The Mohonasen High School Varsity Winter Color Guard competed recently at the WGI (Winter Guard International) East Power Regional held at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The 16-members range in age from 11-18, grades 6-12.
Both the daily schedule and the competition were fierce. The group left for Pennsylvania on Friday, March 17, and upon arriving and checking in, they had practice for two hours. The following morning’s wake-up call came at 5 a.m., followed by hair and makeup and another two-hour rehearsal.
The Mohonasen group was up against 27 other schools during Saturday morning’s preliminary competition. Mohon placed 10th following prelims, quite a victory for the team that had never attended a power regional before. Only the top 14 schools advanced to the finals round.
On Sunday, the students rose at 4 a.m. for breakfast, preparations and another 2 hour practice. Their finals performance that morning was greeted with terrific audience enthusiasm and appreciation. The group remained in 10th place after all schools had competed, earning a score of 75.6. A complete listing of scores and placements can be found at www.wgi.org.
The Mohonasen show this year is performed to “I Can See Clearly Now” by the Holly Cole Trio. The students are dressed as birds, and the set features a huge bird’s nest and a floor mat printed with a beautiful sky image.
The team heads to the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit (MYCGC) championships at Shenendehowa on April 1. Following these circuit championships, the group will travel to Dayton, Ohio, for WGI World Championships April 5-9.
A public exhibition will be held Tuesday, April 4, location and time TBA.