A sport about spinning flags, rifles, and even sabers. A state championship for the JV winter guardmade a fantastic placing at the WGI competition on March 14th. First place in all 21, Scholastic schools and a high ranking of 4th place in state finals. The winter guard competition with IV and varsity started in December and Varsity state competition is in April.
The individuals in colorguard have worked hard with multiple late rehearsals a week from 6-9 pm. The JV show is called “Stand by Me”, leading them very exhausted and especially on Saturday when it’s competition time. What makes this sport special is that these events push performers to their limits, requiring not just physical precision but also emotional depth to connect to the audience. Additionally, the true magic of these performances lies in the stories being told of struggle, triumph, and emotion conveyed through every movement and step.
On state competition day, the girls were very nervous about placing due to having to compete with 21 schools in Scholastic A. An interview was made after the show for a quick brief on how it was.
“I was very nervous and the show is very nerve racking in my opinion,” junior Ashlyn Acura said. “But in the end, it was very rewarding.”
During time to get ready, the individuals have 30 minutes to get ready and head on to the bus before heading to the event.
During the multiple events, the show seems to differ for everyone. Some even say it was a quick pack and leave.
“Honestly, I just wanted to get it over with because the season just goes by pretty fast,” freshman Isha Tanisa said. “I’d rather watch the shows in the stands.”
Additionally, sometimes the winter guard season can be very rough and stressful. For example, the guard had to fold their own floor very quickly after they performed their 5 minute show with props like chairs and heavy flags and rifles.
“It can be very stressful.” Acura said, “and can turn into an overlapping situation when everyone is talking about each other.”
After all of the chaos and stress that can be found during the long rehearsals and long competition days, the season comes to an end with a promising reward and even a trophy given to the team. Not only that, there were bonds creating new friendship and new profound memories made at the end of the season.
