Photo by Deb Gau During one part of their field show, the Marshall Tiger Marching Band and color guard worked to capture the feeling of the morning rush to work.

MARSHALL — It was a busy day for the Marshall Tiger Marching Band to say the least. On Saturday, band and color guard members took part in a two-hour clinic, practiced more after that, and finally took the field at the Schwan Regional Event Center later that night.

But while the annual Pursuit of Excellence competition is hard work, it’s worth it, band members said.

“It helps us take what we’ve already been working on this season to another level,” said Daylin Crowley, one of this year’s Tiger band commanders.

This year, Pursuit brought together a total of 20 marching bands from Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa. Bands competed in one of four different size classes, with Marshall High School giving a judged exhibition performance at the end of the program.

Bands placing first in their classes this year include Harrisburg High School of Harrisburg, S.D.; West Lyon High School of Inwood, Iowa; Mitchell High School of Mitchell, S.D.; and Lincoln High School of Sioux Falls, S.D.

“I always think Pursuit is really fun because you get a chance to look at all the other bands,” said Tiger band member Janee Patterson.

Competition isn’t the only part of Pursuit, however — there’s also a learning component. Throughout the day Saturday, judges also worked with bands to help polish their performances.

“It pushes you to do better,” said Tiger band member Olivia Houseman.

“It’s great getting feedback from different judges,” said band member Maddy Van Keulen. She said some of their feedback on Saturday put a new light on the band’s sound dynamics during part of the show. “How they explained it helped a lot.”

During the Tigers’ clinic session, judges also gave advice on marching and color guard performance.

“You should have a ton of confidence in what you do,” judge Brandon Wickham told Marshall students. Band and color guard members needed to “own the show” when they were performing, he said.

Pursuit of Excellence is a unique experience for judges, too.

“It’s an exhausting day, but it’s a lot of fun,” said judge Joseph Itkor, who was working with the Tigers on their performance.

“It’s great for bands, because we each get to work with a handful of them,” Wickham said. He hoped it would have a positive impact for students.

For Marshall students, Pursuit is also fun because it’s in their hometown.

“It’s always nice to have a home game,” Houseman said. It makes it easier for friends and family to go see the band perform.

“It’s a really good opportunity for people who haven’t seen marching band to come watch,” Patterson said.

Tiger band students said some parts of this season have been challenging. For example, Crowley said the band didn’t have all of the show’s choreography finalized until a few weeks ago. But at the same time, students said they’re feeling positive about this year’s show. Patterson said the different band sections are all collaborating well with each other.

“I really enjoy this show,” Van Keulen said. The Tigers have done some shows with more serious themes in the past, she said. “This year, it’s more fun and upbeat.”