Before we list the finalists, there are a few corps of note who didn't make Finals this year.
- The Blue Stars missed Finals for the first time since 2008 and by 0.3 points.The last time they were in 13th place was in 1980, after making every DCI Finals since 1972. North Star beat them for 12th place by 2.3 points.
- The 2012 DCI Open Class Champion Oregon Crusaders placed 19th in World Class, with a score of 77.45.
- The Seattle Cascades rounded out the World Class competition, placing 25th, with a score of 68.75.
There was a time when making the Top 25 was considered elite. and the twenty to thirty corps below 25th and the Class A & All Girl corps wished they were good enough to place there. Sadly, the combination of challenges, mostly financial, caused the number of corps to dwindle to a number so low. If someone finds a way to greatly reduce the cost of fielding a corps to an affordable level, the numbers will rise again.
Here are tonight's finalists in reverse order of finish in Semi-Finals:
- 12th - Crossmen (84.90) - Congrats for making DCI Finals for the first time since 2004. They first made DCI Finals in 1977. They only came in 12th place one other time, in 1989. Their highest ever finish was 6th place in 1992.
- 11th - Spirit of Atlanta (85.65) - Last year's 12th place corps moved up one notch. Spirit only placed 11th one other time, in 1990. They first made Finals in 1978. Their highest ever finish was 4th place in 1980.
- 10th - Blue Knights (87.65) - This is their ninth consecutive appearance in Finals.Their first appearance in DCI Finals was in 1991. Tenth is a familiar place to the Blue Knights, placing there three other times, in 1993, 2004, and 2005. Their highest finish was 6th place in 2000.
- 9th - Madison Scouts (88.80) - The Scouts are also one of the only two all male corps left. They first made DCI Finals in 1973. Of all the times Madison made Finals, this is only their second appearance in 9th place. Their only other time was in 1990. Their highest finishes were two DCI Championships in 1975 and 1988.
- 8th - Boston Crusaders (89.30) - This is BAC's 14th consecutive and ever appearance in Finals. This is also their second consecutive and ever 8th place. Their highest placement was 5th in 2000 and 2002.
- 7th - The Cavaliers (89.40) - What? Wow! This is the Cavies' lowest placement since 1997, when they also placed 7th. It's not as bad a fall as the 2009 Phantom Regiment, but definitely a surprise. This is the second of the two remaining all male corps in the activity. The Cavies first made Finals in 1972. They have made every Finals since 1979. The Cavaliers came in 7th place three other times; 1976, 1977, and of course, 1997. They won the DCI Championship seven times, the last time in 2006.
- 6th - Bluecoats (92.80) - Happy 40th anniversary Bluecoats!! At this point, the bottom six are no threat to the top six. This is the Bluecoats' 13th consecutive appearance in Finals. They first made DCI Finals in 1987 and made it every year except in 1999. The Bluecoats came in 6th three other times, in 2004, 2008, and 2009. Their highest finish was 3rd in 2010.
- 5th - Santa Clara Vanguard (93.70) - This is the only corps to appear in every DCI Finals. From 1972-89, they only placed below 3rd once, in 1980 (7th). They were also the first DCI Finalist to have a soft ending instead of a loud one, in 1983. The Vanguard placed fifth five other times: 1994, 1996, 2003, 2007, and 2009. They won six DCI Championships; 1973, 1974, 1978, 1981, 1989, and 1999.
- 4th - The Cadets (94.10) - This is the (formerly Garfield) Cadets' 33rd consecutive DCI Finals appearance. They placed 4th four other times: 1986, 1988, 1999, and 2004. The Cadets also made Finals in 1975 and 1977. In 1978, they were the first corps to sing on the field, singing the word "amen", but were penalized, because talking on the field was not allowed then. You can't blame George Hopkins for this one, because he was on the Crossmen's snare line that season. The Cadets won ten DCI Champions and are defending DCI Champions.
- 3rd - Phantom Regiment (95.70) - The Regiment has made every DCI Finals except for the first two. Of all their Finals finishes, they only placed 3rd four other times, in 1991, 1993, 1994, and 2005. Phantom finished below 6th place only nine times since 1974, the last time in 2009 (9th). The Phantom Regiment won two DCI Championships, in 1996 and 2008.
- 2nd - Carolina Crown (97.45) - This in the highest placing corps in Semi-Finals to never win a DCI Championship. Crown is also the youngest corps in Finals, first competing in 1990. They made every DCI Finals since 1995, except one (2002). Carolina Crown came in second place one other time, in 2009.
- 1st - Blue Devils (98.20) - Like the Phantom Regiment, the Blue Devils have made every DCI Finals since 1974. However, the Devils placed 4th and above every year since 1975. Their lowest placement in Finals was 9th place in 1974. The only time they were in first in Prelims or Semi-Finals and lost was in 2008, when the Phantom Regiment came from behind and won. The Blue Devils won 14 DCI Championships, more than any other corps, their last one in 2010.
There will probably be changes in placement for a few corps in this evening's competition. The most common places are in the bottom six, with some in the 3rd-6th slots. There is a chance the Madison Scouts, Cavaliers, Boston Crusaders, Santa Clara Vanguard, Cadets, and Phantom Regiment could see some movement. Unless the Carolina Crown members have the performance of their lives and/or the Blue Devils falter, the Devils should win their 15th championship.
The corps names above are links to their home pages.
Good luck to all the corps tonight!!
