After a long and successful marching season, the Pelham High School Indoor Winterguard teams will compete in five different competitions across the U.S.

They will compete against more than 30 other guards from across the U.S. in some of the competitions and many more at the championships.

There are 13 members on J.V. and 14 on varsity. The varsity team has used flags, rifles and dance in the past, but they will add sabers this year. The team will perform to the song “Boston” by August Ana, and junior varsity will perform to “A Happy Medley,” which is a mix of songs.

As a freshman and J.V. co-captain, Katie Smitherman must make sure everyone understands their role. Senior varsity captain Shelby Nelsom does the same for varsity.

“When it comes to performing, we all have to make sure that the routine is clean, and be ready to know what should happen next,” said Nelson.

On Jan. 24, both teams competed at the Pell City Winterguard competition. The J.V. team placed second and were promoted to a higher classification.

This means at the next competition, they will have to compete at the higher level.

The varsity also had a great day, placing first, which promoted them to a higher classification.

In a head-to-head rifle spin off, sophomore Carley McCune excelled. Each guard member was required to stay on beat and not break the flow of the spin. Carley was able to last longer than any other guard, spinning for more than eight minutes.

As a team, guard members are able to depend on each other.

“Being best friends has really helped us work better as a team,” said sophomore Brooke Goldman.

Both teams placed first at the competition at Oak Grove High School. They will compete again in three weeks at Independence High School in Thompson Station, Tenn.