JSU Spirit Finishes Second at "Drum Beauty"
Drum & Bugle Competition
Reprinted here in its entirety.

The Beat of a Different Drum
By Elliot Mann
emann@acnpapers.com

STILLWATER - "Drum Beauty," the annual drum and bugle competition held at Pony Stadium, drew more than 4,000 people and rave reviews Sunday night, organizers said.

"The people love the event. It's just an amazing event," said Dave Eckberg, president of Drum Beauty planners St. Croix Events. "We were running out of tickets; we had to hand stamp people to get into the stadium."

In the top division, the Santa Clara Vanguard won with a score of 81.45 points from a panel of judges. Spirit, from Jacksonville State University, came in second with 73.45, while Pacific Crest and Southwind tied for third place with 68.80. The Madison Scouts rounded out the division with 66.60 points.

In the all-age division, the Minnesota Brass, Inc. took home first place honors with a score of 71.40. The Govenaires placed second with a score of 63.50 and Chops, Inc. finished third with a score of 60.40.

After watching the performances, Eckberg said it seemed that the drum corps were returning to a more traditional style, with more recognizable music.

"There was a lot of energy in the crowd based on the performances," he said.

This year's event attracted about 500 more people than last year, according to Eckberg.