 "Celestial Voices", the title of their program, features the talents of Adriana Beasley with a vocal solo and Erin Brayley on the harp. The team also features the dance and equipment skills of Kassie Budzik, Danielle Hemphill, Nicole Weist, Sarah Sokora, Caitlin Laird, Andrea Kahn, Lindsey Williams, McKenna Woeltjen, Kourtney Deschner, Alex Hemphill, and Emily Sharp. All work together as a team, as every individual is a vital piece of the entire performance.
WGI (Winterguard International) is a world-wide organization, featuring the some of the best color guards in the world.
Known as "The Sport of the Arts," Winter Guard pulls together dance and equipment skills, as well as musical expression to develop a floor presentation, performed indoors, for audiences to enjoy. This program develops confidence, poise, as well as personal growth for all involved.
Friendswood High School Varsity Winter Guard earned first place in Scholastic A this past weekend, competing against nearly 40 groups in their division from as far away as Dallas and Austin including last year’s first and second place finishers in the state. This is the first time an FHS Color Guard has ever made the finals at a WGI event and then to win first place on top of that.
Some of the other high schools competing included Clements, The Woodlands, Mansfield, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Seven Lakes, Dawson, Aledo, Clear Brook, Tomball, Magnolia, Rowlett, Spring, Katy Taylor, Bryan, Dripping Springs, Fossil Ridge, Smithson Valley, Marshall, Victoria, Cinco Ranch, Cypress Woods, CyFair, and Belton.
Winter Guard International also held Regional Competitions in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Riverside, CA over the weekend. In the Scholastic A division,
Friendswood High School with a score of 79.4, had the highest score in the country in their division this past weekend.
"This is a tremendous accomplishment," said Ron Barnett who is in his second year as the Color Guard Director at FHS. "The girls have a great show and are extremely motivated. They are working toward going to the National Championships in April."
The FHS Varsity Guard has five more competitions leading up the WGI National Championships to be held in Dayton, Ohio, April 2-4. They will also do a show at FHS for the community to see them.
Members of the FHS Varsity Guard are Captains Adriana Beasley and Kassie Budzik, Lieutenant Sarah Sokorah, Nicole Weist, Danielle Hemphill, McKenna Woeltjen, Lindsey Williams, Caitlin Laird, Erin Brayley, Andrea Kahn, Alex Hemphill, Kourtney Deschner, and Emily Sharp.
The Color Guard is under the direction of Ron Barnett and assisted by Brewster Petron.
“I am so proud of what the girls have accomplished so far, and looks forward to the rest of what appears to be a very successful season!” Ron Barnett, Director of Color Guards at Friendswood High School, stated that he
He plans on taking the team to Dayton, Ohio in April to compete nationally against some of the best groups in the country.
Ron Barnett and the Varsity Team would like to thank Mr. Greg Dick, Director of Friendswood Bands, and the Friendswood Mighty Mustang Band Boosters for all of their support, as well as all the parents who have volunteered their time and talents to the success of our team! Also special thanks to Mr. Joel Hanneman, Principal at Bale's Intermediate School, Sue Fisher, and the staff at Bale's, for their continued support and for allowing us to use their gym as our practice facility. |
