On Jan 30, the winter guard competed in their first competition at Lewisville High School. They won first place in their class with a score of 70.11 and second overall in the Scholastic A division. They were also promoted to a national level by reaching a score that allowed them to advance from Scholastic A to National A.

“I was really excited to preform on Saturday. I love going to winter guard competitions because everyone is there supporting you and everyone wants you to do well even if you are competing against each other,” junior Nina Miller said.

Unlike Color Guard, which is performed at football games, accompanied by the marching band, winter guard performs in an indoor gym or arena to recorded music. There are many different competition classes with color and winter guard including novice classes, which are usually smaller guards or middle school guards, all the way to world class guard, which usually include longer shows, professional performers, and bigger floors.

In performances, the guard teams are judged by their movement, overall effect, and precision. Dance, props, and different equipment are used in the show to impress judges and create a stronger performance. There are three primary types of equipment used in winter guard: flags, rifles, and sabers. The flags are the most fundamental equipment in any color or winter guard show. A standard flag is about six feet tall and is decorated with a five-foot silk flag that will usually reflect the theme of the show. The teams will also have a floor that will also have something to do with the central theme of their entire show. Shows might also incorporate many different styles of dance into their show. Again, the style will be based off of the the main focus of the show.

The Highland Park Winter Guard’s show is called “Amelia” and is based off of Amelia Earhart, the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic. The shows floor pictures a bright, blue sky where the guard is expected to perform on. The performance consists of two brightly made flag: One pictures an engine from an airplane, while the other pictures a large image of Amelia Earhart herself.

“When I first heard about the theme I was extremely upset to be honest. But the song and the uniforms really changed my mind,” Miller said.

The director of the team is Danny Martinez, and the technicians, people that help with the flag, rifle, and dance work, are Katie Navarro, Ian Pillary, and Jorge Ortega. The captain of the team is senior Aysha Irfan and the lieutenant is senior Sky Hays.

The next competition is this Saturday at Bowie High School, and it will be the first time the team will compete as a National A level.