Hilton Head High marching band wins first ever first place

In her first two years of high school, Kendall Ackerman and her fellow members of the Hilton Head Island High School marching band used to get excited when they finished anywhere except last place in competitions around the state.

Times have changed for Kendall, now a senior and the band's drum major.

For perhaps the first time in the school's history, the marching band has won first place in a competition.

At that event last month, called the Walterboro Band Classic, the school won first place overall in its division, competing against five other bands that have fewer than 30 non-percussion players.

The band also won awards for the best drum major, best horn line and best drum line.

Seven seniors stood on the field to accept those awards, while the rest of the 38-member band shouted and cheered from the stands.

"I thought I was going to faint," Kendall said. "We've come a long way."

That success is due in part to the leadership of band director T.J. Shank and assistant Ryan Burd, both 2003 graduates of Hilton Head High School. They are in their second year of teaching at the school.

Shank said he's noticed increased enthusiasm among the students since last year.

Everyone seems to be more comfortable around each other, he said.

"I'm harder on them now that they're used to me," Shank said. "Our success is because of the kids' hard work. They've started to buy into what we're trying to sell here."

But even Shank was surprised by the win.

"I thought we had a chance, but I didn't think we'd do as well as we did. It was a very proud experience for me," Shank said, noting that he never won a competition in his high school band days.

The marching band has two more competitions this fall -- the Blythewood Tournament in Columbia on Friday and the Lower State Championships in Lake Marion on Oct. 18.

Kendall is optimistic about the band's future.

"We're better than I ever imagined," she said. "Things are definitely getting done."