The beginning of winter in Wayne Hills marks the beginning of many activities and sports such as bowling, Winter Track and Field among others. One in particular that begins at this time indoors is the Wayne Hills Winter Guard. For those unaware, winter guard is an indoor color guard sport that involves the use of colored flags, metal sabers and mock rifles to coordinate a performance consisting of people twirling and spinning the flags as a team. The team that has the better performance is ranked the highest among other teams. The director and coordinator of the Winter Guard is Mr. Darnsteadt. Practice for the team this year began on November 13.

The Wayne Hills Winter Guard in the past has had a team of up to 22 people, who all performed rigorously and have stood alongside the Wayne Hills Marching Band during the football season in the fall. Currently, there are 15 hardworking students participating, with Captain Senior Bridget Puglia and co-lieutenants Jenna Nelson and Jihyun Paik . The Winter Guard performed in shows called “Celebration of Life” and “Tis’ the Season”. The team takes on other schools in the state in a competition in which judges review their performances. They mainly review the fluidity, effort, and the facial expressions of the team. Last year, the team competed in competitions in Morristown, Bridgewater, and South Brunswick. The Wayne Hills Winter guard performance ranked fourth in the state. This upcoming season is looking bright for the Wayne Hills Winter Guard team.

“The most difficult part about winter guard is making sure you are doing the work the same way everybody else is, “ said Jenna Nelson, the co-lieutenant of the Wayne Hills Winter Guard. The Winter Guard requires a lot of discipline, and a collaborative effort among teammates to develop a great performance.