WHITEWATER, Wis. — Students took to the field at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to compete in the Wisconsin School Music Association State Marching Band Championships on Saturday.

Rainy weather didn’t stop the music at Perkins Stadium, and it didn’t dampen the excitement for the Antigo High School Marching Band.

“It’s definitely different thinking about conducting a band instead of being in one,” said drum major Tom Frei, a senior.

Frei took over the role of drum major this year after previously playing saxophone. He said he was a bit wary at first about taking on a leadership role.

“It’s really weird to not have that sense of direction as a conductor,” he said. “But I think that it turned out really well.”

This was a year of firsts, not just for Frei, but for the band as a whole. It was their first year back at State as a competitive band, rather than an exhibition band. It’s a decision that Director Austin Kappel said was entirely up to the students.

“They showed me through their work and their efforts that that’s something they wanted to test themselves with and I was happy to push them to do that,” he said.

The band performed their program “Mercury Rising” featuring a medley of Queen hits. While it wasn’t without a few technical glitches, Frei said he’s happy with their performance.

“This time it felt natural, and it felt like I could do it ten more times if I had to,” he said.

For Austin, it was the culmination of months of hard work for him and his students during an already busy time.

“They just have a lot of balancing to do in the fall and they do an awesome job with that and it helped out, and then I get to help them out as well by putting on a good show,” he said.

It was bittersweet for Frei, as it’s his last year with the band. He said each member is like family.

“I’m really going to miss these people,” he said. “I’ll still try to end up making one or two competitions to watch us each year.”