NORWALK – First place is becoming common ground for the Newtown High School Winterguard.

The Nighthawks finished first at their latest competition on Saturday, April 3, at Norwalk High School and that makes seven of nine conference competitions that the ‘Hawks have earned a first-place finish. They finished second in the other two.

In addition to their regular conference competitions, the Guard won its first ever South-West Conference championship back on Thursday, March 18, at Bunnell High School.

Also, the Guard – under the direction of three new instructors – placed seventh out of 19 teams at the Winterguard International East Power Regionals Finals held back on March 13 at the University of Rhode Island. The WGI Power Regional is a Winterguard competition that draws groups from as far away as Texas and Canada and this is the first year that the Guard has not only made it to the finals, but also placed high in the standings.

 The theme of the Guard show this year is Everything That Has A Beginning Has An End. During the performance, the members toss and spin rifles, sabres and flags to music from “The Matrix” while moving around the floor.

Winterguard is one of the fastest growing of the performance arts. It combines elements of music, dance and military-like precision. The groups are judged on use of equipment, movement, ensemble analysis and general effect.

The current guard consists of a dedicated group of 17 performers (16 girls and one boy) from eighth graders through high school seniors.

Members include Courtney DiBeneditto, Nicole Krause, Stacy Tomasko, Sarah DeVellis, Eileen Connor, Michelle Imperioli, Margret Donahue, Karen Whippie, Amanda Krause, Vicky Cordosa, Jessica Schmaltz, Alyssa Scalora, Lauren Imperioli, Conor Kovatch, Alicia Kulp, Karla Spencer and Kristen Fetchick.

Besides the varsity guard, Newtown also has a junior varsity unit and a Cadet group for fifth and sixth grade students. The season runs from the beginning of January to the end of April, with competitions almost every Saturday.

There are two competitions remaining for the local squad. The final regular season competition will be Saturday, April 17, at Naugatuck High School. Championships will follow on Saturday, April 24, at Trumbull High School.