Norwin band and color guard wins regional 3rd year in a row

Members of the Norwin Marching Band and Color Guard came back earlier this month with a regional championship win for the third time in a row.

Competing in the 2019 Bands of America Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship on Oct. 5 in College Park, Md., the band was awarded the championship title, which it shared in a tie with Virginia’s James Madison High School. The Norwin band also won outstanding music performance, outstanding visual performance and outstanding general effect performance during the preliminary competition.

“It was very exciting to learn we had won,” color guard Director Heather Shrump said.

Shrump said a tie at a regional had not taken place in several years, citing a BOA rule that said if it occurs at a regional, super regional or grand national championship, bands will be named co-champions rather than breaking the tie.

This season’s show, titled “The Awaiting,” focuses on a woman whose love went out to sea. She waited four years at a lighthouse for him to return but he never did.

“I just think the kids are great … They just do everything we ask them to do,” Shrump said, adding this is the first year some eighth-graders are marching with the high school color guard.

The band and color guard are now gearing up for the end of the season with one more competition at Deer Lakes before they head to championships at Gateway Senior High School on Oct. 26.