers    95.575
 3. Hawthorne Caballeros   94.888
 4. Reading Buccaneers     94.788
 5. Renegades              93.913
 6. Minnesota Brass        93.338
 7. Yokahama Inspires      92.375
 8. Bushwackers            89.688
 9. Connecticut Hurricanes 87.700
10. Corpsvets              86.013
11. Carolina Gold          81.088      
11. New York Skyliners     81.088      
13. Kilties                77.263

Class A
 1. Kingston Grenadiers    80.900
 2. Govenaires             76.763
 3. Sunrisers              73.563
 4. Heat Wave              73.500
 5. Dream                  73.300
 6. Gulf Coast Sound       65.263
 7. Shenandoah Sound       62.675

All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Quotes from linked articles are probably the property of the publications linked or the property of the person(s) quoted. The rest © 2001- 2025 by James A. Chappell