Color guard teams bring their best to Naperville competition

Robert Packard is a newcomer to the world of color guard competitions. So far, he likes what he sees.

"I've been incredibly impressed by the agility these young people have, the way they handle themselves in front of big crowds," Packard said. "It's pretty amazing."

Packard and his wife, Diane, were among the hundreds of spectators at Naperville Central High School Sunday watching the Winter Guard Classic, a competition featuring 23 teams from around the suburbs and beyond. The teams included high school squads and private color guard groups with performers of all ages.

The Packards traveled from Oregon, Wis. to see their 10-year-old daughter perform with the Armada team. Other teams hailed from as far away as Sheboygan, Wis. and LaPorte, Ind.

Sunday marked the second time that Naperville Central has hosted the annual competition.

"It's great for us to serve as host because it generates some interest in the sport not just among our students but in the greater town of Naperville, too," said Lynne Nolan, Naperville Central's dean of student activities.

Color guard combines elements of dance, gymnastics and military-style drills. The teams perform routines to pieces of music, routines that include the twirling, throwing and catching of props like flags, sabers and wood rifles.

The teams that performed during the middle part of the competition used a wide range of music. The Evolution Winter Guard from Sheboygan, for example, danced and spun to the sounds of "Love Shack" by the B-52s. The Stagg High School team from Palos Hills performed a routine called "Change," which included the use of Michael Jackson's song "Man in the Mirror." And the Minooka 1 team from Minooka, Ill. energized the crowd by dancing to a classical version of the Guns N' Roses anthem, "Sweet Child O' Mine."

The biggest cheers of the afternoon, though, came when the Naperville Central Spirits performed their routine, "The Moon is Always Female," part of which involved several team members twirling two rifles at once.

"They were awesome!" said Meredith Gross, a recent Naperville Central grad and former color guard team member who volunteered time to work at Sunday's competition. "I'm so proud of what they did out there."

The results of Sunday's competition are expected to be available Monday.