Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - University of Connecticut Feature Twirler

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

The weather is finally changing and it is starting to feel like Fall here in Texas! We love this part of the season, and we are once again excited to feature another one of our Miss Majorette of Texas title holders. We really enjoyed following her Instastory Takeover from the UConn vs Yale game, and we are happy to share more about this wonderful representative of our sport. 

This week’s Collegiate Twirler Spotlight is the University of Connecticut Feature Twirler!

The University of Connecticut, located in Storrs, Connecticut, is the home of the Huskies. It is also the home of a history of fantastic twirlers, which is why #TeamTexas was ecstatic to see our very own Texas Twirler, Maggie Barnett, named as their Feature Twirler! 

We asked Maggie what made her choose UConn, and she told us it was the perfect combination of academics and a chance to twirl for an amazing school. “When I came to UConn for the first time I fell in love with the campus and the people here. Everyone was so welcoming and supportive. UConn is not only a great school for twirling, but it also has an excellent music program and political science department, which were great for both of my majors.”

With each school having a different approach to naming their twirlers, we wanted to know what Maggie did to earn her spot. “The audition process at UConn is very individualized. You first email the band director about your interest in being a feature twirler at UConn. You also include information about yourself and some videos of you twirling. You then get invited to audition in person and where you will twirl and also talk more with Dr. Mills about twirling at UConn.”

Through this process, Maggie will be able to continue representing UConn for several years. “At UConn we only audition once, and the spot is ours until we graduate, but UConn will have more than one twirler.”

Choosing to go to UConn was a great decision for Maggie. Making the choice to go out of state is often a difficulty one, but not for her. “I have always wanted to go to school out of state. Being on the east coast does provide so many great opportunities and connections for me to explore music performance and political science. I would encourage twirlers looking to go to school out of state to get out their options. It is a great opportunity that will allow you to experience and learn so many new things.”

While it has been a wonderful experience for Maggie, we did want to know what she has missed the most not being in Texas. “This is silly but the one thing I do miss about Texas is being so close to so many Chick-fil-A’s. There are only eleven in the entire state of Connecticut and the closest one to me is thirty minutes away.”

Now that we have learned what brought Maggie to UConn, let’s learn more about her. 

Maggie Barnett
Maggie is a sophomore from Fort Worth, Texas, and is majoring in Music Performance (oboe) and Political Science. In addition to being the Feature Twirler, she also plays oboe in the University’s symphonic band and symphonic orchestra. She has been twirling for 15 years with coach Janice Jackson Seamands. The competition title she is the proudest of earning was the 2021 College Miss Majorette of Texas. In baton twirling she has been very inspired by the former UConn Twirlers. “All of the UConn twirler alum are not only such great twirlers, but they are also amazing people. They have been so welcoming and supportive and they inspire me in so many ways.” Her favorite competition tricks are rolls or five turns, and her favorite field trick is elbow pops into a split. After college, she hopes to attend law school and play oboe professionally, or teach private lessons.

Fun Facts!
Favorite Color – Blue
Favorite TV Shows – Law & Order and Dance Moms
Favorite Music – “I listen to a lot of different types of music, but my favorite artists right now are Taylor Swift and SZA.”

Favorite Quote…
“The best things in life are worth waiting for.”

When she is not twirling, she loves to…
“Listen to music and spending time with my friends.”

Something people might not know about her is…
“I am a geography nerd. I can name all of the countries, their capitals, and other random facts about them.”

Favorite moment as a baton twirler…
“My favorite moment as a baton twirler would have to be at the end of the second day of our preseason in August when our band director Dr. Mills introduced me to the entire band. He then had me twirl to the fight song for the first time while the band made a giant arc around me on our practice field. It was so exciting to finally get to twirl with the UCMB in person.”

Funniest moment as a baton twirler…
“One day at band rehearsal some of the graduate assistants started naming some of the tricks I do in part of our show after Taco Bell menu items. Now every time we run the show and I get to that part we all start laughing. (For reference, horizontal finger twirls are also known as the ‘Baja Blast Freeze’ and whenever I am doing a leap, that means the Taco Bell is closed).”

Most memorable advice from her coach…
“Remember to always positively represent yourself because as a feature twirler you are not only representing your school, but you are also a representative for the sport of baton twirling.”

#1 Non-Twirling Life Skill she has learned from baton twirling…
“The most important life skill I have learned from baton twirling would have to be how to interview. Interview skills are so important and baton twirling gives you so many opportunities to practice those skills.”

Best UCONN School Tradition…
“My favorite school tradition would have to First Night. First Night is an event held at Gampel Pavilion that kicks off the start of basketball season and both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are introduced. The cheer and dance teams perform, and the twirler also gets to perform with the drumline.”

Best UCONN Band Tradition…
“My favorite band tradition would have to be when the band gets ice cream after performing at halftime during the football games.”

Advice for a twirler about to start college auditions…
“Trust the process and never give up. You will end up where you are supposed to be.”

We experienced a very unprecedented year last year. We wanted to know what Maggie learned from that experience and how she stayed motivated, and she told us, “Not getting to perform on the field last year was difficult, but I had to have a lot of patience. I also constantly reminded myself that I needed to twirl just as good, if not better, than I did when I auditioned prior to COVID, because that was the twirler UConn was expecting. In addition, it helped me a lot to watch videos of the alumni twirlers and marching band shows from previous years. Now that I am on campus, I am happier than ever and I know that getting to perform with the Pride of Connecticut was worth the wait.”

Finally, we asked Maggie is she had any final insights she wanted to share with our #TeamTexas readers, and she wanted to emphasize making sure your school choices are well rounded. “I feel like it is so important to not only pick a school where you will be happy twirling, but also where you will be happy learning. Twirling for a school is such an incredible and rewarding opportunity but academics and your education are the most important thing.”

We want to thank Maggie for sharing her Game Day and her experiences with us. We are so proud to see this Texas girl rocking it in Connecticut and we wish her a great rest of the year. Go Huskies!

Each season this blog likes to get to know many of our awesome Texas twirlers a little better by learning about their experiences. We will be meeting many HS twirlers on Fridays throughout the season with the Friday Night Lights Features and discovering more about our Texas Collegians with the Collegiate Twirler Spotlights during the week. We will also be having many of our HS and Collegiate twirlers take over our Social Media Story for their Game Days. Make sure to follow us on Instagram @twirlingiscatchingtx or at facebook.com/twirlingiscatchingtx so you don't miss a thing!