Saturday Oct. 22, marked the Ada High School marching band's fourth weekend of competition, as well as its fourth 1st place finish. 

The band place first in the Bloom Carroll Classic, in Carroll, Ohio. In addition, the band won Best Color Guard, Best Percussion, Best Visual, and Best General Effect and Best Music Awards.

The band continued its success Saturday at the Tri-Valley Classic in Dresden. At that contest, the last regular-season contest of the season, the band qualified for the Ohio Music Education Association State Marching Band Finals for the first time in the history of Ada's instrumental music program. 

In addition to placement and scoring, bands must also receive an overall rating of One, or Superior, to qualify for the state event, which is done be receiving at least four "Superior" ratings from the seven judges at the contest, and qualification is determined regardless of class, pitting Ada's 35-member band against groups as large as 300. The Ada High School Marching Band received "Superior" ratings in every caption.

The band now performs at the state finals event, Friday, Nov. 4, at 8:30 p.m. at Brunswick High School in Brunswick, Ohio.

The band will be performing their award-winning 2016 production "To Infinity" at the state finals, as well as the Bands of America Grand National Championship in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., the following week. 

The production tells the story of galactic space ranger Buzz Lightyear, and takes the audience "To Infinity and Beyond" with selections such "You've Got a Friend in Me" and Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me," as well as original work by director Jonathan Lischak. 

The program features flute and saxophone soloist Libbie Milks, trumpet soloists Hailey Maier and Callee Young, trombone soloist Meredith Marshall, percussion soloist Meredith Morgan, mellophone soloist Evan Smittle, and bass clarinet soloist Nathan Hurtig.

The band is under the direction of Jonathan Lischak, with color guard director Amy Webb. Student leadership includes drum majors Libbie Milks, Hailey Maier, Meredith Morgan, and Meredith Marshall and color guard captains Lindsay Crouse and Maddie Preston.