After working to perfect painstaking routines since the beginning of the semester, the junior varsity winter guard members stand together at the North Texas Color Guard Association (NTCA) championship for the Scholastic Regional A classification as they receive 2nd place overall, making the team officially silver medalists.

The JV’s championship took place on March 25. In addition to their most recent success, the team had been placed first at their first competition, awarded as finalists and third overall at the WGI Tulsa Regional and was a finalist and regional champion of Scholastic Regional A in the WGI Dallas Regional.

“I’m really proud,” freshman Annika Spencer said. “We have some really good accomplishments. We usually placed in the top five.”

The performance was titled “Taking Flight,” and the team performed to the song “Hold My Hand” by Lady Gaga.

“I think that it was a really fun season,” freshman Elizabeth Giasolli said. “I hope that we can continue to get better.”

The team is made up of 17 freshmen and one sophomore, some of which are zoned to attend Walnut Grove High School next year.

“I’m really sad about (the season ending,)” freshman Klarissa Warren said. “(This season has) been filled with such amazing friendships and such a great community, that it’s hard to see myself leaving that.”

Since the team is mainly made up of freshmen, this is their first time competing in a full winter season, which is now coming to a close.

“It’s sad (that) I’m going to be going to Walnut Grove,” Spencer said. “I hope that (their team is) still really good like our team here.”

According to staff members, this year’s JV program has shown significant improvement from past programs.

“I’m so proud of all of the hard work and dedication of the students on our JV team,” color guard director Lindsay Kuzmierczak said. “For the JV team (to) place in the top three at every contest is an unprecedented achievement for our program. We are so excited for what this group of students will bring to the program in the future.”

Last year, the winter guard program had only one team, and did not have a JV program.

“Coming from someone who was on the color guard four or five years ago, the program as a whole has grown tremendously,” color guard technician Kaitlyn Cyranowicz said. “Especially at the level that the JV has been rehearsing and competing at.

The championship competition took place at Lewisville High School. For the awards ceremony, every member was honored with a silver medal.

“I feel fantastic,” Warren said. “Let me tell you, I feel like a god.”

Being that almost the entire team has never participated in a winter guard season before, the 2023 JV team has made a name for themselves, both in the circuit and within their program.

“I’m really proud and I think that the program is much more successful,” Cyranowicz said. “I think that they had a good time, and I (did) as well.”