REXBURG — Winter guard is not a well-known sport in Idaho, but a new team from Rexburg is certainly doing its part to change that.

The 14 girls on the Madison High Avant team competed in their first competition recently in Layton, Utah, and they took first place in their division, Scholastic Local A.

That was exciting for Celeste Reynolds, the team’s instructor, and Angie Boyle, her assistant.

“We knew the girls were talented and they would do well,” Reynolds said. “But in your first year you don’t expect to be so high up in the rankings, and so it was kind of a surprise.”

Winter guard is essentially the same as color guard, but it is performed indoors and doesn’t use a marching band.

“Winter guard is a type of dance activity including flags, rifles and sabers,” Reynolds said, adding that the teams spin the props while performing to a song of their choice.

Reynolds said the team in Rexburg started as a way for the color guard to keep up its skills by performing at activities throughout the winter.

But as the participants’ interest and abilities grew, they decided to make the team more official.

“They started doing really well and we wanted to take them to the next level and offer them a chance to compete,” she said.

Since there aren’t any other competitive teams in Idaho, the self-funded Madison High Avant competes in the Utah circuit, Reynolds said.

“We’re thankful for their state and their circuit, which is open to a school like us in our situation,” she said.

Still, Reynolds hopes more Idaho teams will form in the future. In fact, she’s planning a local solo and ensemble competition for the Southeast Idaho area on Saturday to help raise awareness about the sport. The free event is set from 1-4 p.m. at Madison Junior High School in Rexburg.

“We want to promote and help grow the activity,” she said.

Anyone interested in learning more about the event can contact Reynolds at celestedaniellereynolds@yahoo.com.

There are a lot of advantages to having a winter guard team, as well as a color guard team, Reynolds said, adding that the two sports strengthen each other.

She says local kids can join the winter guard team as early as seventh grade. So they’ve already had a chance to try the sport and improve their abilities by the time they start competing in the 10th grade. And that benefits both the winter guard and color guard teams.

In addition, having a winter guard team gives more students a chance to participate in a sport.

“A lot of girls need a home,” Reynolds said.

She adds that both boys and girls can join the activity — no matter what their abilities or personal characteristics are — if they are willing to work hard.

“It gives people a chance to be part of an organization, even if they haven’t had any prior experience or a lot of money to do (activities in the past).”