Mechanicsburg Winterguard 2010

Promoted to KIDA Platimum and WGI Scholastic World

Sorry folks missed a whole season due to poor health,  Sarah saw the show and said it was stunning. Eventually, I will acquire pictures and video to post.

The real story is the acknowledgment that the Mechanicsburg Indoor program really is in a class of their own Regionally.  WGI promoted Mechanicsburg to Scholastic World, the top class and the bastion of the mega schools and the schools of the arts.  To be included in this classification is an honor which the veterans of the Mechanicsburg program going back at least a decade all share a part in achieving. It is a tribute to the Templins, and Kristi in particular, for not only providing their own talents, but also attracting a wide variety of outside artistic professionals to assist, year in and year out - and to Todd whether he wants the recognition or not. Congrats also to the Grey Guard and nonperforming but tirelessly supporting parents.  A Cecile B. DeMille production does not happen without a supporting cast of thousands.

Though the WGI recognition is probably more prestigious the declaration of a new clasification in KIDA, the promotion of Mechanicsburg to a newly created Platinum Guard classification, in which only Mechanicsburg competes, confirmed  that regionally Mechanicsburg really is in a class of its own.  After the frustration of Mechanicsburg's virtual lock in Blue Guard it also allowed the other deserving Blue Guard programs a chance to fight it out for the crown. This year Redland edged out Governor Thomas Johnson.  At the Kida Championships Mechanicsburg's White Guard placed 4th, and the Junior Guard place 5th out of ten units.  Not suprisingly, Mechanicsburg  won the Platinum Division this year. 

WGI competition included a regional event and the World Championships.  I remember a few short years ago when our girls getting ready to present their Scholastic A "Winterbirds" program, they just stood there in awe of the Scholastic World guard units.  Mechanicsburg steadily climbed to the top of  Scholastic A, through the Scholastic Open classification, to earn a place in the Scholastic World classification. 

At the 2010 WGI Regional Competition at Rochester NY Mechanicsburg took first place over its regional rival and former nemesis South Brunswick, NJ, and then repeated the accomplishment taking second ahead of South Brunswick at the WGI Power Regional hosted by South Brunswick. Trumbell took first, and placed 7th at the World Championships.

While staying in the lower classifications could have resulted in better placings at World Championships, for Mechanicsburg, it has always been about reaching for the goal just out of grasp, striving to better themselves.   This year, in their first season competing in the Scholastic World classification, they won a Regional Competition and came within 2.2 points of making Finals on their first trip. They finished 16th in the WGI World Chpionships in Dayton. The top 15 units make Finals and compete in front of all there assembled peers in the other divisions or who did not make Finals.  I was on the floor photographing those Finals two years ago and it was an electrifying experiance. It will prove a lofty, yet reasonable goal for next year's program - building and stretching the Mechanisburg Colar Guard even further. 

I am sorry I missed it. I am sure it was an outstanding effort and performance.  Pictures and video will be posted as acquired. Congrats to all.  "Khaos"

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WGI Promotes Mechanicsburg to Scholastic World Division

Patriot News Feature Article

MASH Places Fourth at WGI World Championships

MASH Colorguard Finished fourth at the WGI World Championships MASH scored a 93.3 to take fourth place in Finals. They finished just ahead of regional rivals South Brunswick and Gates Chili. MASH Colorguard Fourth after Semi-finals at World Championships Mechanicsburg colorguard had the fifth highest score in the Preliminaries on Thursday night, and moved one step up the ladder, with the fourth highest score in the Semi-final round. Their score of 90.4 was only 5 tenths off the top score of 90.9. Finals for the Scholastic Open Division of the World Guard International World Championships are tomorrow afternoon. Mechanicsburg performs at 2:09 p.m. and results should be available on line at www.wgi.org or www.awbpclaw.com/colorguard.html around 3 p.m. Mechanicsburg Fifth in World after Preliminary Rounds Mechanicsburg’s colorguard, fresh from defending its KIDA Championship this past weekend, had the fifth highest score in the Preliminary Rounds of the World Guard International (WGI) World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. Mechanicsburg was ranked Second going into the World Championships after winning the Atlantic Coast Regional the week before the KIDA Championship. In a sport with relatively subjective judging and decided by tenths of a point, all that is necessary in the Preliminary and Semi-final rounds is to make the next rounds and place well enough to receive a seeded performance spot. Mechanicsburg achieved that Thursday night, and will perform at 7:36 pm this evening in the Semifinal rounds.

MASH SO/Blue Defends KIDA Crown, with 98.8

MASH White Guard 2nd, MASH Junior Guard 3rd 

MASH SO/Blue Wins South Brunswick WGI Regional

MASH Blue Defends KIDA Crown with Top Score Going into Championships, 97.4

MASH White also has top Score in White division going into KIDA Championships, 91.0

Both Still Tops Despite White recent move from Gold, and a Week Off

MASH SO/Blue Ranked Second for WGI World Championships

Mechanicsburg Colorguard Wins Regional WGI Event By Andrew Barbin Mechanicsburg’s nationally ranked colorguard improved from a third place finish in the semi final rounds to finish in first in the finals to win the Scholastic Open Division of the World Guard International (WGI) Midlantic Regional in South Brunswick, New Jersey this weekend. Their score of 87.60 is the second highest in the country currently, and puts them in the hunt for a World Championship later this Spring in Dayton, Ohio. It was a long journey to the top of that podium in New Jersey. Most of the young women have been competing since Middle School. With fall and spring seasons, many have more than 10 seasons of grueling practices and pressure performances under their belts. Their collective fall season record is perfect, with four consecutive Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Championships. For spring competition, they have consecutive Keystone Indoor Drill Association Blue Guard Championships and a steady march up the rankings first in the WGI Scholastic A Division and then Scholastic Open Division. Along the way, Gates Chili of New York and South Brunswick of New Jersey were always a step ahead just on the horizon. When they took 15th in Scholastic A at the World Championships their freshman year, Gates Chili took 1st, and South Brunswick was in the higher Scholastic Open division. Last Spring, Mechanicsburg caught and past Gates Chili in the World Championships en route to a 15th place Scholastic open Division finish, but still behind nemesis South Brunswick in 7th place. Gates Chili surged back at the Trumbull Northeastern Region Competition two weeks ago, where Mechanicsburg was 3rd behind Gates Chili and South Brunswick. The same was true in the preliminaries Saturday, but not the finals. Kirstin Shatzer explained that they had extra incentive, beyond the thrill of beating a long time nemesis in their home arena, “Coach Kristy Templin is pregnant and will probably not make it to the World Championships two weeks from now in Dayton, this was our chance to show her how far she has brought us, and where we will continue to go.” For her part, Coach Templin was all tears and smiles, “I could not be more proud of the kids, how hard they work, and how far they have come.” Mechanicsburg will defend its Keystone Indoor Drill Association Blue Guard Division Championship this weekend against local competitors at Southwestern High School and then will be off the following weekend to the World Championships in Dayton, Ohio.

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Art in Motion Sentinel Article  Art In Motion Photo Galleries:

Pictures in All AWB Galleries are free for noncommercial, appropriate, personal use; copyright is otherwise reserved. Right click and save.

SO/Blue places Third at WGI Trumbell Regional

SO/Blue Ranks 7th in WGI SO Division

So/Blue wins Littlestown Competition by Wide Margin

Gold Guard Wins Littlestown and is promoted to White Guard

Junior Guard took 3rd at Littlestown

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Winterguard 2008 Archives

SO Takes 15th in SO Division at WGI World Championships , Web

SO Semi Finals Preformance 86.20, Qualifies for Finals

SO Preliminary Performance 85.90 14th, Qualifies for Semi Finals

2007 KIDA Champions Prepare for WGI World Championships 

WGI World Championship Scores

 SO WGI Championship Preliminary Performance Qualifies for Semi Finals

2007 KIDA Champions, Prepare for WGI World Championships Web Version 

MASH Places Fourth at WGI MAPR AIM Results Article Web version 

AIM Pre-Show Article Web Version

 

KIDA Championships & Practice Pics - from Jeff Shatzer

AIM Pics - from Andrew Barbin

MASH News & Show Program Archives (Please Patronize Businesses Who Support the Arts):

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All pre-2008 Photographs, Newsclippings and Web posted materials have been moved to archives to make finding current material easier and speed the loading of pages. All old materials, remain available (for the present) in the archives. I have to weeded old competitor files but either have or will post a selection of competitor photographs for each season. Weeding is an ongoing process, and so if you want the pictures or videos you may want to copy to your hard drives before they are weeded and consolidated.... ArchivesGuard; Marching Archives; Percussion Archives

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