Guard Staff | Reading Buccaneers

2025 Colorguard Staff

Mitch Meussner is excited to return for his third season leading the RBCG. Mitch started color guard at Arundel High School, where he was a designer and choreographer for many years and started marching Drum Corps with the Reading Buccaneers in 1997. From there he marched Independent World Class finalist Just Class from Baltimore, MD and the Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps from 2000-2002. When not teaching color guard, Mitch enjoys spending time with his niece and nephew as well as his puppy, Luna.

Mitch Meussner - Colorguard Caption Head

Tyler is returning for his 6th season on staff. Previous instructional experience includes various roles of technician, choreographer, and designer at a number of indoor groups along the east coast, including Field of View, Delazure, and now AMP Winterguard. Tyler's own marching experience includes Jersey Surf, Cavaliers, Reading Buccaneers, Cpex, Black Watch, and Field of View.

Tyler Leynes - Colorguard Caption Manager

A Reading Buccaneer alumni who started her color guard career with her middle and high school programs, Makenzie joined the RBCG in 2013 and then from 2015-2017. She took the step to audition for a DCI corps and spent her 2018 and 2019 summer marching Santa Clara Vanguard. While at West Chester University, Makenzie studied Elementary Education/ Special Education with a minor in dance. She marched with the Incomparable Golden Ram Marching Band 2016-2018, 2020. She took a leadership role in the 2019 fall season after she got double hip surgery. Makenzie also marched AMP in 2019, 2022, and 2024. She spent her 2022 summer marching one more year of Bucs. Aside from teaching WCU Cologuard, she is a Special Education teacher. Makenzie is thrilled to continue to be involved with the RBCG.

Makenzie Wrightstone - Movement Technician/Choreographer

Frankie Ashton - Rifle Technician

Frankie is excited to return to the Buccaneers color guard staff for the 2025 season! Frankie began his marching arts career in 2014 at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (2014-2018). He then expanded his skills over 6 summers with the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps (2017-2022). Post-high school, he has marched with Fusion World for 7 seasons (2019-present), serving as captain for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Frankie has taught multiple programs in the Southern PA and Central New Jersey area, including Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (2018-2021), Upper Darby High School (2018-present),Hatboro Horsham High School/Hatters Independent (2022-present), the Bushwackers drum corps (2023), and Somerville High School (2024-present). Outside of marching and teaching, Frankie spends his days working for Showday Designs developing costumes, flags, and more for programs across the country. Frankie is thrilled to start his second season with the Buccaneers!

Mikayla is a recent graduate from Elizabethtown College with a masters degree in Occupational Therapy. She started her color guard career with the West Shore School District Color Guard from 2013 to 2019. Mikayla’s drum corps career began with the Cadets2 DCA corps in 2018 and continued with the Carolina Crown color guard from 2019 to 2022. Mikayla continued her winter guard career after high school, marching with AMP Winter Guard from 2020 to 2025. She has taught the Hempfield High School color guard since 2020 and this will be her third season as the flag tech for the RBCG!

Mikayla Close - Flag Technician

Lexi’s career started in 2011 with Gateway Regional High School Winter Guard (2011–2018). Alongside their marching band program (2012–2017), throughout high school she joined the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps (2015–2019). After high school, she performed with Surge Independent in 2019.

During high school, she volunteered to help with Gateway’s Middle School Winter Guard in 2015 and 2016. After High School, she was a part of the Impetus Winter Guard Staff for the 2020 season. Since 2022, Lexi has been working with the Haddon Heights Marching Band, along with their Indoor Color Guard programs, High Voltage and Surge Independent.

Lexi is ecstatic to return for another season with the RBCG!

Lexi Mullen - Sabre Technician

Michael Latch - Rifle Technician

Michael has been a performer and educator in the colorguard community for over ten years. A greater Philadelphia area native, he got his start in the marching arts in high school where he marched all four years of marching band and indoor guard at Garnet Valley HS. After high school, he attended West Chester University where he performed with the WCU Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band in 2017, 2018, and 2019. He has also marched with the Jersey Surf Drum & Bugle Corps in 2015, The Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps in 2017, and The Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps in 2019 and 2020. He has previously been an educator with various high schools in the area including West Chester East HS, Garnet Valley HS, Downingtown East HS, and now currently works with Unionville HS as well as teaches with the Madison Scouts. He is a current member of Fusion Winterguard, where he is returning for his third season this winter.

Joshua Marrero - Choreographer

Joshua started out his color guard career with AMP Winter Guard from 2007 – 2014. He entered IW class in 2015 as a cast member with the Black Watch, participating in the organization for two seasons and performing in Contemporary Color with the group. Joshua returned to AMP in 2017, helping the team to their first-place finish in WGI IO finals. He continued competing with AMP through the 2020 season as a captain and has been instructing AMP since 2021. Joshua expanded his experience with drum corps. He was a member of Jersey Surf (2012 – 2014), Hawthorne Caballeros (2015), Blue Knights (2016 – 2017) and aged out with the 2018 DCI Champions, the Santa Clara Vanguard. Joshua has worked with various marching band/winter guard programs throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Arizona, including teaching the Hawthorne Caballeros from 2019 - 2023. Josh is excited to return to the Buccaneers this summer!

Taylor Aves - Colorguard Technician

Taylor has taught at a variety of programs ranging from Novice to Independent World class. Taylor previously taught the Hawthorne Caballeros as a flag technician in 2019 & 2021, serving as caption head in 2022, then sharing a co-caption head role in 2023 in anticipation of the arrival of her first child that summer. Taylor was also a flag technician for AMP World in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Taylor has also taught at several high school programs, including but not limited to Downingtown East HS (2017-2020) and East Pennsboro High School (2021-2022). Taylor is currently the color guard director for Camp Hill MS/HS and started teaching the program in 2021.

Taylor marched with the Mechanicsburg Color Guard in the Scholastic A, Open, and World Classes from 2011-2014. She began her drum corps career in high school, spending two summers with the Hawthorne Caballeros (2012-2013) and later marching with the Cadets2 (2015-2018), where she served as captain in 2016 and 2018. Taylor continued her marching career during college by marching with the West Chester University Marching Band (2016-2017), where she served as a captain her senior year, the Towson University Winter Guard (2017), and AMP World (2018-2019).

Outside of the marching arts, Taylor works with children with special needs as a Behavior Analyst. She currently lives in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania with her husband, son, and 3 cats. Taylor is excited to get back to teaching drum corps after the birth of her son and to start her first season with the Reading Buccaneers!