2026 XRG staff

Program COMPOSITION TEAM

Darrin Mell is thrilled to return for his fifth year as Ensemble Director of Crossroads Guard, and his seventh year on staff. He has been a color guard designer, choreographer, instructor, judge, and clinician based in the Midwest for the past two decades. He has worked with numerous programs including Saydel High School, The Sound of Sun Prairie Marching Band, the UWEC Blugold Marching Band, and the Colt Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps. He is currently the Color Guard Director at Ankeny High School in Ankeny, Iowa.

A musician first, Darrin began his marching arts journey in high school while balancing wind ensemble, orchestra, & theater with the Sound of Sun Prairie Marching Band. He played clarinet for two summers in the band before joining the color guard. He has since performed with Premiere Winterguard, the UWEC Blugold Marching Band, the Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps, and the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Apparel, Merchandising, and Design from Iowa State University which he had been utilizing in his role as a visual merchandiser & display specialist. He’s currently searching for the next new adventure!

Erin Wolff is delighted to return to the Crossroads Guard for her third season, second as the Assistant Director.  Her colorguard journey started in 1996, performing for a decade in DCI with the Colt Cadets, Blue Stars, and the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps.

Erin has been involved with colorguard in the state of Iowa as a performing member, technician, instructor, and consultant. She has worked with Dubuque Senior, Waterloo East, Waterloo West, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, and most recently Ankeny High School.

Outside of colorguard, Erin earned a Master of Accountancy from the University of Northern Iowa and works as a Lead Investment Accountant in the greater Des Moines area. She loves road trips, spending time with her nephews and niece, and playing board/card games.

Keri Songer fell in love with the performance arts at a young age, growing up in studio dance. Following high school graduation, she was a color guard member in the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps for four years (’11-’14). Since then she has had the privilege of working with color guard programs throughout Iowa, which along with XRG include Iowa State University, William Penn University, Oskaloosa High School, and Waukee High School. Keri has also had the opportunity to teach dance and flag classes annually at the Central Iowa Color Guard Camp.

Keri received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from William Penn University. She currently does behind-the-scenes work for KBOE Radio, a station based out of Oskaloosa, Iowa, while living in Omaha with her husband Emery and three greyhounds.

Annie Pelka, originally from Chicagoland, studied the art of movement at the University of North Texas, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance. While in school she simultaneously marched 4 years at the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps, which grew into a long teaching career at the same corps. After graduating she moved to Atlanta, GA as a performer and teacher. Studying hands-on bodywork and deciphering common movement patterns proved to be the foundation for her massage practice after becoming a Licensed Massage Therapist.

Annie has had the great honor of working with many marching band, winter guard and percussion programs in various design and instruction capacities; some of these programs include Paramount Winter Guard, Odyssey Percussion Theatre, Harrison High School, Kell High School, Mill Creek High School, Pope High School, Mt. Juliet High School, Chantilly High School, Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps, and Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps.

EDUCATION TEAM

Angie Countryman-Marcantel has served as a color guard designer, choreographer, instructor, adjudicator, consultant, and clinician for the last 35 years. In 2000, Angie co-founded the Independent A color guard, Studio Tucee’ and acted as the guard’s Executive Director for 3 years. She’s worked with numerous programs throughout Iowa including, Iowa State University, Dowling Catholic, Oskaloosa, Newton, Dallas Center-Grimes, and most recently West Des Moines Valley.

Outside of color guard, Angie has worked for a national company based out of Des Moines, Iowa for 20 years. She and her family spend much of their time enjoying family and friends, live music, and sporting events.

Angie is thrilled to join the Crossroads team this winter!

Aubrey Vandeerbeek grew up in Waukee, Iowa and currently lives in Grimes, IA. She graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in Psychology and minor in Criminal Justice in 2022 and recently went back to school to obtain a Crime Scene Investigation Certificate at DMACC.

Aubrey found her passion for the performing arts through color guard in high school where she spun fall (‘16-‘18) and winter (‘18 and ‘19). She was a member of the Iowa State Color Guard in 2019, and was a member of Colts Drum & Bugle Corps Color Guard for the 2019 and 2022 seasons. She was also a member of Crossroads Guard for the 2021 season.

Aubrey has been teaching color guard since 2020 where she started off as a technician for Waukee High School. She have since been a technician and caption head at Johnston High School (‘22-‘24), and still stays involved in writing their shows. She has also had the opportunity to teach beginner flag at the ISU Cyclone Marching Academy (2025).

Aubrey is looking forward to and is extremely excited to join XRG this season!

Emily Broghammer is from the Iowa City area, growing up just west of the city within the Clear Creek Amana School District. It was there where she first saw and fell in love with color guard. She was on the CCA color guard team all four years of high school, during this time she spent her summers marching with the Colt Cadets (‘11-‘13). Upon graduating high school, Emily continued her drum corps career marching with the Colts until her age out (‘14-‘17) while attending Central College.

Emily has had the opportunity to be a color guard instructor at multiple places within eastern Iowa, such as the Colt Cadets, Clear Creek Amana High School, Anamosa High School, and St. Ambrose University. She is looking forward to and is very excited to be joining the Crossroads team for this upcoming season!

Hannah Emmert is an Iowa native, born and raised in Pella, and currently resides in Ames. She is a 2021 graduate of Iowa State University, where she received a B.A. in Psychology and has returned to pursue her master's degree in Graphic Design.

As a performer, Hannah was a member of the Iowa State Marching Band Color Guard (2017-2019) and Crossroads Guard (2020 & 2021). She was also a member of the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps Color Guard (2021).

Since 2018, Hannah has been a dance/movement and flag instructor for beginner, intermediate, & advanced skill levels at the Central Iowa Color Guard Camp in Pella, Iowa. She has assisted various high schools in the Des Moines area during their fall and winter seasons as a consultant and technician. She is the color guard caption head at Waukee High School for their fall marching band program and works closely with their sister school, Waukee Northwest, during the combined winter guard season.

Hannah is thrilled to be back to share her passion for the marching arts as a staff member again this season!

Maya Struhar (she/her) started her dance career at just eighteen months old. She grew up in studio dance, studying under nationally-recognized instructors for sixteen years. During and following high school, Maya marched on the dance and flag line with the Colt Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps (2015-2016) and the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps (2017-2021). Maya served as the captain of the Colts Color Guard for four years, from 2018 until she aged out in 2021.

Maya received degrees in Dance and Organizational Leadership from Cottey College in 2021. She also holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from the University of New Orleans (2023). During her undergraduate and graduate studies, Maya had the privilege of working with the Nevada Crimson Sound Color Guard, and the students at the Spotlight School of Dance. Maya also served as a movement and flag technician for the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps from 2022 through 2024.

During the day, Maya works as an Urban Planner in Des Moines. In the evenings, she is a dance instructor for children aged 3-18 at the Spotlight School of Dance in Creston, Iowa.. In her free time, you can find Maya drinking coffee or training for her next marathon. She resides in Des Moines with her many, many plants. Maya is ecstatic to be back with the Crossroads team this winter!