In a field that has been dominated by the Blue Devils in six of the last 10 years, the Bluecoats are just the 10th corps in 44 years to have its name affixed to Drum Corps International's stately Founders Trophy. After the corps' win Bluecoats executive director David Glasgow stated:

"Our organization has been in existence for 44 years. We've folded twice and I don't know that a lot of people know that. To be here where we are tonight is an incredible accomplishment for everybody who has ever stepped in our organization's door."

With a score of 97.650, the Bluecoats also took home hardware for the Donald Angelica Award for Best General Effect.

Carolina Crown not only received the bronze medal with its score of 97.088, the corps stole the show, taking home the George Zingali Award for Best Color Guard, the John Brazale Best Visual Performance Award, and the Jim Ott Best Brass Performance Award.

Santa Clara Vanguard finished in fourth place with a score of 95.300. The corps' percussion section dominated the competition, taking first place in the caption during Thursday night's Prelims and Saturday's Finals, allowing the corps to take home the Fred Sanford Award for Best Percussion Performance.

Setting out to rebound from 2015 when the corps experienced its lowest placement since the early 1980s, the Cavaliers finished 2016 strong, in fifth place with a score of 94.025.

The Cadets ended its season less than they'd hoped (6th, 92.763), but are still happy with the hard work from the entire corps.

The Blue Knights took seventh place with a score 90.738. In eighth place, Phantom Regiment added two tenths to its overall score between Semifinals and Finals to end its season with a score of 89.963. Blue Stars (9th, 89.050) spent the majority of the 2016 DCI Tour in close quarters with Phantom Regiment and the Blue Knights, managing to improve its overall placement two spots from 2015 to 2016. Scoring 86.975, the Crossmen took 10th place, marking the San Antonio corps' highest placement and score over the past 13 years.

The Academy ended its 2016 campaign in 11th place with a score of 86.100, the first time in the history of the corps that it has finished as a World Class World Championship finalist. Following 13th and 14th place finishes at several regional DCI Tour events earlier this summer, the Boston Crusaders looked to be in danger of falling out of DCI's top-12 for the first time in 17 years.

A year from now drum corps will return to Indianapolis, this time for Drum Corps International's historic 45th anniversary.