Wheaton North comp: varsity 3A stats and analysis
On day two of a busy competition weekend, 18 routines in varsity 3A performed at the Wheaton North contest on Sunday 1/12/14. Six was the magic number (the number of teams with 1 routine, the number with 2 routines, and the number of routines that performed the day before at Palatine).
The 3A field earned an average of 81.76, and a middle score (“median”) of 81.92. Since these two numbers are very close together, we can say that the scores were pretty evenly distributed through the range (a high of 92.57 down to 68.60). Plus, when we round the scores to whole numbers, no clusters of the same score appear in the list (scores of 93, 89, 82, 78, and 73 each appear twice), which tell us that the scores turned out pretty orderly.
The disorder creeps back in when you look at those six routines that also competed the day before at Palatine. For these three teams, the general trend was downward (the average for these six dropped about two points by Sunday afternoon). Five of the six scored lower on day two of a back-to-back weekend. Moreover, the lone team that enjoyed a gain on day two also faced the biggest drop for day two for their other routine!
Hip hop doesn’t get to boast much as an unofficial category this season, but Wheaton North changes that. For the first time so far in 2013-14 competition, hip hop routines collectively earned the highest average versus the other unofficial categories (90.99 for the two routines, way higher than the overall 3A average of 81.76). The six open dance / jazz routines averaged a 79.85, but aside from the high score of 90.93 (3rd overall), the other five jazz dances include an 86.33 and four more in the 70s. The two kick routines earned an average of 83.6, while the two lyricals averaged an 85.33. Six pom routines were spread out in terms of scores (a high of 92.50 and a low of 68.60), with an average of 78.80.
Not many teams can say that they’ve put both of their routines in the top 5 at a contest. In this elite group are Lake Park, Stevenson, and Fremd. Glenbard North, however, swept the top 2 at Wheaton North with scores of 92.57 and 92.50. Even though they’ve recently won a state title in TDI, the Pantherettes don’t always get the attention that other elite programs enjoy. But aside from their debut at Lake Zurich back in December, the team’s put both routines consistently in the upper 80s and usually the low 90s. This should keep them in the conversation when looking at the leading dance programs in Chicagoland.