Today we venture over to San Angelo, Texas for the second edition of our new weekly Collegiate Twirler Spotlight! Here we find one of the Angelo State University Twirlers, Kaitlen McNeill!
At Angelo State University, Kaitlen has to audition annually to maintain her Twirler position. She loves being a part of the Angelo State community and says her favorite school tradition is the “bonfire the night before homecoming”. She also enjoys being a part of the band and says that performing at Ram Jam (the school’s tailgate) is one of her favorite performance opportunities.
If you are interested in learning more about the Marching Ram Band, check out their website. They will be holding their 2017 Twirler auditions in April for those looking to try-out. Let's learn more about this Senior twirler and her experiences as a twirler.
Kaitlen McNeill, Senior, Competition Level: Collegiate
Kaitlen is from Lubbock, Texas, and is currently a Senior Early Education Major. Kaitlen is taught by Coach Vanessa Moffett of M & M Majorettes and has been twirling for 10 years. She says she is the most proud of earning the title 2016 Intermediate Senior Southwest Regional Pageant Winner. Her favorite competition trick is a toss double fan jump catch blind, and her favorite field trick is a toss cartwheel.
She find her biggest twirling inspiration in her Coach, Vanessa Moffett. “Twirling duet with her inspired me to try harder tricks and increase my speed of the baton”. When asked what her moment in twirling was, she said it was attending her first AYOP (NBTA Nationals). She also says that the best life skill she has learned from baton twirling is “How to not give up! When things get tough, it makes it easier to keep going”.
As she is a Senior this year, we asked Kaitlen what she will miss the most. She says “The daily practices and my lessons with Coach Vanessa as well as twirling with the M&M majorettes”. After graduation, she has plans to get her Master’s in Education. “Hopefully by 2018 I will be teaching in the classroom”.
Fun Facts!
Color = Blue
Movie = “Tangled” (“Who doesn’t love Disney?”)
Music = Country
Quote = “You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger darling”.
When she isn’t twirling she loves to… “Spend time with family and friends”.
You may not know that she… “Loves to ski”.
Most Memorable Advice from her coach… “Calling me chicken and ‘bwocking’ at me when I didn’t want to try a trick or would toss the baton up and not do the trick under it.”
Kaitlen says the funniest moment she has had during her twirling career was one day at practice when she was trying new split tricks with her coach. “(we didn’t know if) we were going to be able to get up the next day!”
When asked what advice she would pass on to future Collegiate twirlers, she said “Don’t give up, even when you want to quit. Push through, because this sport will make you a stronger person”.
Thank you Kaitlen for giving us a little view into your world. We wish you a wonderful football season and a great senior year. Go Rams!
We hope you have enjoyed another edition of our Friday Night Lights Feature. Have a favorite High School or Collegiate Twirler that you would like to see interviewed? Please contact us at texastwirlcontact@gmail.com with their name and email address so that we can reach out to them!
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