This past Saturday, September 9th, the Spartan Regiment participated in their first competition at O’Fallon Township High School. Although the competition was steep, the band as a whole persevered and placed among the top three bands.

Their performance “colorFall” is something new compared to the music performed in past years. The change in music had members of the band excited going into the competition last Saturday. The excitement resulted in higher scoring in guard and the band in general.

Junior guard member, Michael Foley, reflects on the placement and comparison in scores compared to past years.

“It was our first competition and this year we were competing in the largest class, which is 4a, and we got third place overall out of five or six groups and as a guard we got second place which was really impressive. We got close to twenty points higher than where we were last year,” Foley said.

The pressures were high going into the competition for guard because of their lack in equipment, although their routine shown through the minimal equipment.

“As a guard I was really nervous because we only use one piece of equipment so I was nervous that we might not score as well as the other groups that were using more than one, but we obviously did better than them,” Foley said.

While the scores were high for this competition, there are things the guard could improve as a whole.

“I know personally, I want to work with just getting better and making each run as perfect as can be and each time practicing it. I feel like as an ensemble, really going home and putting thought into it, so when we come back each day we don’t have to spend as much time and can keep adding more stuff, while focusing and refining it,” Foley said.

There are areas the guard needs to improve on but there are strengths that shouldn’t go unnoticed. Junior Ashley Early explains skills the members in guard excel at.

“For the most part we really know where our checkpoints are, our flag, were very considerate about what we are supposed to be doing so that’s really good,” Early said.

   For sophomore Anne Mesiter, the most entertaining part of a performance is the competition. She was also satisfied with the high scores early in the season. “My favorite part was the competition, and it’s always fun to compete and see friends from other bands,” Meister said, “I think it was really awesome that we scored so high already in the beginning of the year.”

Foley is excited for the largest event the band competes in this year because it is a good learning experience for the band.

“I am probably most excited for the St. Louis super regional because it is a two day event and the largest event we go to each year. We don’t do as well because there’s really high competition there but we do get to see really other amazing bands for inspiration and to see what we can do better if we apply ourselves,” Foley said.