HS Color Guard: Grand Oaks Color Guard Places Ninth at World Competition

Winter Guard is an activity that many do not understand; it is a sport, it is a fine art and it encompasses its own world most do not know even exists. The team at Grand Oaks High School got to experience that world this past weekend when they competed at the world competition, Winter Guard International, or WGI.

The GOHS Color Guard has worked hard to gradually get better and better over the years. With a school only 6 years old, getting to a place of winning awards and even being able to go to the WGI competition is a huge success. The team ranked first place at the Texas Color Guard Circuit (TCGC) contest earlier this month, then traveled to Dayton, Ohio this past week for WGI where they debuted in world competition for the first time and got first place with a score of 89.29 in their division in prelims, third place with a score of 90.86 in semi-finals, and ninth place with a score of 91.83 in finals competition in Scholastic A Class.

“I think what we’ve been doing this past season has been absolutely incredible and something that not many guards can achieve,” senior captain Hailey Garcia said. “And the fact that we have is speaking a lot for itself.”

The camaraderie and teamwork is something that has helped the guard to stick together and make it as far as they have.

“It feels like a dream and it feels like something that everybody could only wish for,” sophomore Kelsey Branham said.

Going into the competition at finals, many members of the team had a mindset of just having fun since making it to finals alone was really the goal.

“I am not super worried or super nervous,” Hailey said. “I’m just glad that we’ve made it this far and whatever the placement is, as long as I have a good, good run and do my best, that is literally all that matters.”

The team has experienced so much over the past six years and grown so much. The simple fact that they were able to go perform in Ohio was an amazing opportunity and experience for most of the team.

“It makes me really happy,” senior Mia Ortiz said. “But honestly, it’s something that I will definitely remember because having to practice with masks on and not even having practices half the time to performing in Ohio, it’s something life changing.”

*Photos by Rylee Turner*