The Lafayette Winter Color Guard has been tearing up the competition this year.

On Feb. 23, they placed first in their class in Edwardsville, Illinois. The previous weekend, the Winter Guard placed fifth in Finals at a Winter Guard International (WGI) Super Regional event in Indianapolis, Indiana with a score of 74.48.

“Indianapolis was kind of amazing because last year we went there and we didn’t do as well as we wanted to,” senior guard member Lindsay Armstrong said. “We were hoping to make Finals [this

time], and we met our goal, actually, more than we expected to. So that was amazing.”

Twenty-eight guards, including Lafayette’s, competed in Indianapolis, according to junior Julie Thompson.

“Indianapolis was an awesome trip,” Thompson said. “It was a very long bus ride, but when we got there, we did our best, and in every single performance, we got better and better. We scored fairly high. We made it to Semifinals and then we managed to make it into Finals, which is a big deal for us because that’s the first time in history for Lafayette.”

The Winter Guard’s 2019 show is titled “Rainsong.” As such, the music and dancing are meant to evoke images of rain.

“It is based on the sounds of rain, so the beginning of it is very soft. It’s kind of like a little rain shower,” Armstrong said. “Then we come out with umbrellas. All rifles come out, and it’s so expressive because that’s the happiest part of the show. And then you get into the big storm. That’s the main part of the show. And then it resolves and it goes back to the little pitter-patter.”

A large part of the Winter Guard’s current success is due to a committed group of senior students, Thompson said. After their graduation, Thompson expects some challenges for the future but nevertheless remains optimistic.

“We’re losing a lot of seniors, so there’s a lot to do,” she said. “There are only three current juniors who are going to be in color guard next year. We have a lot cut out for us, but we want to keep up Lafayette’s reputation, because we’re doing really well, and we like it too much to let it go.”

Senior Ethan Davis said following his experience, he would recommend guard to anyone who is interested.

“I joined guard my freshman year,” he said. “It’s really fun. It’s what I do all the time, and it’s a really nice, close-knit family. It’s a lot more fun than it seems, and normally people get addicted once they start, so just go through it.“

The color guard hopes to ride the momentum of their previous victories to their next competition this year, which will take place on Mar. 9 in Springfield, Missouri. They will also compete on Mar. 23 in Blue Springs, Missouri, on Mar. 30 in Willard, Missouri, and from Apr. 2-6 at the WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio.