The Rush Wyman Award is presented annually to the Illinois District Chorus Champion. From 2007 through 2012, the chorus championship was awarded at the spring convention, with the champion sitting out the following two years. The fall convention was the International preliminary qualifying round for choruses.
Prior to 2007, the chorus championship was determined at the fall convention, with the champion representing the Illinois District at the International Chorus Contest the following summer. From 1965 through 2006, the top ten choruses at the fall contest would automatically qualify to compete the next fall along with the top five choruses at the next spring convention.
Beginning in 2013, the chorus championship is once again awarded at the fall chorus competition. Under the new format, however, the district champion chorus is ineligible to repeat as champion for the two years following, the same restriction used at the International contest. The champion chorus may compete in the years immediately following its victory to qualify for the International competition, but its score and rank are not considered in the tally for the district championship.
YEAR | WHERE HELD | CHAMPION | DIRECTOR | 2nd PLACE | 3rd PLACE |
2014 | Bloomington | Chi. West Suburban | Carrie Marcotte | Belleville | Rockford Metro |
2013 | Bloomington | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Belleville | Lake County |
2012 | Peoria | Bloomington | Terry Ludwig | Coles County | Belleville |
2011 | Bloomington | Chi. West Suburban | Bruce Hall | Belleville | Coles County |
2010 | Peoria | Northbrook | Bryan Harden | Belleville | Coles County |
2009 | Peoria | Bloomington | Terry Ludwig | Belleville | Lake County |
2008 | Peoria | Chicagoland W. S. | Joe Krones | Bloomington | Lake County |
# 2007 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Chicagoland W.S. | Lake County |
2006 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Chicagoland W.S. | Bloomington |
2005 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Lake County | Chicagoland W.S. |
2004 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Lake County | Bloomington |
2003 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Bloomington | Chicagoland W.S. |
2002 | Peoria | Lake County | Greg Lyne | Chicagoland W.S. | West Peoria Metro |
2001 | Peoria | Lake County | Greg Lyne | Lombard | Bloomington |
2000 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Lake County | Bloomington |
1999 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Lake County | Bloomington |
1998 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Lake County | Rockford Metro |
1997 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Lombard | Bloomington |
1996 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Lombard | Bloomington |
1995 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Lombard | Bloomington |
1994 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Lombard | Bloomington |
1993 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Lombard | Bloomington |
1992 | Peoria | Lombard | Joe Caulkins | Northbrook | Bloomington |
1991 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Lombard | Bloomington |
1990 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Lombard | Bloomington |
1989 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Lombard | Arlington Heights |
1988 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Bloomington | Arlington Heights |
1987 | Peoria | Northbrook | Jay Giallombardo | Bloomington | Champaign-Urbana |
1986 | Peoria | Lombard | Greg Lyne | Northbrook | Champaign-Urbana |
1985 | Peoria | Lombard | Greg Lyne | Northbrook | Champaign-Urbana |
1984 | Peoria | Lombard | Greg Lyne | Northbrook | Arlington Heights |
1983 | Peoria | Lombard | Greg Lyne | Northbrook | Arlington Heights |
1982 | Peoria | Lombard | Greg Lyne | Arlington Heights | Oak Lawn |
1981 | Springfield | Lombard | Greg Lyne | Bloomington | DuPage Valley |
1980 | Rock Island | Arlington Heights | Jay Giallombardo | Bloomington | DuPage Valley |
1979 | Peoria | Arlington Heights | Jay Giallombardo | Bloomington | Lombard |
1978 | Waukegan | Arlington Heights | Jay Giallombardo | Bloomington | Champaign-Urbana |
1977 | Belleville | Arlington Heights | Jay Giallombardo | Bloomington | Lombard |
1976 | Charleston | Bloomington | Sam Anliker | Arlington Heights | DuPage Valley |
1975 | Peoria | Arlington Heights | Doug Miller | Lombard | Bloomington |
1974 | Bloomington | Arlington Heights | Doug Miller | Lombard | Bloominton |
1973 | Belleville | Arlington Heights | Doug Miller | Lombard | Elgin |
1972 | Chicago | Arlington Heights | Doug Miller | Elgin | Bloomington |
1971 | Peoria | Lombard | Earl Auge | Arlington Heights | Elgin |
1970 | Rock Island | Lombard | Earl Auge | Arlington Heights | Bloomington |
1969 | Elgin | Lombard | Earl Auge | Arlington Heights | Bloomington |
1968 | Quincy | Arlington Heights | Earl Auge | Lombard | Bloomington |
1967 | Peoria | Pekin | Jim Moses | Arlington Heights | Lombard |
1966 | Chicago | Peoria | Glenn Purdue | Illinois Valley | Lombard |
* 1965 | Bloomington | Arlington Heights | Earl Auge | Pekin | Lombard |
1964 | Rock Island | Arlington Heights | Earl Auge | Lombard | Peoria |
1963 | Chicago | Arlington Heights | Earl Auge | Lombard | Peoria |
1962 | Peoria | Pekin | Jim Moses | Bloomington | Peoria |
1961 | Rockford | Pekin | Jim Moses | Bloomington | Lombard |
1960 | Bloomington | Lombard | Doc Ruggles | Peoria | Arlington Heights |
1959 | Rock Island | Bloomington | Glenn Purdue | Rockford | Southwest Suburban |
1958 | Skokie | Pekin | Jim Moses | Bloomington | Southwest Suburban |
1957 | Peoria | Pekin | Jim Moses | Southwest Suburban | Decatur |
1956 | Joliet | Bloomington | Glenn Purdue | Skokie Valley | Q-Suburban |
1955 | Decatur | Oak Park | Bob Haeger | Skokie Valley | Q-Suburban |
1955 | Bloomington (Fall) | Pekin | Jim Moses | Oak Park | Skokie |
1954 | Jacksonville (Spring) | Q-Suburban | Dick Svanoe | Skokie | Oak Park |
1953 | LaSalle (Unofficial) | Q-Suburban | Dick Svanoe | Princeton | ? |
# District chorus championship becomes open contest and moved to Spring. Champion gets two year bye.
* Top 10 choruses from previous fall get byes. Joined by top five from past spring contest.