BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KFSM) -- UPDATE: Blue Springs South Jaguar Pride marching band, from Blue Springs, Missouri, takes the top prize at the inaugural Bentonville Marching Invitational.
Original story:
Seventeen marching bands from across the region compete at Bentonville High School for the grand champion trophy Saturday (Oct. 6) night.
"We've got one of the best shows that I think has ever been put on by the Bentonville marching band," said senior trumpet player Trevor Fogleman. He admits the Bentonville High School Band has put in grueling hours to prepare for the band's first invitation.
"If you were to stay awake for nine days straight just at rehearsal for this band program then you would have the amount of work we put into this show," said Fogleman.
The inaugural invitation hosted high school marching bands from across the region -- Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas.
Judges from California and New York flew into Bentonville to determine which of these bands wins the grand champion trophy.
Claire Castagna is a senior clairnet section leader at Bentonville High School. She said through preparing for this program it has inspired her to invest in others.
"I want to eventually go to be a high school director and also work with marching bands and try to like implement things that my director have taught me throughout the years," said Castagna.
For Fogleman, the work put into this program is worth it.
"This band program has shaped basically everything about my high school experience and I wouldn't [trade it for] anything for the world," he said.
The show was sold out and the winner was to be declared later Saturday night.