Lake Norman Publications

East Lincoln guard sets sights on World Championships



The East Lincoln Cheval and Petite color guards following their season-opening performance Jan. 28. /Courtesy East Lincoln High School

DENVER – The East Lincoln High School Cheval Color Guard has ascended to become one of the top programs in the nation, regularly earning a spot at the Winter Guard International World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. 

After earning a promotion to the Scholastic Open class following a stellar virtual performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the Cheval guard placed seventh nationally last year in its first showing in the higher classification. 

“Before last year, a lot of our guard members had never even performed in front of a true audience because of COVID, much less in a giant arena like we experienced in Dayton,” senior Cheval guard member Lori Woodrum said. “Being able to have that energy and support, and seeing the motivation it gave us, it was a pretty big deal.”

The opportunity to compete on the biggest stage in the sport is pivotal, according to program director Rachel Frye. 

“Guard is different from a lot of traditional sports,” she said. “Everyone can appreciate football and basketball and East Lincoln has a strong tradition of community support for those programs.”

“Guard is different because in our area there are so few other programs who compete at our level, so it’s difficult to gauge how profoundly talented our children are compared to others,” she added. “For our kids, they only receive validation for what they do when we travel, so at World Championships it’s the first time they’re surrounded by people who both appreciate guard in general and how well our kids perform.” 

It’s an experience the guard’s younger members who didn’t compete last year are eager to embrace. 

“We’re like a big family, so I’m excited to have that experience with the older girls on the team,” freshman Kaylee Wall said. 

“I’m excited for that validation after all our hard work,” sophomore Nashiyia Huntley added. “To know that you do something well and other people appreciate you for it, that makes me happy.” 

While their hard work and talent earns the Cheval guard a competition spot in Dayton, Frye and her team are responsible for footing the bill to get there. The total cost of the five-day trip is $5,250 and, with only 10 team members, the individual cost per student is north of $500. 

“We work really hard all the time as a team to represent our county and to experience what we worked so hard for just makes it all worth it,” senior Cheval guard member Aliya Yagoda said. “It would just mean so much to have that support from the community because I know my family can’t afford the extra expense.” 

The lack of local competition has made it difficult for the team to garner community support, but fortunately a generous donation from Ross Bulla, founder of The Treadstone Group, helped fund last year’s trip.

“Admittedly, I wasn’t immediately excited about the idea, but after taking just a few minutes to watch videos of their performances, I was blown away by the choreography, staging and coordination,” Bulla, who’s well-known for his local philanthropy, said. “Clearly, it takes years of training and dedication to dance this competitively. And to do it all while spinning or manipulating flags, rifles and other props, that makes it even more impressive. It’s no wonder 60,000 people attend the World Championships each year.” 

The Cheval guard’s first competition of the season came in late January and the team will continue to compete in the months leading up to the WGI World Championships in April. Those interested in helping offset the cost of the trip can contact Frye by emailing rachel.frye@lincoln.k12.nc.us.

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