They receive little publicity and may be the best kept secret in Butler County sports.

But the 10 girls comprising the Mars High School winter guard team won the silver medal at the Winter Guard International South Power Regional in Tampa, Fla., last month and is preparing to compete in the WGI World Championships in San Diego April 15-17.

Program director Wendy Watson started the team in 1993 as an off-shoot of the marching band. The squad has since grown into its own entity.

"These girls spend a lot of time together and are deeply committed to each other and to this program," Watson said. "They sacrifice a lot of weekend time, but every one of them loves it."

Winter guard competition is performed on a basketball court with participants holding a rifle, flag or saber. Routines last approximately five minutes and at least five team members must be putting equipment in motion for three minutes and 30 seconds.

Performances are done to recorded music, ranging anywhere from classical to country. Mars is performing to a jazz version of Moon Dance.

"We work on the same routine all season," Watson said. "The judging is very technical and your performance has to be exact."

Lisa Bobek runs the Mars Middle School winter guard program and is the show developer for the high school squad. Watson and Lindsay Reinstadtler, a 2001 graduate of the program, serve as technicians.

The winter guard season begins in late November and competitions begin in January. Regional events take place in February and March and the season concludes with the world championships in April.

Last year marked Mars' first world championships' appearance. The Planets placed 20th out of 120 teams in their Scholastic Class A division at Dayton, Ohio.

This year's team members include seniors Amanda Reinstadtler, Kelly Hay, Sara Herold and Meg Howes, juniors Katie Kovac and Bethannie Cannon, sophomores Lisa Swain and Shannon McKiernan, freshmen Jesyrae Lawther and Ashley Lucas.

Another senior, Amanda Fuhr, is the prop crew.

Practices run Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m., to 1 p.m., followed by departure to a regional. The team is competing in Norristown this weekend.

"It's such a great experience to be out there performing," Howes said. "You work on the same thing for so many hours and it all just comes together.

"You get close to your teammates because you're all working together to make it happen."

Howes joined the program as a freshman. Amanda Reinstadtler has been involved in it since eighth grade.

"I used to watch my sister compete and never believed I'd ever be able to do something like that," Reinstadtler said. "It takes a lot of work.

"From the beginning of each season, you never know what kind of team you'll have because there are always new people coming in. But the bonds we make are so strong."

Mars is the only Butler County high school with a winter guard team. The Planets are members of the Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association and won that league's championship competition last year.

Mars is unbeaten in dual competition over the past two seasons.

There are five judges at a regional event. One judges the use of equipment, another the movement of the participants, another judges ensemble - how the participants and equipment are used as a unit. The other two judges look at general effect.

"Imagine a ballet - all of the leaps, jumps and splits - and imagine those movements performed while holding a rifle, flag or saber, all set to music," Watson said. "That's what we do."

Mars has been competing in WGI regional events since 2000.

"To me, these girls will be lifelong friends," Reinstadtler said. "They're like family. I spend more time with them than I do with my own family."

Some winter guard teams have boys. Some have reserves. Mars has neither.

"All 10 of our girls are out there all of the time," Watson said. "We would welcome any boys on the team. We've just never had one try out."

The school district provides the team with its uniforms and equipment. Team members raise funds for travel. It will cost $11,000 to take the team to San Diego next month.