2025 Fall Twirler Announcements - University of Houston

 Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

It is that exciting time of year where twirlers are auditioning for twirling spots for the Fall. This blog hopes to help spread the excitement by announcing the selections for the lovely twirlers we will see on the field very soon in Texas or representing out of State. If you have an announcement for new twirler selections for 2025-26, please email texastwirlcontact@gmail.com so that we can help spread the word!

Today's we announce the new 2025-2026 University of Houston Feature Twirlers!

UH, located in Houston, Texas, is the home of the Cougars and the Spirit of Houston Marching Band. Coordinated by Coach Kayli Mickey-McIntosh, UH has a great history of twirlers shining on the field at TDECU stadium! This year we are excited that there will be three amazing twirlers continuing the tradition. Your 2025-26 UH Feature Twirlers are Paige Carruthers, Kaelin Estepp, and Kiera George!

New to the UH field, and new to Texas this season, will be Kaelin Estepp! Kaelin is from New Market Maryland, where she twirled at her High School for special events such as Homecoming and Pep Rallies. She is a member of the Wheaton Dance Twirl Team, where she is coached by Annie Marie Kennedy and Kacy Dovich. You might have heard her name at AYOP as she is a five-time Team USA member and has won a various number of Maryland State, Mid Atlantic Regional and National titles.

We asked this Maryland native what made her decide to leave the cold northern winters in exchange for our Texas temperatures, and she said it was the feeling she got on campus. "I was most interested in Houston by the atmosphere of the school, as all of the people I met were so nice and so welcoming. I visited a basketball game, and the atmosphere and school spirit drew me in instantly. I cannot wait to be a part of the Spirit of Houston next year!"

Also new to TDECU Stadium, but definitely not new to the Lonestar State, will be Texas twirler Keira George! Keira is from Tatum, Texas, where she twirled in her school's line all throughout high school, serving as the Lieutenant her junior year and Captain this year. She was also allowed premier performances as the Feature Twirler! She is a member of the Mickey's Majorettes where she is coached by Patti Mickey and Kayli Mickey-McIntosh. Keira has many Texas State and Southwest Regional titles including the 2023 Junior Texas State Intermediate Pageant Winner and the 2024 Intermediate Texas State 2 Baton & X-Strut Winner. 

We asked this small-town girl what made her ready to take on the big city, and she said it was knowing that she has the Spirit of Houston behind her. "The spirit at U of H drew me in the most. The love that the students and alumni have for the Cougars through and through is so evident, and I am so ready to join the Spirit of Houston! It's Coogs House!"

Returning to the field for her second season is Paige Carruthers! Paige is from Oviedo, Florida, where she is coached by Candy and Karina from the Brite Stars Twirlers. She is a multiple time gold medal winner from the AAU Junior Olympics and is the Florida State Fair Intermediate Twirl-Off Winner. We loved watching her last season and can't wait to see what she brings to the field this season.

Congrats & Welcome to Kaelin, Keira, and Welcome Back to Paige. We know this trio is going to bring some fierce twirling to TDECU Stadium, and we know they will all three be amazing representatives for U of H. Whose House? Coog's House! 

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.

2025 Fall Twirler Announcements - University of Texas

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

It is that exciting time of year where twirlers are auditioning for twirling spots for the Fall. This blog hopes to help spread the excitement by announcing the selections for the lovely twirlers we will see on the field very soon in Texas or representing out of State. If you have an announcement for new twirler selections for 2025-26, please email texastwirlcontact@gmail.com so that we can help spread the word!

Today we announce the new 2025-2026 University of Texas Feature Twirler!

We are excited to share the selection of the new 2025-26 University of Texas Feature Twirler, Gracie Williams! The University of Texas (UT), located in the live music capital of Texas, is the home of one of Texas' most prestigious twirling positions. The UT Feature Twirler is a highlight of the "Showband of the Southwest" bringing the flash and the fire to the field each week (literally!). This position has been held by some outstanding twirlers, and the newest addition to this legacy will be the perfect fit! 

Gracie is new to #TeamTexas, coming to the ATX from her home in Pendleton, South Carolina, where she is a member of the Carolina Superstars and coached by Hazel Cartee and Ansley Minor. While she holds many titles, Gracie is the proudest of earning a Gold Medal for Level A X-Strut in Liverpool at the 2023 IBTF Nations Cup, where she also competed in the World's Junior Artistic Twirl division. In addition to competition twirling, Gracie was also the Feature Twirler for Gardner-Webb University throughout High School.

With so many things to look forward to at UT, Gracie is beyond excited for Longhorn Game Days. We asked her what interested her in coming to Texas, and she told us "I was introduced to UT through Mrs. Whitney, and I fell in love with the campus, the atmosphere, and the environment of the band!" 

We know Gracie will be a wonderful representative of UT, and we cannot wait to see her in action this season rocking the Burnt Orange and White. Welcome to #TeamTexas Gracie, and Hook Em! 

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.

2025 Southwest Regional Pageant Winners - Advanced Pageant

Hello Texas Twirl Fans! 

Happy last day of April! Before we jump into May, and the last month before we crown our new State champions, let's finish up our Regional Winners series by recognizing our Advanced Pageant title holders! Congrats to all of these talented twirlers on their success at Regionals. 

Today we will be recognizing the 2025 Southwest Regional Miss Majorettes!

College Miss Majorette of the Southwest 

Aidyn Mentry

University of Texas

Aidyn currently lives in Austin, Texas, (by way of Virginia) where she is in her 4th/final year as the Feature Twirler at the University of Texas. She is coached by Whitney Coons and is a Junior Coach with Twirl ATX. Her favorite memory from Regionals was hearing the whole gym chant 'Texas Fight' during her collegiate halftime performance and accomplishing her big goal of winning College Miss Majorette of the Southwest for her final year competing! This summer at AYOP she is looking forward to seeing all of her college twirler friends from all over the country, "and of course seeing everyone's new costumes!"

Senior Miss Majorette of the Southwest

Sophie O'Reilly

Sophie is from San Antonio, Texas, where she is a Senior and the Head Feature Twirler at Claudia Taylor Johnson High School. She is a member of the Legends and is coached by Liane Aramaki. Her favorite memory from Regionals was having her Coach there with her. "She lives in California, so it always means so much to me have her there to support me. We’ve worked extra hard this season to prepare for Regionals, so it made the entire experience of winning my Pageant even more special with her with me. It felt amazing knowing I could make her proud." This summer at AYOP, she is really looking forward to competing with her Rhythmic routine since it will be her first time competing in this category at Nationals. "I'm also excited to reconnect with all my teammates and friends from across the country. On top of that, I can't wait to eat at Legends of Notre Dame as it's become a fun team tradition because of the shared name with our team, 'Legends'."

Junior Miss Majorette of the Southwest

Hailey Wood

Hailey is from Cedar Park, Texas, where she is the Feature Twirler at Henry Middle School. She is a member of the Mickey's Majorettes and is coached by Kayli Mickey-McIntosh, Patti Mickey, and Tori Mays Elyea for individual events and is also a member of Twirl ATX for teams. Her favorite memories from Regionals included her MM teammates running around trying to “clip” her with their adorably decorated clothespins and getting to debut her new modeling dress because, “it makes me feel like I am Cinderella!” This summer at AYOP she looks forward to participating in all of her team traditions, especially Fro Yo night, eating lots of pretzels, and spending time with her friends from out of state that she doesn’t get to see very often. 

Pre-Teen Miss Majorette of the Southwest

Elliana Carter

Elliana is from Converse, Texas. She is a member of the Twirling Sweet Sensations and is coached by Michele Pangrac, Kelly Rodriguez, and Caroline Carothers. Her favorite memory from Regionals was getting food and hanging out in the hotel lobby with all of her teammates. This summer at AYOP she is most looking forward to meeting more people and connect with friends that she has made around the US. "I am also looking forward to competing in the Preteen Miss Majorette of America pageant!"

Juvenile Miss Majorette of the Southwest

Evelyn Winter

Evelyn is from Fort Worth, Texas. She is coached by Vicki Ray with the Vick's Chicks, as well as Tori Mays Elyea, and is a member of the Cowtown Strutters. Her favorite memory from Regionals was catching her double illusion in her solo and Rhythmic. This summer at AYOP, she is most looking forward to seeing all her friends! 

CONGRATS TO ALL OUR 2025 SOUTHWEST MISS MAJORETTES!

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. 

2025 Fall Twirler Announcements - University of Colorado

 Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

It is that exciting time of year where twirlers are auditioning for twirling spots for the Fall. This blog hopes to help spread the excitement by announcing the selections for the lovely twirlers we will see on the field very soon in Texas or representing out of State. If you have an announcement for new twirler selections for 2025-26, please email texastwirlcontact@gmail.com so that we can help spread the word!

Today's we announce the new 2025-2026 University of Colorado Feature Twirler!

The University of Colorado is located in Boulder, Colorado, and is the home of the Buffalos! This coming fall it will also be the home of Texas Twirler turned Colorado student, Izzy Pell!

Izzy Pell, whom many of you may recognize the name as she is a multi-time Texas State & Southwest Regional title holder, is the current Feature Twirler for Woodrow Wilson High School, alongside her teammate Evelyn Henry. Coached by Sheila Payne Rigelsky, as a member of the Texas Touch of Class, Izzy's twirling resume includes titles such as the 2023 Junior Miss Majorette of the Southwest & 2023 Regional Junior X-Strut Champion.

We asked Izzy what interested her in CU, and she told us that the community and school spirit around CU is like no other! "I attended the Twirler for a Day event last year and truly fell in love with the environment, campus and electric atmosphere of game days. The spirit and sense of community among the band and fans immediately stood out to me!"

Making the decision to go out of state can be a tough one, but the views at CU made the decision a bit easier! "I love how accessible the campus is to nature, being surrounded by mountains and beautiful scenery. I cannot wait to represent this amazing school for the next four years!"

We cannot wait to follow along with Izzy as her twirling journey travels to Colorado, we know that she will be an amazing addition to the CU Game Days. Congrats Izzy and Sko Buffs!

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.

2025 Southwest Regional Pageant Winners - Intermediate Pageant

Hello Texas Twirl Fans! 

Can you believe April is almost over? With only 10 days until the Twirlies, and 11 days until the NBTA State Entry Deadline, lets continue meeting our Regional Winners!

To celebrate our new Regional Pageant title holders, over the next few weeks, we will be recognizing them here on the blog. Congrats to all of these talented twirlers on their success at Regionals. 

Today we will be recognizing the 2025 Southwest Regional Intermediate Pageant Winners!

Senior Intermediate Pageant Winner 

Audrey Brown

Audrey is from Pittsburg, Texas, where she is currently the first ever Feature Twirler at Pittsburg High School, where she is also on the twirling line. She is coached by Joel Claudio and Jeri Coke.  Her favorite memory from Regionals was "getting a big hug from Mrs. Coke when I won my award! She was so supportive all weekend and she was the one who got me started in NBTA, so it was very special to share that moment with her." For AYOP this summer, she is really looking forward to her daily pretzel, but she is also "very excited to compete in pageant for the first time and to meet the other girls I will be competing against."

Junior Intermediate Pageant Winner 

Corin Salamon

Corin is from Rosenberg, Texas. She is a member of the Mickey's Majorettes and is coached by Patti Mickey & Kayli Mickey-McIntosh. Her favorite memory from Regionals was when she had her first ever all catch during my Regional Solo. "I was in such shock, that while I was walking off the floor, I looked at my mother and asked her if I dropped anything? She was also in shock and on the verge of tears. We just walked over to the practice gym and started laughing and hugging." 

Pre-Teen Intermediate Pageant Winner 

Avielle Queen

Avielle is from Alleyton, Texas. She is a member of Twirl ATX and is coached by Ashley Wood as well as Whitney Coons & Jassandra Sadler. Her favorite memory from Regionals was "seeing my Twirl ATX teammate, Clara Coons, hold up her HUGE trophy in the air, with a little help!" This summer, Avielle is looking forward to all the traditions including the pretzels, seeing old friends, making new friends, and "just having the opportunity to go my first year competing in 10-12 is awesome by itself!"

Juvenile Intermediate Pageant Winner 

Jaina Rodriguez

Jaina is from Converse, Texas. She is a member of the Twirling Sweet Sensations and is coached by Michele Pangrac. Her proudest moment at Regionals was hearing her name announced as the winner and realizing she had achieved her goal! At Nationals, Jaina eagerly anticipates spaghetti night with her teammates, which is a cherished tradition celebrating friendship and teamwork.

CONGRATS TO ALL OUR REGIONAL INTERMEDIATE PAGEANT WINNERS!

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. 

2025 Southwest Regional Pageant Winners - Beginner Pageant

Hello Texas Twirl Fans! 

What a great weekend in Tomball! Congrats to all the twirlers that qualified for the 2025 AAU Junior Olympics! With the Jr Olympics back in Texas, we will be talking a lot about that event later in the summer, but for now it is time to continue to look at more of our Regional Winners! 

To celebrate our new Regional Pageant title holders, over the next few weeks, we will be recognizing them here on the blog. Congrats to all of these talented twirlers on their success at Regionals. 

Today we will be recognizing the 2025 Southwest Regional Beginner Pageant Winners!

Senior Beginner Pageant Winner 

Olivia Crisp

 

Olivia is from Canyon Lake, TX, where she is the Feature Twirler at Canyon Lake High School. She is a member of the Twirling Sweet Sensations and is coached by Michele Pangrac. Her favorite memory from Regionals was spending time with her twirling sisters that she doesn't get to see very often because of her busy schedule. This summer she is very excited to attend AYOP for the first time!

Junior Beginner Pageant Winner  

Melinda Cooley

  

Melinda is from Henderson, TX, where she is the Feature Twirler at Henderson High School. She is a member of Precision Twirl and is coached by Paige Keitt, with additional support from Kayli Mickey-McIntosh and Patti Mickey. Her favorite memory from Regionals was getting to celebrate her and her teammates' accomplishments during awards. This summer she is excited to see all the sights and sounds at nationals, as it is her first time to go to AYOP!

Pre-Teen Beginner Pageant Winner 

Candace Johnson

 

Candace is from Flour Bluff/Corpus Christi, TX. She is coached by Terri Dominick, Kristen Tate, and Mary Ann Pozzi, with whom she is a member of the Heart of Texas Twirlers. Her favorite memory from Regionals was spending time with her besties, Collyn and Seanna. "At the competition we were making silly TikTok's, and also at our hotel we were running up and down the halls and hanging out in the hot tub! The time we spend together is always the best because it's filled with laughter, memories and a good time!" For AYOP this summer, she is looking forward to meeting new friends and reaching her nationals goals!

Juvenile Beginner Pageant Winner 

Reese Curbow

 

Reese is from Garrison, TX. She is a member of the Mickey's Majorettes where she is coached by Patti Mickey & Kayli Mickey-McIntosh, with additional coaching from Paige Keitt. Her favorite memory from Regionals was catching her high toss illusion for the first time in front of the judges! Reese is very excited about her first trip to AYOP and is most looking forward to spending more time with her twirl friends in South Bend!

Little Miss Beginner Pageant Winner 

Clara Coons

Clara is from Austin, TX, where she is a member of Twirl ATX. She is coached by Tori Mays Elyea, and Lynn Dell Harrell. Her favorite memory from Regionals "Winning a trophy and playing with my friends!" Clara is very excited for her first nationals and cannot wait to "Watch Aidyn and Anna and the college girls twirl and eat an AYOP cookie!"

CONGRATS TO ALL OUR REGIONAL BEGINNER PAGEANT WINNERS!

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. 

2025 Southwest Regional Pageant Winners - Basic Skills

Hello Texas Twirl Fans! 

Can you believe it has almost been three weeks since the 2025 Southwest Regional Championship? We all had an amazing time, and it was a great contest! Shout out to Contest Director Vicki Ray for making it all happen, and we are so excited for all of our regional winners!

To celebrate our new Regional Pageant title holders, over the next few weeks, we will be recognizing them here on the blog. Congrats to all of these talented twirlers on their success at Regionals. 

Today we will be recognizing the 2025 Southwest Regional Basic Skills Pageant Winners!

Senior Basic Skills Pageant Winner

Natalie Donnell

Natalie is from Bullard, TX, where she is on the Bullard High School Twirling Line. She is a member of Twirl Revolutions and is coached by Jeri Coke. Her favorite memory from Regionals was being awarded her sash and plaque. She is also excited for the rest of the season!  She enjoys traveling for twirl events and learning new and more difficult tricks. 

Junior Basic Skills Pageant Winner 

Kelsie Cole

Kelsie is from Arp, TX, where she is an Arp High School Majorette. She is a member of Precision Twirl and is coached by Paige Keitt. Her favorite memory from Regionals was sitting with her friends during the awards ceremony and celebrating everyone’s wins.

Pre-Teen Basic Skills Pageant Winner 

Brynn Chapman

Brynn is from Magnolia, TX, where she attends Bear Branch Intermediate, and is hoping to twirl there next year. She is a member of the Texas Twirlers Twirling Team and is coached by Sue Young. Her favorite memory from Regionals was having fun with all her teammates and meeting new twirlers. She is inspired by her coach for always giving her encouragement and helping her learn new, harder tricks. She hopes to one day attend nationals and represent Texas!

Juvenile Basic Skills Pageant Winner 

Cabela Brewer

Cabela is from Garrison, TX, where she is a 4th grader at Garrison Elementary. She is a member of Precision Twirl and is coached by Paige Keitt. Her favorite memory from Regionals was seeing "all the famous twirlers in person and meeting them. When they called my name as the winner, I felt famous too!"

Little Miss Basic Skills Pageant Winner 

Camdyn Thomason

Camdyn is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she is coached by Amanda Hardman. Her favorite memory from Regionals was getting to watch the Miss Pre-teen Majorette of America perform. She thought she was absolutely amazing!

CONGRATS TO ALL OUR REGIONAL BASIC SKILLS PAGEANT WINNERS!

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.