BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Four Astoria musicians helped the Oregon Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps win the respect of the judges and the hearts of the crowd at the 2008 Drum Corps International World Championships. The competition, which began last week in Michigan City, Ind., brought together 23 Open Class corps with members from North America, Europe and Japan, vying for slots in the finals round held Saturday at Memorial Stadium on the campus of Indiana University.

Masen Bowers, Jessica Nokelby, James Strecker and Jasmine Thomasian brought home finalist medals, an honor earned by only 12 corps in each of two divisions nationwide.

The Crusaders placed fourth overall, just behind powerhouses Jersey Surf (Camden County, N.J.), Blue Devils B (Concord, Calif.) and Vanguard Cadets (Santa Clara, Calif.). But their real triumph came in the semifinals round Friday, when they earned the highest score in the history of the Crusaders organization, 93.325.

Scores are totaled from eight judges who look at specific areas of performance, including visual, brass, colorguard and percussion, as well as general effect, from the field and from the press box.

This year marks the debut of a new division structure in Drum Corps International. Previously, corps were categorized mainly by size as Division I, II or III, with Division I being the largest, most well-established corps. Last year, the Crusaders placed fifth in Division III with a score of 80.775. Placing fourth in the new Open Division, which combines Divisions II and III, makes the Crusaders’ season all the more remarkable, as six of their 2008 Open Class competitors marched in Division II last year.

For more information on the Oregon Crusaders, including photos of their tour and competitions, visit (www.oregoncrusaders.org)

For information on Drum Corps International, visit (www.dci.org)