As the drum majors took their places on the field in the fading afternoon light, freshman Niv Bhide turned to his fellow band members seated on the bleachers beside him, fingers crossed. While the announcer went through the two divisions before Wenatchee High School Golden Apple Band’s AAA-large division, band members shuffled in the stands in the tense atmosphere.

“Of course I was nervous. It was my first time marching and competing in front of other bands,” Bhide later said.

At the Cavalcade of Bands competition against 22 other bands in Pasco, the GA Band moved on to finals by earning second place in their division and Best Percussion during preliminary competition, later taking eighth place against the remaining twelve bands during finals.

With an overall score during preliminary competition of 70.4, the GA Band was in close competition with West Valley, who took first place in their division with an overall score of 72.2. In finals competition, the band improved their overall score to 71.42.

Senior Claire Deveraux took first place in a marching competition, in which she had to march five steps in eight yards blindfolded. She was awarded a trophy of gold-painted band shoes, music secretary Laura Cornwall said in an email.