The Lemont High School Marching Band earned a runner-up finish in the Class 3A level at the 2012 State of Illinois Marching Band Championship on Oct. 27 at Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University.

Led by director Dave Nommensen and assistant director Matt Doherty, Lemont’s second-place finish marked its best placement since posting consecutive runner-up finishes in 2006 and 2007.

Lemont not only finished as the Class 3A runner-up to state champion Marian Catholic, but its high score placement in its preliminary performance earned the band a berth into the nighttime finals round,
where it competed against the top bands from all six classes.

This marked  the third time in the program’s history that it reached the nighttime finals based solely on its score placement. The band also earned the “Crowd Appeal” award in the Class 3A competition.

The band’s 2012 show - “RED” - included four pieces: “Queen of the Night” (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart), “Moonlight Sonata” (Ludwig van Beethoven), “Salvation is Created” (Pavel Tchesnokoff) and
“Allegro Barbaro” (Bela Bartok).

Lemont’s 2012 drum majors include seniors Maggie Brown, Kelly Collins and Nick Dory and junior Phil Zukowski. The band’s section leaders include seniors Rita Cardella (Low Brass), Jenna Chapman (Color Guard), Szymon Koszarek (Flute), Michael Madsen (Low Winds), Joe Ruggerio (High Brass), David Spinelli (Clarinet) and Brett Szulc (Percussion).

Lemont had finished fourth in Class 3A in 2010 and 2011, and third in Class 3A in 2008 and 2009. Prior to its consecutive runner-up finishes in 2006 and 2007, Lemont’s band won eight consecutive Class
3A state titles from 1998-2005. Marian Catholic moved from Class 4A to Class 3A in 2006 and has since won seven straight Class 3A titles.

This is the Lemont band program’s second top-two placement in state competition within the last six months. In April, the school’s Honors Symphonic Band was named the top Class 3A band at the 2012 State of Illinois Invitational High School Concert Band Contest at Illinois State University in April.

Editor’s note: The information above was provided in a press release from Lemont High School.

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