BY RAIN DERLIN AND BLAIRE REKLAITIS
The Indoor Percussion team placed second in the WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. The competition took place from April 21-24 in three rounds: preliminary, semi-finals, and finals.
At the World Championships, the students competed against teams across the nation. The ensemble’s faculty advisor, Melissa Thatcher, explained, “This group is comprised of 38 highly dedicated students that have been practicing and competing since November through April 24 at least 20 hours a week.”
The students showed enthusiasm towards their placement in the competition. “When they called us for second, it was like all of our hard work meant something!” senior Katie Chow exclaimed. “Second in the world is pretty crazy!”
The team earned their high placement while competing against 47 other schools. Senior Danielle Formica added, “I was ecstatic, I’ve never done that well in a competition that large, so to place so high was really exhilarating!”
According to Thatcher, the ensemble spent “at least 20 hours a week” practicing for the competition from November to the day of the event. Chow elaborated, “we practiced three, sometimes four, times a week Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and around eight hours on Saturdays when we can.”
Seniors and other students in the ensemble for the past two years, such as Natalie Torchia, became Old Bridge’s first double WGI medalists after placing silver in both of the past two years. “I could not have asked for a better ending to my time in indoor percussion,” said Torchia, who has participated in the ensemble for four years.
Formica credits the team’s success to the members’ positive attitude and high morale. “We were all really excited to just be there, and we all wanted to do well, so I think being on the same page really helped us in the long run,” stated Formica.
The accomplishments of this season left Torchia with a sense of pride and hope for the future of the team, “With the success of our 2022 season, I feel that so much growth and accomplishments are in store for the future of our indoor percussion program. I am so excited to see what the future holds for this program!”
Posted on 5/27/22
Photos provided by Nicole Mondano
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