It is the last weekend for regular season football all over Texas, and our football seasons are winding down. Congrats to everyone who had their final game of the season this weekend, and congrats to everyone whose teams are moving into playoffs!
This week, because I was able to make a quick trip up to Stephenville, Texas, we had a very special Collegiate Twirler Spotlight by broadcasting a part of the interview LIVE on our Twirling is Catching - Texas Edition Blog Facebook Page from the Tarleton State University Memorial Stadium. If you missed it, you can check out the video here...
It is always such a joy to get to watch the Texans Feature Twirlers, Kaley Dowell & Savanna Esse! A fun fact about these two is that they twirled together at Goldthwaite High School, and now have been reunited on the Tarleton field.
During the live interview, I asked these twirlers the best thing about being a Tarleton Texan. Kaley told us it is all the traditions. Everywhere you go around the school there are different traditions for the students to be a part of, and a great environment of school spirit. They both mentioned the support the students have for each other as well. The attendance at the game was great and the student section gets really into the game and cheering on the spirit organizations.
Savanna mentioned that the best thing about game day specifically is the Pre-Game show. They really get to show off their school pride, and as Kaley brought up, they utilize the song Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix to really get the school hyped up before the football team comes out.
When not on camera, we asked these young ladies what advice they would pass on to those wanting to be a collegiate twirler one day. Kaley said that she would tell them "don't be afraid to just go for it!" They both agreed that even though a twirler may get nervous, they need to just push through and focus on enjoying what you love.
Besides attending high school with each other, they have something else in common. They both named the 2016 Miss Texas and current Baylor Golden Girl, Caroline Carothers, as they baton twirler they most look up to. Savanna mentioned that it isn't just her performance that she admires, but also her poise and the personality she shows to the world. Kaley had the chance to be coached by Caroline for a bit when she was a sophomore in High School and said she appreciated all the skills and life lessons Caroline taught her, and how much the time with her really helped her improve.
Now, lets that some time to learn a little more about these awesome twirlers...
Savanna is from Goldthwaite, Texas, and is currently a Sophomore Music Education Major. She has been twirling for 9 years, originally with Amanda Wood, but most recently with Belinda Flinn in Mason. While Savanna did not do competition twirling, she was very active in UIL and was very proud of her performance at UIL State her Senior year. She considered it her "redemption" from her previous year's performance. Savanna's favorite competition trick was her three baton vertical/horizontal stacks, and her favorite field trick is a toss cartwheel.
Kaley is also from Goldthwaite, Texas, and is currently a freshman Psychology Major. She started twirling 8 years ago with her aunt, Amanda Wood, but in 2016 she joined Twirl ATX where she is coached by Ashley Wood (no relation between Amanda & Ashley, but fun coincidence!). The competition title she is the most proud of is when she won the 2017 Southwest Regional Beginner Senior X-Strut and Solo titles. Kaley's favorite competition trick is her monster roll, and her favorite field trick is a toss illusion.
Favorite Color = Blue (Kaley), Baby Blue (Savanna)
Favorite Movie = "Wizard of Oz" (Kaley), Any of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies (Savanna)
Favorite Food = Steak with mashed potatoes and corn (Kaley), Anything with Cheese (Savanna)
Favorite Quote...
- Savanna - "Go with the flow"
- Kaley - "Nothing is Impossible with God" Luke 1:37
Best Advice they have been given...
- Savanna - "Always finish with a smile"
- Kaley - "Just have fun and that will help you get through it"
Favorite Twirling Moment...
- Savanna - "In high school I was wearing one of those bun hair pieces, and on the last song during our UIL performance it fell out on the field. All of the twirlers that year (including Kaley) burst out laughing while trying to finish their performance".
- Kaley - "This summer was my first time attending AYOP and I got to attend as a part of my team (Twirl ATX). Being at Nationals with my team, just all of it, was amazing, but most specifically, on the morning of Collegiate Downfield I got so nervous that I was sure I couldn't go on the floor. My coach was judging so she sent over one of my teammates, Alexus, to cheer me up and make sure I performed. Her coming to help me and be with me when I was freaking out meant everything. I did get the courage up and was able to compete in Collegiate Downfield proudly representing Tarleton State".
Funniest Twirling Moment...
- Savanna - "Once at a football game we (the twirlers) were dancing in the stands and my foot slipped. I slid into a full split on the bleachers! It was hilarious!"
- Kaley - "After a long day of prep for State, I was driving home with one of my teammates and we came across cars that were sideways in the road. We were delirious from hours of practice and just couldn't stop laughing!"
Thank you to these two ladies for being good sports and doing a live interview with us. Having had the chance to watch their first game of the season, and now their last, it was amazing to see the growth between these two. Their confidence shone from the field, and their love of the Texans and what they do was clear for all to see. Congrats on a great first season twirling together Savanna and Kaley! Go Texans!
We hope you have enjoyed this blog post. We are always looking for great new stories about Texas twirlers. Do you have an idea or some information we could use to help highlight our sport? Contact us at texastwirlcontact@gmail.com and we would love to hear more about it.
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