Grand Terrace High School hosted a winter guard tournament for the first time ever on Valentine's Day, Saturday, Feb. 14. According to Grand Terrace High School’s Rusty Brown, each team will be ranked and then it is determined which division they will be placed into for the remainder of the season. There were a total of 26 teams in the tournament, including Grand Terrace High School. Considering that there are about 20 students on each team, the high school was packed with supportive parents, coaches, friends and community members. The tournament kicked off at 9 a.m. and ran until late afternoon, until each team had the opportunity to perform. “Our girls performed beautifully. Every team did great, and with no injuries all day,” said Brown. She went on to explain how smooth the tournament went, especially considering this was the first time the GTHS winter guard has hosted. “I would say the girls, and even all of us, were a little more nervous than if we were at another school just because we were the hosts this time,” she explained. The Grand Terrace High School band program offered a big helping hand for the day. “All the band kids came out and helped with many different things like parking, setting up equipment and seating people,” said Brown. Colton Joint Unified School District’s Brandy Cisneros also attended to support the GTHS team as they hosted for the day. “We really couldn’t ask for a better tournament. It just went excellent,” Brown gushed. “Although we (the GTHS team) had a few jittery mistakes, overall the girls were very poised and graceful. I was just so proud of how they handled themselves while they performed and just throughout the day,” she said. “They had a lot of pressure on them since we were the ones hosting, but they represented Grand Terrace so well.” The results of each team's division placement should be received by the end of the week, according to Brown.

GTHS Hosts Winter Guard Tournament for the First Time