When the Ironton High School color guard left the Ohio State Fair Baton Competition at the end of July, they brought six first place awards with them. One for each category the color guard competed in.

“We’re very proud of them,” Vallerie Freeman, an assistant coach of the team, said. “These young ladies have been working since May to compete and have put in lots of hours.”

The six competitions the color guard claimed first in were the Senior Show Team for a Pirates of the Caribbean flag routine, the Senior Corps for an Elvis medley guard, the Senior Dance Twirl Team for a Captain’s Conga routine, the Senior Twirl Team for a Crazy Train guard routine, the Senior Parade Corps for a March America guard routine and the Senior Majorette Line for a Phantom of the Opera majorette routine.

The competition took place at the Buckeye Sports Center in Columbus, and the color guard beat out six other schools and dance studios in each of the categories. This is also the second straight year the Ironton High School color guard swept first place for each category at the state fair.

Freeman said the community support for the color guard has been great in providing funding for them to go on trips to compete.

The head coach and choreographer of the Ironton High School color guard is Patty Freeman, with Angela Malone working alongside Valerie Freeman as the assistants.

“They’re a hard-working group who work really well together,” Freeman said. “They’re top-notch kids and represented the school and the community with 100 percent respect and dignity.”