The Rampart Regiment brought home silver medals from the Colorado Bandmasters Association state championships Saturday night at Denver's Invesco Field.

The 130-member marching band, directed by Justin Carpenter and Gary Arrasmith, placed less than one point behind champions Legacy High School of Broomfield, to take second place in the 5A Division.

Playing before an estimated 8,500 fans, Rampart was led by drum majors Devon Aimes and Sarah Boehke. This season's show, entitled 'Oceana', included an ethereal melody from vocal soloist Marie Bak, outstanding performances from individual musical ensembles, and aquatic visuals from Rampart's talented color guard.

The state championships were the culmination of an intense season that began, as always, on the school's scorching parking lot in July. A week long band camp teaches newcomers fundamental marching skills; members move on to the creation - and fine tuning - of an elaborate performance. Rampart's productions are noted for their difficulty; intricate marching patterns with continual music - a feat accomplished by only the highest caliber programs.

This year's road to the state championship took a detour through Missouri. Just hours after taking first place at Regionals, students boarded busses for St. Louis, where they participated in the Bands of America Super-Regional. Competing against more than 50 high schools programs, Rampart was honored with an 11 th place finish. The accolade is one of many for the Rampart marching program, which includes a 3 rd place 5A finish last year, and 4A championships in both 2005 and 2006. The music program consistently achieves 'Superior' ratings in state-wide evaluations. Many of Rampart's students go on to study music at some of the premiere colleges in the country.

Awards aside, the lessons of four remarkable seasons will forever be a part of this year's senior class. Time and again, members talk of the bonds and friendships forged on the parking lots, fields and bus rides - some 18 hours long - of the Rampart Regiment. As one student put it late Saturday night "You can never take this day, these memories away from me. I am so lucky to have been a part of this."

District 20 bands have made a place for themselves in the Colorado marching community. In addition to Rampart's success, Air Academy took first place in the 4A division on Saturday night. Liberty High School advanced to state quarter-finals for the first time in the school's 20 year history, ultimately taking 10 th place, while Pine Creek garnered a spot in quarter-finals with a 14 th place finish.