Flipping, tossing, and turning, the flag cuts through the auditorium as junior Colette Allen moves with the tempo. Using muscle memory, Bowie High School’s Color Guard synchronizes each movement with precision at the WGI San Antonio regional finals.
Open to all Bowie High School students, the Color Guard serves as an “interpretation” of the marching band, where members analyze choreography, compete, and learn the basic equipment, including the flag, rifle, and sabré. As reported by Color Guard Gifts, the color guard embodies many components of culture and tradition.
“In essence, color guard is a vibrant tapestry woven from physical vigor, mental agility, and social cohesion,” Color Guard Gifts said. “Its importance lies not only in the immediate benefits but also in the foundational qualities it nurtures—qualities that persist, shaping individuals long after the flags are furled and the music has ended.”
According to junior guard member Nick Wyatt, the competition portion is the most difficult part of the program. He credits the team’s performances and results to competitions that push Color Guard performers to prepare both physically and mentally.
“The most challenging part of our preparation for competitions is definitely our mentality. I would say about 75% of having a good show is based on your mindset going into it,” Wyatt said. “While practicing chunks of our show repeatedly helps us grow and strengthen our muscle memory, being able to remember all of that and make it happen with only one attempt is a whole different skill, and it takes a lot of focus and concentration to make those moments happen.”
This season’s production, titled Still Life, revolved around a storyline of mannequins coming to life within a warehouse. Chunks of the show consisted of high tosses, tricks, and rifle work. The entire team was required to pick up and perform with a rifle, a challenge that pushed many members, including senior Color Guard captain Soren Shelton, to perfect.
“When a team member is feeling nervous I usually try to cheer them up by making jokes or taking their mind off of the guard for a moment. If I notice anyone struggling on a specific part or toss I’m always willing to help them by giving tips on fundamentals,” Shelton said. “My main responsibilities are usually keeping people focused, encouraged, motivated, and lots more. I do what I can to help everyone and make sure everything runs smoothly.”
Leading up to regionals, the team had to dedicate their entire spring break to rehearsing and refining every detail. Junior Colette Allen noted that the demanding schedule ultimately strengthened the team’s performance and boosted their confidence.
“The competition was during spring break, so the two days before the competition, we had practice from 9-5, and it was hard spending our break that way. I know some people were frustrated and nervous for different parts of the show, but being able to have long practices before the competition gave us lots of time to prepare,” Allen said. “But those practices were some of our strongest because everything was tying together, and we were starting to improve our performance quality.”
On March 22, the varsity team executed their routine at 2:08 pm. After months of preparation, adjustments, and choreography the team placed 2nd at WGI San Antonio.
“I felt really focused and in the zone during the performance at WGI San Antonio finals, and I think everyone else on the team felt the same. I felt really good about everything that I left on the floor, especially my performance quality, my dancing, and the flag feature felt really strong,” Allen said. “Our directors were very proud of us, and they told us that it was our best run yet, so we felt like all the work we had put in that week really paid off.”
Due to their second-place finish, the team earned a spot at the WGI World Championship in Dayton, Ohio. As their season continues, they have high hopes for making the leaderboard and improving their score. .
“I was really happy and impressed with us because we beat one of our big competitors this season. Making 2nd puts us in a great spot going into the world championships,” Shelton said. “We just wrapped up Dayton, and I would say my goals are definitely accomplished. We went in and focused on what we needed to do, and it paid off. We made finals for the 3rd year in a row, placing 12th out of over 50 guards.”
