2026 ICHSA Great Lakes Quarterfinal @ Oak Creek High School

DEAR FRIENDS,

Welcome to Varsity Vocals’ 30th season! After more than a quarter century of presenting the best student groups on the stage and in the studio, our enthusiasm for the art of a cappella is greater than ever.

Our tournaments have grown from a handful of events to the massive showcase they are today, currently featuring more than 730 groups and around 12,000 singers at over 85 events across North America and the United Kingdom.

Our original tournament inspired the hit movie, "Pitch Perfect," based on the nonfiction book documenting the true story of rival groups competing in our very own ICCA. The "Pitch Perfect" franchise remains the highest-grossing cinematic musical series of all time.

Despite the incredible growth and mainstream popularity we’ve enjoyed, our focus remains sharply on the promotion and development of the talent that crosses our stage. We believe competition fosters growth, as groups work together toward a specific goal and cultivate lifelong skills and relationships.

We provide insightful feedback from our highly qualified judges, but more importantly, our singers get to connect with a larger audience from across the country, learning from their peers and finding inspiration from other groups.

We have seen a cappella make great strides from where it began on our stage 30 years ago and can’t wait to see how our 2026 competitors continue to push the envelope. Committed to promoting our singers and energized by the incredible music they create, we look forward to another memorable season. Thank you for joining us!

Sincerely,

Amanda Newman
Executive Director

ICHSA GREAT LAKES QUARTERFINAL

Oak Creek High School
Saturday, February 7th, 2026

WE'RE SOCIAL

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ABOUT VARSITY VOCALS

Since 1996, we have encouraged students worldwide to sing a cappella throughout their lives. Our programs include both the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), and the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA). We also annually produce The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) and The Best of High School A Cappella (BOHSA) compilation albums.

Our a cappella competitions give top-notch a cappella groups the opportunity to showcase their talents for an international audience and to take home valuable feedback from our qualified judges. This year, competing groups will appear in venues all around the world, offering their energetic musical performances for your enjoyment.

The high school tournament is now in its 21st year. The winners of each of seven Semifinal rounds will advance to the ICHSA Finals at The Town Hall in New York City on Friday, April 24th.

The college tournament, now in it's 30th year, takes place from January through April in nine regions across the country and around the world. Each region holds four or five Quarterfinals, and the top groups from each Quarterfinal advance to the Semifinal. The winning group at each Semifinal is named Regional Champion and advances to the ICCA Finals at The Town Hall in New York City on Saturday, April 25th.

For a full tournament schedule, visit us at www.varsityvocals.com/events

ABOUT TONIGHT'S SHOW

The performance order was determined by random draw this afternoon and will be announced from stage.

Tonight’s performers will be evaluated on elements of their vocal and visual performance, which carry numerical weight. The highest and lowest score from the individual judges will be dropped for each group. Our judges may recognize exceptional performances with special awards as they see fit.

There will be a 15-minute intermission. After the final group has performed, a guest performer will entertain you while the scores are tabulated.

Because each group only has 10 minutes to perform, we ask you to keep your applause to an enthusiastic minimum between songs. Please feel welcome to applaud as much as you want after each group has finished its set.

Videotaping and non-flash photography for personal use is permitted during the concert, so long as you do not disrupt our performers or other patrons. Due to licensing regulations, we do not provide a video or audio recording of this performance.

TONIGHT'S COMPETITORS

Beloit Turner Overdrive (BTO) hails from F.J. Turner High School and is in its eighth year of existence as a competitive group. Composed of freshmen through seniors, this group is almost entirely student-led. As an extracurricular group, BTO meets on Monday nights and during the school day for rehearsals.

G-Harmony is a dynamic pop a cappella group from Greendale High School, consisting of students from grades 10 through 12. The group members bring a depth of musical experience, including the school choirs, bands, and orchestras. They strive to make their music program proud with entertaining performances at school and throughout the greater community. G-Harmony has enjoyed watching, meeting, and learning from other groups at the ICHSA, as well as from the Varsity Vocals judges and directors. They are excited to make their third ICHSA appearance this year and hope you enjoy their performance!

Incognito is an extracurricular choir group from Mayville High School, currently in its 11th year performing competitive a cappella. The name “Incognito” honors the original group, which formed as a secret project and made their debut at the last concert of the academic year.

Hailing from Rufus King High, King’s Chord made history last year as the first group from Milwaukee Public Schools to compete in the ICHSA and they’re thrilled to be back! An unauditioned ensemble of students seeking a challenge, King's Chord prides itself on its diversity and originality, with a repertoire including covers and original songs. Through the ICHSA, they hope to strengthen meaningful connections within the group and form new ones with other groups from around the region. King's Chord would like to wish all groups good luck in the competition, and thank their families and communities for supporting them on this journey. They can’t wait to put on an incredible show!

Ladies Knight is Oak Creek High School's elite all-treble a cappella group. They have been active in the a cappella scene since 2014. In addition to competing in the ICHSA, they maintain a busy schedule hosting a cappella conferences (OCAP) and collaborative performances, recording their music, and participating in community outreach. Ladies Knight has qualified for ICHSA Semifinals on several occasions and earned placements on Varsity Vocals' BOHSA album. They also have several of their own albums and singles available on all streaming platforms. Ladies Knight loves entertaining audiences with a mix of heartfelt ballads and jaw-dropping jams. You can follow Ladies Knight on Instagram @ladiesknightoc.

Limited Edition is an exceptional mixed group of young men and women from Port Washington, Wis. Founded by Dennis Gephart, this group is celebrating its 24th year as a group. Over the years, Limited Edition has had the privilege to represent the Midwest at ICHSA Finals and even won the 1st place Championship title in 2010.

Nothin' But Treble is Loyola Academy's student-led a cappella group. They are excited to return to the ICHSA stage and hope you enjoy their performance!

Unstrumental SATB is in its fifth year of existence at River Falls High School. Their goals are to grow as musicians and have fun. Group members enjoy leadership opportunities with student-led choreography and arrangements. Unstrumental SATB competed in its first ICHSA in 2025 and they’re excited to show what they’ve learned in their second season!

Unstrumental SSA is River Falls High School's treble ensemble. They pride themselves on empowering women through music. The Unstrumental program has existed for five years and the SSA ensemble has been around for four of them. Ranging from freshmen to seniors, this group is excited to participate in the ICHSA again after making their debut last year! Unstrumental SSA is a student-led group and creates all of their own choreography and arrangements. Last year, they took home the award for Outstanding Choreography at ICHSA Quarterfinals!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Hannah Divin (she/her/hers) is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, where she earned her bachelor's degree in choral music education and was a member of Impromptu A Cappella. She served as music director for two years, leading the group to compete in ICCA and Port Washington’s Acapocalypse Festival. She now works as a general music and choir teacher for Blair-Taylor School District in Blair, Wis.

Molly Pufall-Brown is happy to be judging for Varsity Vocals again this year. She was a member of the Millikin University OneVoice group that won the ICCA Champion title in 2004. She holds an M.M. from Northern Illinois University and taught full-time at the collegiate level for eight years in Milwaukee, Wis. She currently works at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and directs a church choir in Brookfield, Wis. Molly is also a founding member of The Marion Consort, a professional Chicago-based early music ensemble. She thrives on educating people about the art and aesthetics of singing with others, particularly in small ensembles.

Michael Severino (he/him/his) began his a cappella journey at Illinois State University as music director and choreographer of The Clef Hangers. He led the group to top placements at ICCA Great Lakes Quarterfinals and three consecutive Semifinals appearances, while earning awards for Outstanding Arrangement and Outstanding Choreography. He currently serves as Education Coordinator for the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival (LAAF), organizing workshops and collaborating with educators, and is an active judge for the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs), A Cappella Video Awards (AVAs), ICCA, and ICHSA. Michael also helps organize nationwide educational events through Cut Off Studios and has supported ICHSA competitions in the past as a production assistant for Varsity Vocals. In addition to his work in education, adjudication, and event management, he is an active performer, singing bass with the semi-professional group, Outbound A Cappella, in the Chicago suburbs.

Lynn Sill has over a decade of a cappella experience. In high school, she performed with Vocal Point from Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School, advancing all the way to ICHSA Finals twice and finishing as high as 3rd place. In college, she arranged and performed with Under-A-Rest at University of Wisconsin, competing in ICCA while fostering her art as a competitive beatboxer. She continues to hone her craft by training and workshopping with a cappella groups around the country.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank our judges, hosts, competitors, volunteers, partners, and producers; and you, the audience, for supporting Varsity Vocals programming.

Amanda Newman
Executive Director

Elise Hackl-Blumstein
ICHSA Director
PA/MA Program Coordinator

Dave Rabizadeh
ICCA Director

Emily Sucher
Director of Publications

Lucy Jacobs
Senior Producer, ICCA & ICHSA West

Lindsay Howerton-Hastings
Senior Producer, ICCA South

Arvin Zabalerio
Senior Producer, ICCA Central

Gemma Witham
Producer, ICCA United Kingdom

Rebecca Williamson
Producer, ICCA Northeast

Adam McNeil
Producer, ICHSA Great Lakes

Valentyna Simon
Producer, ICHSA West

Ben Garza
Producer, ICHSA Southwest

Bryce McCracken
Associate Producer, ICCA Central

Angelina Corbin
Associate Producer
ICCA & ICHSA South

Sara Yood
Senior Producer, ICCA & ICHSA Finals

Emily Flanders
Director of Adjudication
Senior Producer, ICCA Great Lakes

Andrew Poole
Director of Digital Media

Charlotte Taylor
Marketing & Social Strategy

Holli Kitching
Senior Producer, ICCA Mid-Atlantic

Leah Alrutz
Senior Producer, ICCA Midwest

Alaina Wegner
Producer, ICCA Southwest

Christopher Witham
Producer, ICCA United Kingdom

Jillian Kimberlin
Senior Producer, ICHSA Mid-Atlantic

Christopher Hoffman
Producer, ICHSA Northeast

Jake Yoakum
Producer, ICHSA West

Nicole Palmetto
Associate Producer, ICCA Northeast

Tyandria Jaaber
Associate Producer, ICCA Mid-Atlantic

McKinley Thoreson
Associate Producer
ICHSA Great Lakes

OUR TEAM

We have an amazing team of people who work tirelessly to make our programs so valuable for our singers and audiences alike — and they all do it while holding down full-time day jobs, too!

The top two finishing groups at this event will advance to the 2026 ICHSA Great Lakes Semifinal

BRING THE HARMONY HOME

Find your favorite groups on The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) and The Best of High School A Cappella (BOHSA), available for purchase on Apple Music and Amazon Music!

VIEW ALBUMS

#ICHSA