Back to Broadway: Rockwall ISD A Cappella Groups Head to Nationals Again

They’ve done it again! Rockwall High School’s “Walk the Line” and Rockwall-Heath High School’s “Infiniti” a cappella choirs are headed back to the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) national competition in New York City.

Have you ever watched the “Pitch Perfect” movies? The International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) is the real-life high school version of the competition featured in the films, filled with the same high-energy music, choreography, and excitement that made them a blockbuster hit. Schools from across the nation compete in seven regional levels at the start of the year for a chance at nationals. Out of more than 4,000 performers, nine teams rise through the ranks to compete in the national finals. 

For the second year in a row, two of those nine elite teams hail from Rockwall County, the smallest geographic county in Texas.   

“It’s honestly quite extraordinary,” said Kenda Culpepper, the Rockwall County District Attorney and mother of a Walk the Line team member. “The kids on both teams are hardworking and driven to succeed. And they have outstanding directors who push them to be their best.”

Both teams competed in the Southwest Regional quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. In what many have described as the toughest Southwest Regional semifinal competition yet, Rockwall High School’s Walk the Line claimed first place, while Rockwall-Heath High School’s Infiniti secured second last month. Although Walk the Line’s first-place trophy earned them an automatic bid to nationals, Infiniti was able to later secure a national wild card spot. Last year, the roles were reversed, but both schools still ranked in the top four in the nation.

The groups are under the direction of Walk the Line directors Leia Browning and Donny Behne and Infiniti directors Lauren Smith and Patrick Vu.  

“It's amazing to have even one group advance to this level of competition, but to have two from the same school district in the smallest county in Texas is simply out of this world,” said Benjamin Sumrak, the Director of Fine Arts for Rockwall ISD. “These kids are among the best of the best. They have a healthy rivalry, but they are also friends and support each other outside of a cappella.”

The two groups will compete on Friday, April 25, at The Town Hall Theater on Broadway, in the heart of the New York City Theater District. 

“Going to Nationals is a lifetime bucket list achievement, and these kids are now headed to do it for the second time in two years,” said Browning. “We’re so excited to take this trip together again and cheer each other on as we try and bring home a National Championship to Rockwall!”