Winter guard started off their season with a first place win at Stagg High School on Saturday against 14 teams.

“This was our first competition [of the year], and we wanted to show the judges and the school what we had to offer,” Courtney Staniak, senior captain, said. “We ended up winning in first. We had a lot of practices going into it and we were really proud.”

With new additions to the team, winterguard had to learn to work together with the different skill levels that they had, according to Staniak.

“We had a lot of newer members and the team was divided in skill. We really had to work with the skill levels that we had and accommodate with people. We got everyone on weapons this year, so we’re all spinning rifles. That’s new and it’s pretty cool,” Staniak said.

While they have dedicated time to practice, including nine hour practices on Sundays, that is not the only thing that helped them get to where they are now, according to Kristie Kaminski, senior co-captain.

“Last year we ended in second place,” Kaminski said. “This year it feels more like a team. A lot of times the underclassmen and the upperclassmen are divided, but it’s not that way this year. We do everything together. When we work hard it makes them want to work hard to make us proud.”

The team has grown closer since the season started, and hopes to continue to do so for the rest of the season.

“Sometimes after practices and competitions, we will all go to Culver’s together,” Melissa Weiner, senior winter guard member, said. “But every practice is bonding because we get so close.”

Although the team continues to grow close to each other, they hope to grow as a team in future competitions, according to Weiner.

“We need to improve more on our technique, but I think getting more comfortable with the routine and with performing [would help us],” Weiner said.

With more competitions to come, the team continues to practice and in hopes of completing their routine and showing the judges what they can do.