EternalGuardFan

from the 2010 WGI rule book... Classes with 30 or more entries will use “tournament-style” rounds to seed color guards for preliminaries. The following example is based on a preliminary contest with 45 color guards. The number of rounds and guards within each round will vary depending on the size of the contest but this gives an example of the process. The numbers represent the RANKING of the color guard. The highest ranked color guard will perform in the last round. ROUND 1 3, 4, 9, 10, 15, 16 21, 22, 27, 28, 33, 34, 39, 40, 45 ROUND 2 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41, 44 ROUND 3 1, 6, 7, 12, 13, 18, 19, 24, 25, 30, 31, 36, 37, 42, 43 Once placed into a round, color guards will be divided into three groups according to ranking (highest ranking, next highest ranking, etc.) Color guards will random draw for performance order within their group with the highest-ranking color guards in that group performing last. The highest ranked color guard will perform in the last round.

I believe there is a certain frame of time early in the season where you can ask to be reviewed by the WGI Review Committee for reclassification to a lower class. The little voice in my head keeps suggesting to me that it was January 31st. But I’m assuming it is a later date since Gates has had the opportunity to make the move. Best of luck to them, regardless of the class!

That type of “medal hogging” that you’re referring to has occurred in the percussion arena of our activity for a while. The same Scholastic Open drum line has won the gold medal the past 4 seasons – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009. Don't get me wrong because, good for them for producing a quality product, but it's also nice to see a program grow and accept the challenges of competing in a higher class.

While I didn’t see either IA guard perform at the Rochester Regional, WGI isn’t the only circuit where seemingly viewed mishaps or anomalies occur. Take Indiana for example – Two weeks ago, in a local circuit, Center Grove had a 75 and Lawrence Central had a 72. Just ONE week later, Center Grove had a 74, and Lawrence Central had a 78 in the same circuit. Now before the replies start rolling in – yes, there was an entire week between these competitions, not just a few hours as was the case in Rochester, but still, many would question a 6 point jump in a week. Maybe shows weren’t completed, and now they are? Had the level of achievement drastically changed for the units in IN? Who knows. I’m not trying to justify either outcome in these scenarios, nor condemn them, just making an observation that there are other circuits where things like this occur.