728 Cadets Win Grand Champion Honor at Owatonna Marching Band Festival

The 728 Cadets from the Zimmerman / Rogers / Elk River area won the Grand Champion award at Saturday's Harry Wenger Marching Band Festival in Owatonna.

The 728 Cadets also captured the People's Choice award and Class AAA first place of the eighth annual marching band festival. Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg won the Class A competition and Henry Sibley was the AA winner.

Second place went to Winona Cotter (A), Dassel-Cokato (AA) and Waconia (AAA). Other awards included top drum line, going to Lake City (A), Dassel-Cokato (AA) and 728 Cadets (AAA). The top color guard honors were awarded to KMS (A), Henry Sibley (AA) and the Cadets (AAA). Top horn line was Winona Cotter (A), Sibley (AA) and Waconia (AAA).

Other participating schools were NRHEG, Dover-Eyota, Richfield, Milaca and Mankato.

Owatonna marched in exhibition, which is customary for the hosting school. OHS took third place later in the day Saturday while competing at Waconia. Owatonna's band, under the direction of Pete Guenther, will travel to Sauk Rapids June 23, St. Cloud June 24 and Lake City June 25.

The annual Harry Wenger Marching Band Festival exclusively showcases high school marching bands as the only entries in the 90-minute parade.