Eastside Catholic’s marching band made history at the Bands of America Northwest Regional competition in Moscow, Idaho, on October 11-12, bringing home an array of awards and recognition. Competing against top bands from Washington, Oregon and Idaho at the University of Idaho’s Kibbie Dome, the Crusaders left their mark with a performance that wowed both the crowd and judges.
Our students took home awards for Best Music, Best Visual, Best General Effect and Best Overall in their division, securing their place as one of the premier marching bands in the competition. They also earned a spot in the top 10 overall, ranking among the best of all bands, regardless of division—a true testament to their talent and hard work.
Notably, Eastside Catholic remains the only school to have competed in every Bands of America Northwest Regional event, including previous competitions in 2014 and 2016, further cementing its legacy in the region.
One of the standout moments of their performance was the innovative use of traditional Filipino Tinikling in the third movement of their show—the first-ever in marching band history. Judges were particularly impressed by this cultural integration and memorable solos by Calvin Bertsch and Alisa Niu, which added a unique flair to the band’s performance.
"It was super cool to play at a big competition, and to make the finals for the first time with lots of other talented bands," Calvin Bertsch said. "My solo was a lot of fun to play, and it was very rewarding to see the hard work that was put into the show pay off."
Congratulations to the Eastside Catholic Marching Band for their historic achievements and remarkable performance!
View the full results from the competition.