Princeton, NJ · DRUMCORPS.NET PROFILE
Raiders at a glance
From twenty-five performers to a championship
George Lavelle Jr. founded Raiders in 1990. The initial board also included George Lavelle Sr., Trent Smith, Clarence Jackson, and Anthony Bestreski. The intended program combined competitive opportunity with an economical participation model. The first field appearance was June 22, 1991, with twenty-five members, followed by second place in the Garden State Circuit that season.
The corps moved between the historical Division II and Division III classifications as its size and competitive program developed. It won a Garden State Circuit title in 1993, reached seventh at the 1996 Division III championship, and won the DCI Division III World Championship in 2005. In 2007 it competed in Division II and finished sixth. The present Open Class designation belongs to the later combined system. Official alumni history.
A documented competitive step in 2024
DCI’s 2024 championship report records Raiders seventh in Open Class at 73.375, its highest placement since 2010. That followed tenth in 2023. DCI identifies general effect as an important advantage over the next corps in the standings, Colt Cadets. This supplies a meaningful recent milestone without implying that a single score can predict future results. Official 2024 championship coverage.
DCI’s announcement tracker identifies the 2024 production as Fan the Flames. For a performance study, compare the announced theme with what the visual forms, percussion textures, and brass development communicate to an audience. This page does not invent repertoire or a detailed plot that the cited announcement does not supply. DCI 2024 show tracker.
Sources and further reading
- Official homepage
- History
- Program overview
- 2024 championship coverage
- 2024 show tracker
- Policies
- Volunteering
- Contacts
- Design team