Saugus High School’s inaugural varsity color guard team will compete at the WGI Color Guard World Championships in Dayton, Ohio, Thursday thru Saturday, April 3-5.

The WGI World Championships is the premier winter showcase for indoor color guard. The event is produced by WGI Sport of the Arts and it typically draws 15,000 participants over two weekends, including more than 350 color guard and 250 percussion ensembles from 40 states and 5 countries.

This year is a special year for Rob Guzman, Color Guard Director and the Varsity Color Guard team. Not only has it been an award-winning year, five of the varsity guard are graduating seniors: Sienna Cordero, Maddy Hosford, Dani Saavedra, Brianna Sutton and Ellen Swin.

Sienna Cordero, a four-year color guard veteran, feels like they have been preparing for the nationals all year.

“Every competition, our coach showed us a picture of the arena in Dayton, he said ‘imagine yourself here’. And I’ve imagined us in that arena, giving it our all. It will be such a fun memory, getting to compete with all my amazing friends,” said Cordero.

The color guard competition features preliminary rounds in six classes of competition, providing opportunities for units at all levels of expertise, from beginning to advanced. Top scoring units in each division advance to the Finals round, where medals are awarded to the top three finishers.

“We are extremely proud of the work that the color guard staff and students have done this season,” said Evan Block, Saugus’ Director of Bands. “They are doing an amazing job of representing our program, school and community on the national stage. I believe this competition will be a great experience for them.”

Winter guard and indoor percussion are the fastest growing of the marching arts, and high school marching bands benefit from the skills developed in these winter programs.

Brianna Sutton feels all members of the color guard have earned their way to the WGI World Championships.

“The four-year seniors, we pushed ourselves really far. When the others in guard saw that, I think they wanted to do that too. Because of our work ethic, we are able to go to WGI with all these cool skills. Even if we don’t win, it will still be cool because of how hard we have worked as a team,” Sutton said.

She also said competing at WGI will have an impact for her beyond high school.

“Honestly I might cry, because I’m going to be like ‘This was the coolest senior year!’ I think it’s something that I’ll cherish forever, because I get to go with these people who I really care about,” Sutton said.

For more information on this event go to Marching.com.