Published: November 05, 2009 03:55 pm      

Mustangs march into first place at state championships

Medina overcomes challenges to come out on top

MEDINA — The Medina Mustang Band made locals proud Sunday when it took home top honors from the state championships in Syracuse.

Medina took first place in the Small School 1 category and brought home the Governor’s Cup from the 36th annual New York state Field Band Championships at the Carrier Dome.

There were 51 bands from New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey that competed in six classifications for the coveted Governor’s Cup. There were also guest performances by marching bands from the University at Buffalo, Syracuse University and Suffern High School.

In Small School 1, Medina received a score of 89.70 after competing against seven other schools. Other winners were Johnson City in Small School 3, Mineola in Small School 2, West Seneca West in Large School 3, Baldwinsville in Large School 2, and West Genesee in National.

The day started out with a “Dome Breakfast” put on by the Band Boosters, said band publicist Kathy Dreyfus. The breakfast was for the student participants and their families as a form of pep rally and to give them a good start to a long day. From there, the students traveled by bus to Hobart College for a practice, then on to Sky Top for even more practice, and finally to the Dome for an award-winning performance.

This was a year of adjustments and challenges for Medina. This was Director Cheri Wopperer’s first year leading a marching band, with the valuable assistance of Jim Steele, “who’s had marching band in his blood since childhood,” said Dreyfus.

Wopperer replaced former marching band director Scott D. Ballard, who was found not guilty in April of official misconduct charges filed in September 2008.

For the students, it was a challenge adjusting to new instructional staff while learning a new show. For the instructors, it was a challenge to step into the leadership roles with students who wanted things “the way they were,” Dreyfus explained.

“It’s apparent that students and staff met their challenges, worked out their differences and reached their common goal of coming home with the Governor’s Cup,” she said.

To learn more about the conference or see all the scores from the Dome, go to www.NYSFBC.org.