By: Samantha Lindsay
The ESHS Winterguard, captained by Telecila Sanchez-Rodriguez (‘23) and Gareth Yu (‘23), placed eighth in prelims with a score of 75.17 and ninth in finals with a score of 75.13 at last weekend’s WGI Bakersfield Regional, marking their highest score and placement this season! The twelve-person team has appeared at three competitions thus far with their show “My Fantasia” choreographed by coaches Joey Leon and Allison Avina-Wyant for the 2023 season (images reproduced throughout). For this edition, I had the opportunity to interview the aforementioned senior captains, member Isabella Cotrufo (‘23), and assistant captain, Holden Cadman (‘25) regarding their experiences with this season and the sport in general.
Q: How was the show this weekend? What was the most impactful moment?
A: “The show this weekend went great! We achieved the highest score we’ve had this season so far. The only place to go from where we are right now is up! The most impactful moment in the show is the start of the flag feature where the music suddenly changes its key and we all exhale as the flags go up.” – Holden Cadman (‘25)
A:“I would say that the show this weekend was one of the best ones we’ve performed at a competition for the group as a whole. The most impactful moment for me was the rifle feature and the second flag entrance.” – Gareth Yu (‘23)
Q: What is your favorite moment from this season?
A: “Before the flag feature, Holden and I yell ‘WOoo!’” – Telecila Sanchez-Rodriguez (‘23)
A:“My favorite memory from this season is probably all of the post-rehearsal parties we have. Sometimes if a rehearsal is especially tiring we decide to go to someone’s house and just throw an on the spot party!” – Holden Cadman (‘25)
A:“My favorite moment from the show this season is the end of the show because I get to toss the final toss and end in a right split.” – Gareth Yu (‘23)
Q: What is your favorite overall memory from the program?
A: “At a really windy competition in the fall, a prop nearly fell on me and Georgia [another member] had such a look of shock on her face; and at the beginning of the second movement’s flag feature in our fall show we would always count ‘17, 18’ in sync” – Telecila Sanchez-Rodriguez (‘23)
A: “My favorite memory from this program is when in freshman year I learned that I was going to be put on weapon line (spinning rifle and sabre). I worked really hard to get to that point and it felt like all of my hard work paid off.” – Holden Cadman (‘25)
A: “My favorite memory from the program is from my senior year’s band camp. While working on rifle, four of my friends and I renamed the different catches on rifle to the five of the six murderesses from Chicago. It made the exercise so much more fun to go through and we’ve kept these names since.” – Gareth Yu (‘23)
Q: Do you have any advice or encouragement to anyone who is considering joining?
A: “It is a lot of commitment to the sport but also to a beautiful slayful family who is always there for you” – Telecila Sanchez-Rodriguez (‘23)
A: “My advice to any considering joining this amazing sport is to never give up. While it does sound a bit cliché, it is very much true. This sport is definitely not easy but with encouragement and the will to never give up, it pays off so well. All of the members off the guard help support each other all time, from helping their fellow member push a little bit harder, to just chatting with each other during breaks.” – Holden Cadman (‘25)
A: “For anyone considering joining, I would say that it’s really important to take things slow and understand that everyone learns at a different pace. It can be frustrating not to be able to catch a toss or do a cool trick, but you have to take some time and just work on it slowly.” – Gareth Yu (‘23)
Q: What does guard mean to you?
A: “Guard: it is an amazing sport involving dance and maneuvering of equipment that allows me to express myself while sharing core memories with a family I will have a bond with forever.” – Telecila Sanchez-Rodriguez (‘23)
A: “To me, this sport is family. Everybody involved in this program genuinely loves each other and would do anything to support each and every person. The mental and physical transformation I have experienced through this sport is truly amazing, and it’s so cool to see how everybody changes and matures as people throughout their time in this sport. Guard has voluntarily taken up most of my life, but I would not have it any other way.” – Holden Cadman (‘25)
A: “To me, guard is a safe place to meet new people that eventually become your second family. It’s a place to forget about the struggles of everything else in life and focus solely on performing to your best of your abilities.” – Gareth Yu (‘23)
Be sure to follow the winterguard on Instagram: @elsegundocolorguard and look out for their next WGASC appearance in Las Vegas on March 25th!