The Ottawa Township High School Music Department finished third in the 2026 Illinois High School Association Class A Music Sweepstakes held the weekend of April 18.

According to a news release from OTHS, the OTHS bands and choirs participating in the IHSA Solo and Ensemble and Organizational Contests scored a combined 807 points.

“One of our biggest goals throughout the contest is providing our students with quality musical experiences,” OTHS Band Director Andrew Jacobi said. “Our main focus is to grow our students into stronger musicians.”

The 2026 competition marks the 40th time OTHS has placed in the top three in its class in the 54-year history of the IHSA Music Sweepstakes, according to the release.

“Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Concert Choir, Treble Choir and Crimson Choir all got all Division I ratings,” Jacobi said. “It’s the third time that has happened in my 10 years at the school.”

High school music programs across 5 different classes compete in the IHSA Solo & Ensemble Contest and the IHSA Music Organizational Contest.

90 OTHS music students competed in 100 events during the Solo and Ensemble Contest part of the competition on March 7 at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School before the full music department headed to Kewanee High School for the Organizational portion that was supposed to begin on Friday, April 17, according to the release.

“A challenge that the choirs had to face was that we were suddenly rescheduled to Day 2 of the Organizational Contest due to the weather,” OTHS Choral Director Ali Stachowicz said. “It ended up being all the more exciting and special that all three choirs were awarded Division I’s, because the students rose to the occasion against those circumstances.”

Jacobi stressed that the primary goals for the band and choirs transcend how they score in the competition.

“The biggest win for us is the quality music we made along the way and the bonds our students made with each other through the process,” he said.

Since the IHSA State Music Championship series began in 1972, OTHS has collected 22 total IHSA State Music Championships, six runner-up awards, and 12 third-place finishes.