Even though they are four-time State champions and two-time winter guard International Scholastic World Champions, Carmel winter guard often flies under the radar at this school. But outside of these walls, the team has enjoyed quite a bit of notoriety.

Team sponsor Rosie Queen says via email, “These girls are rock stars in the guard world. There are literally thousands of people from all over the world who know who the Carmel High School winter guard is and strive to achieve what they do every day.”

Winter guard, the sport of the arts, is a club within CHS based around dance, interpretive movements, flags, and mock rifles. The team recently had tryouts and will compete from December through April with practices 20 to 35 hours a week. According to Queen the girls are some of the hardest working in the school.

“We aren’t just a group that spins flags at the half time show,” she said. “Winter Guard is athletic, artistic, intellectual, musical, and thought provoking. These girls are literally the best high school Winter Guard in the world. ”

Despite little recognition from the student body as a whole, Leah Patton, guard member and sophomore, said that the team members are able to come together to support one another.

“We are all just really passionate about it and we all strive to get better. We are like a family and so it makes it more fun.” Patton said. The team, Patton said, still feels like it flies under the radar in this community.

She said, “Sometimes I feel like we don’t get much recognition because when we did the (Spring Performing Arts) convocation last year a lot of people said some mean things about (our performance) and I feel like people don’t really realize how hard we work.”

For the team, being in winter guard is not for the faint of heart. The girls are forced to be dedicated and talented to succeed at their sport. They enjoy having a crowd and love to show others their passion for winter guard through performing. In addition to performing for CHS at the Community Night and during the Spring Performing Arts Convocation, winter guard competes in front of thousands of people at some of their largest competitions every year.

For Holly Vasuta, guard member and sophomore, competitions are one of her favorite aspects of being in winter guard.
She said, “Performing is an indescribably amazing feeling. We’re surrounded by our best friends doing what we love and no amount of people watching can take that away.”

According to Patton and Vasuta, the team strives to gain appreciation within the student body throughout the upcoming years. After winning the highest level possible in high school guard, the girls hope that, in time, the Carmel community will learn what guard is and gain an appreciation for it. However, in the meantime the girls motivate each other and themselves to continue to be successful.

Queen said, “These girls are motivated by the legacy of this guard program, each other, and the audiences. We always strive to represent Carmel high school with the utmost class, respect, and hard work.”