Carmel Guard Wins WGI Scholastic World Championship!

The Carmel High School Winter Guard won the Winter Guard International (WGI) Scholastic World Championship this past Saturday in the finals portion of the WGI World Championships at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

Winter guard is the sport of indoor color guard. Modern color guard is a combination of the use of flags, sabers, mock rifles, and other equipment, as well as dance and other interpretive movement. Color guards can be found in high schools, middle schools, some universities, and also some independent organizations, some of which are related to drum corps per the WGI website. Carmel’s Winter Guard performed their show “OMEGA” with music by Avro Part to a crowd of over 10,000 people.  The show explores the use of the universal symbol of Eternity—the circle and the abstract depiction of the end of eternity.

The three-day event drew amazing performances from over 300 color guard units from across the nation and around the world.   Carmel’s Director, Rosie Queen, said, “The 2015 season has been an absolute DREAM season!!  This amazing team of students, designers, staff, and parents pulled off an incredible victory.  Being crowned the WGI Scholastic World Champion is the highest honor that any high school program can achieve…. and WE did it!! The Carmel Guard ladies are the hardest working kids I know. They are always willing to go the extra mile to pay attention to detail and push to the next level.  These are lessons they will take with them for the rest of their life—beyond any trophy or medal.   I am so incredibly proud of the these ladies for achieving and following their dreams.”

Winter Guard units from Flanagan HS in Pembroke Pines, Florida and James Logan HS in Union City, California rounded out the top 3 with units from Warren Central High School, Avon High School and Center Grove High School placing in the top 15 units in the finals competition.  This is the 7th year in a row Carmel has been a finalist in this premier Color Guard competition. The Carmel World Guard won the WGI Scholastic World Class Championship two previous times, in 2013 and 2011.  In 2007, Carmel won the Scholastic “Open” Class at the WGI Championships.

The Carmel High School Winter Guard is part of the Carmel Band program.  The program includes the Marching Band and Color Guard, 4 Jazz Ensembles, 6 Concert Bands, multiple chamber ensembles, Winter Percussion, and 3 Winter Guards.  100 students participate in the color guard program at Carmel while an additional 400 students participate in the wind and percussion ensembles at Carmel High School.

The Carmel Color Guard competes with the Marching Band during the fall and then competes indoors over the winter in Winter Guard competitions.  If you love to perform and dance in front of thousands of people, travel around the country, and want to learn how to toss a flag, rifle, or sabre up into the air… The Carmel Color Guard is for YOU!!  NO experience is necessary; we will teach you everything you need to know!

Auditions for the Carmel Guard will be held Tuesday and Thursday, May 5th & 7th from 6:00-8:30pm and are open to anyone that will be in grades 9-12 at Carmel H.S. in the fall of 2015. Registration begins at 5:30pm in the Main Band Room area at Carmel H.S.   Please plan on attending BOTH days of auditions. Dress in workout clothes & athletic shoes (no jeans). Come out to make new friends and be a part of this 6 time State Champion and 4 time World Champion team!

About Winter Guard International (WGI)
WGI Sport of the Arts is the world’s premier organization producing indoor color guard, percussion, and wind ensemble competitions.  As a non-profit youth organization, WGI serves as the leading governing body of the winter guard and indoor percussion activities. It is called the Sport of the Arts because it brings music to life through performance in a competitive format. Now entering its 38th year in 2015, the sport continues to evolve and grow.  There were more than 36,000 participants at the regional level, and more than 12,000 participants at the Sport of the Arts World Championships this past April.

Scholastic World Results

1            Carmel HS (Carmel, Indiana)                                                97.650

2            Flanagan HS (Pembroke Pines, Florida)                                    95.500

3            James Logan HS (Union City, California)                                    95.150

4            Avon HS (Avon, Indiana)                                                            93.550

5            Warren Central HS (Indianapolis, Indiana)                        90.650

6            Mechanicsburg HS (Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania)            89.950

7            Stoneman Douglas HS (Parkland, Florida)                        89.300

8            Arcadia HS (Arcadia, California)                                                87.400

9            Trumbull HS (Trumbull, Connecticut)                                    87.250

10            Miamisburg HS (Miamisburg, Ohio)                                    86.750

11            Lake Central HS (St. John, Indiana)                                    86.050

12            West Orange HS (West Orange, New Jersey)                        83.150

13            Timber Creek HS (Orlando, Florida)                                    82.450

14            Center Grove HS (Greenwood, Indiana)                                    81.800

14            Seminole HS (Seminole, Florida)                                                81.800