It isn’t every day one has the chance to watch and perform alongside the best of the best in their sport, but from April 7 – April 10 winterguard had that chance as they participated in the Worlds competition in Dayton, Ohio.

“Performing was really fun because we had a great run, but watching all the really good guards there was also exciting,” Grayson Schiff-Clark, senior, said. “You got to be in an arena with a bunch of people who love the sport just as much as you do so there’s a really great energy in the room.”

After performing on Thursday, guard received their best score ever of a 70.88 out of 100, defeating Lafayette but coming up short on Eureka by .2 points. This was the first time all four Rockwood high schools attended Worlds at the same time.

“The most challenging part was probably performing in front of the judges,” Schiff-Clark said. “We were competing two divisions above what we usually perform and these judges are the highest and most intimidating judges you can perform for.”

The performers were accompanied by their coach Melissa Zemann, art teacher, who has taken five teams to Worlds and said this is MHS’s sixth or seventh time competing there in total.

“More than anything I want them to see what’s beyond Missouri with guard because we’re unlike certain other states like Ohio, Florida and California where guard is really a huge thing and everybody knows what it is,” Zemann said. “I think it’s exciting for them to get to see something other than the same guards they see over and over again.”

Zemann said she hopes this competition gave these students a chance to broaden their horizons in the world of guard beyond what they typically see competing locally.

While actually performing for the judges was challenging, the nervousness leading up to the performance also presented a challenge to these athletes, Brooke Dunn, senior, said.

Overall, the entire experience gave these athletes the chance to see all of the potential their sport has to offer right in front of their eyes.

“Everything was just as impressive as I was expecting it to be and more,” Dunn said. “It was such a great experience to see such incredible guards do these absolutely insane stunts that you can’t even imagine attempting. Having that environment where everyone’s excited was great and I’m really happy that I went.”