Longmont high schools drumline places sixth at Winter Guard world ch…

The Longmont combined schools drumline placed sixth at the Winter Guard International World Championships, the first time the group has made it to the finals of the competition in over 10 years.

After a strong performance in the semifinals Friday morning, the drumline was one of 15 groups in its class competing in the finals that night, held in Dayton, Ohio.

“We were so happy with the placement,” said director Dave Marvin. “Just to make finals here is a rare occurrence for groups, so we’re really proud to do it.”

The ensemble features 28 students from schools around the St. Vrain Valley School District, including Skyline, Silver Creek, Mead and Longmont high schools and Lyons Middle/Senior.

“It was honestly shocking, because I had no idea we could do it,” said Rachel Kramer, a Silver Creek High School junior and marimba player.

Simon Von Hatten, a Longmont High School junior and section leader alongside Kramer, said the group went into the competition with the goal of reaching the semifinals. Learning they’d made finals, he said, was a “dream come true.”

“It was pretty emotional to have the realization that we should probably give ourselves some more credit, and that people are really seeing our show for what it is.” said Von Hatten, who plays snare drum. “My biggest hope was to play our last show and have it be the best show for everybody, and I really think it was.”

Since the ensemble attends the competition every other year, coupled with the competition going virtual during the coronavirus pandemic, none of the group’s students had traveled to the championships before.

“We missed about two years of the students being able to really play live,” Marvin said. “To get the ability level back up, and the work ethic it takes to make that happen … this group was just spectacular at that.”

The students have been in Ohio since Tuesday and will return to Colorado on Sunday afternoon. Marvin said he expects word of the drumline’s success to spread, potentially bringing more members into the ensemble going forward.

“This was the perfect group to bring to world championships, because they represent everything good about what we do,” he said.