Marching bands from across the region gathered for the 2026 Newton Band Classic, where schools competed in four classes for top honors in overall performance, drum major, percussion and auxiliary.
The competition featured bands representing Class 1A through Class 4A, with Salem, Mascoutah and Nashville earning the top overall Grand Champion standings. Nashville also received the Miss D Award in honor of Carolyn Dominik.
Class 1A
The Arcola Pride of the Purple Riders claimed first place in Class 1A, followed by the Oblong Marching Panthers in second place, the Casey-Westfield Marching Warriors in third and the Sangamon Valley Marching Storm in fourth.
Arcola also earned first place in both percussion and auxiliary. Oblong took first in drum major, while Casey-Westfield shared second place in drum major with Arcola.
Class 2A
The Nashville Marching Hornets captured first place in Class 2A, followed by the Cumberland Marching Pirates in second, the Flora Marching Wolves in third and the ALAH Marching Knights in fourth.
Nashville swept the top positions in drum major, percussion and auxiliary, earning first place in all three caption award categories.
Nashville also received the Miss D Award, presented in honor of Carolyn Dominik, adding a special recognition to the band’s accomplishments at the Newton Band Classic.
Cumberland finished second in the overall class standings, with Flora placing third and ALAH fourth.
Class 3A
The Salem Marching Wildcats took first place in Class 3A and delivered the top overall performance of the competition, earning the highest Grand Champion placement.
The Robinson Marching Maroons finished second in the class, followed by the Breese Central Marching Cougars in third and the Carterville Pride of the Lions in fourth.
Salem earned first place in both drum major and percussion. Robinson claimed first place in auxiliary, while Carterville placed second in drum major.
Class 4A
The Mascoutah Marching Indians earned first place in Class 4A, followed by the Urbana Tiger Marching Band in second.
Mascoutah also swept the caption awards, taking first place in drum major, percussion and auxiliary.
Urbana finished second in all three caption award categories.
Grand Champion standings
The overall Grand Champion standings brought together results from participating bands across the four competitive classes.
The Salem Marching Wildcats earned first place overall, followed by the Mascoutah Marching Indians in second and the Nashville Marching Hornets in third.
Newton Marching Eagles participate
The NCHS Marching Eagles were also listed on the competition results as an exhibition band. Their participation was recorded separately from the competitive class standings.
The Newton Band Classic showcased the musical performance, visual presentation, percussion and auxiliary talents of marching bands from throughout the region, with schools earning recognition both in their respective classes and in individual caption award categories.
