Santa Clara Vanguard Winter Guard
After narrowly missing the top spot in 2010, the Santa Clara Vanguard Winter Guard came back this season with a vengeance to take home gold at the Winter Guard International World Championships in Dayton, Ohio.
Competing Thursday, April 7 to Saturday, April 9 at the University of Dayton, Santa Clara Vanguard stayed in first place in the Independent World division the entire weekend, while improving its score by more than two points between the Prelims (94.90), Semifinals (96.65) and Finals (97.20).
"It was a very exciting set of performances," said Santa Clara Vanguard Executive Director Jeff Fiedler. "We had a lot of rehearsal while we were in Dayton, and it went well the whole time. Everything got stronger, everything tightened up, and the performers were really well prepared going into the competition."
Vanguard fended off strong finishes by the 2010 World Champion Onyx from Dayton, who finished in second place with a score of 95.95 as well as Braddock Independent, a Miami group that finished in third with a score of 94.30.
The classic rock anthem "I've Seen All Good People" by Yes served as a title and reoccurring musical theme to Vanguard's 2011 routine, "All Good People." This is the second time the group has won the WGI Championship since reforming a winter guard ensemble in 2006 after nearly two decades.
View complete results and more at WGI.org.
Photo courtesy WGI.
