On Wednesday, April 15, Francis Howell North Winter Guard left for the annual WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. They competed against 40 teams in the Scholastic Open class, finishing their performance with a mean score of 86.7 of 100. After 18 minutes of warm-up and only nine short minutes of prep time, the panel of ten judges ranked Francis Howell North at tenth place.

“We did not achieve of the goal but we are proud of ourselves,” Emily Turnbeaugh, four year Guard member said, “I personally don’t think I could ask for anything better.”

They performed a piece titled “This Empty House”, reflecting general grief and loss. The track for the performance was accompanied by a voice over of Emily Dickinson’s poem, “The Bustle In a House”. Winter Guard’s ability to connect and encourage each other on and off the floor aided their performance overall, giving them a higher score in the International Championships.

“We tried to just give everything we could every performance. Scores and placements were never a goal for us. If we gave it everything we could, the numbers would just happen.” Lauren Arata, three year Guard member said.

At MCCGA, FHN’s Guard earned a first place gold medal. Their successes at World Championships were a result of their hard work and striving efforts at the beginning of the Color Guard season.

“We didn’t always have a performance that made everyone feel good, but we did end the season with three amazing runs,” Sidney Sheridan, four year Francis Howell North Winter Guard member said.

FHN Color Guard practices Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday nights for three hours, accompanied by day-long Saturday practices before competition season began. Their scores can be attributed to practices under the direction of Duane Williams, Kim Kras, Emma Heidemann, and Becky Minor.