The West Johnston High School Marching Band won first place in the Bands of America Regional Championship in Towson, Maryland last Saturday proving the band's motto "With hard work and dedication, anything is possible."

Competing against 22 other bands from 6 states (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina) West Johnston won with their show Inner Compass: Songs from the West Side that celebrates the band's growth from their start six years ago, according to a news release.

This is the first time that the West Johnston band has won a Bands of America Regional Championship, which no band in North Carolina has won in the last 20 years.

When asked how she felt at the end of the finals performance senior Diana Adams said, "I was proud to know that I had just performed the best show that I had in me, and I knew that the band's performance had been something extraordinary. The entire band seemed to know that too."  Her twin sister Robin added, "After I snapped my horn down at the end of the show, I knew that it had been our best run ever in 4 years.

Three of the four North Carolina bands in the Regional Championship were from Johnston County and included Clayton, Smithfield Selma and West Johnston.  Clayton competed with their show "Universe in a Nutshell" and Smithfield Selma competed with "Who?" 

In a show of support for their fellow Johnston County bands, each high school cheered the others during preliminary performances with Clayton and Smithfield Selma staying for the finals and cheering for their sister school, West Johnston.