The Winter Guard traveled to San Diego for the Winter Guard International (WGI) Western Color Guard Championships on March 23 and 24, marking the first time the unit has ever advanced to the finals competition in the Scholastic A Class. Following a preliminary competition on Saturday, the group ultimately placed sixth out of 21 groups in the division.

This year’s show is entitled “On the Keys of Opportunity” and features the music “Everyday” by Carly Comando. The 22-member group, led by director Tony Crapo and assistants Ally Finch and Kevin Chen, incorporates dance, flag and equipment into its show and attends local competitions from January to April.

Throughout the season, the unit attended several local competitions in the California Color Guard Circuit (CCGC), where it competed in the Scholastic AA class. This year, the guard added sabres to its choreography again, having performed the last two years solely with rifles and flags.

“Using sabres is really fun because it was my first time spinning it in a show,” junior Vivian Li said.

For several members, a highlight of the trip was watching other groups’ performances. The competition hosted groups from several areas, including Texas, Colorado, Arizona, North Carolina and British Columbia, Canada.

“This year’s trip was even better than last year’s because we got to see a lot of great talent during finals,” Li said. “Although the bus ride there took 10 hours, it was fun just spending time with everyone.”

The guard will conclude its season at the CCGC Championships on April 6 at Independence High School.