Color Guard Adds Sparkle to Halftime Show

Sporting new sparkly blue dresses this season, the color guard flag girls will stand out amongst the red and white uniformed marching band during the football halftime show. The seven members of the squad are working hard to perfect their routine as part of the new Americana Spectacular program. The complex flag routine devised by Coach Kate Baran includes drop spins, helicopter tosses thrown from behind the back
and caught above the head, and windmill tosses thrown high into the air before being caught.

The group, including co-captains senior Alyssa Antolin and junior Tess Bannon, is fortunate to be instructed by Coach Baran, a Benet alum. She performed with the Benet color guard during high school and was captain of her college squad at Western Michigan University. The coach’s enthusiasm has spread to the girls and has made the hours of practice perfecting spins and tosses fly by quickly.

With half of its former members graduating last spring, the squad is working hard to integrate new members with its returning veterans. Fortunately, the veterans are excellent teachers, and the new members are learning quickly. This sense of camaraderie is especially important as the girls are required to pair up for difficult moves such as flag exchanges and rifle spins. Freshman
Alyson Johnson acknowledges the challenges, saying the most difficult move for her is “the toss sequence before the rifles in the opener.” Despite the difficulties, sophomore Adrienne Tan added, “I think we’re doing better this year than ever!”

The most intensive color guard practices take place during band Early Week in August. Early Week culminates with a fun activity known as Section Pride Day and a preview of the halftime show for supportive family members. Incorporating their color guard rifles and wearing colorful dinosaur costumes, color guard dressed as the Jurassic Park rangers and raptors to display their section pride.

The halftime preview went off without a hitch, and Coach Baran added, “I think for one week of band camp and having no real practice as a team before then, we are in pretty good shape. … The process of learning how to spin, plus marching, is difficult. And this year half the team didn’t know that process yet… I can say I am proud, and we’re off to a good start.” Color guard looks forward to performing in the football halftime show for the Benet crowd. Come out to enjoy the new red, white, and blue spectacle!