Seniors Secure Another Superior

October 26, 2026

By Payton Ebmeier

As fall activities wrap up, seniors face their last year in their sports and activities, and marching band is no different. The Pride of the Bluejays marching band traveled to Kearney, to compete in the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association State Marching Band Competition at Kearney High School. This was the final performance of the year and definitely made an impression on the students and the audience.

“I think our final performance at state was the best we performed all season. It felt like everything finally came together, and all the work we put in throughout the year really showed,” Evelyn Skrdla, senior trumpet, commented.

After surviving the bumpy three-hour drive, the band prepared for their final performance at 5:30 p.m. After waiting an hour for awards, the band sat in the stands, ready to hear their rating. They were the second-to-last band announced, and after hearing tier two so many times, anticipation was building. 

“It was terrifying; I was so nervous that we weren't going to get our goal because of what other schools got and with the judging being more strict than usual,” Jayna Prochaska, senior saxophone, exclaimed.

Finally, the Pride of the Bluejays score was announced, and it was a superior, keeping the 11-year streak alive and well. With such a large class graduating, 16 out of 52 members, the band will face major changes next year.

“Every year the band is different, and with our school's scheduling, it is different every semester. This always provides a challenge in how we approach show and music selection. This year, we have a large and talented senior class. This allowed us to put a slightly more challenging show on the field. The band transforms every year, and some years are simply rebuilding years. I see next year as a year that the band will have a shift in the level and type of show. I have some great 8th graders coming up that will fill in some of the gaps.  Unfortunately, our school loses up to 80% of our band students from 8th to 9th grade due to various issues and misinformation, mostly culture-related within the school population and sometimes the community.  But rest assured, the Pride of the Bluejays will overcome some of these challenges and be true to their name,” Michael Sindt, Pride of the Bluejays band director, stated.

The band started their season strong with a superior rating and continued to earn that rating throughout the season. Make sure to congratulate them on their outstanding performance and season.