Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - University of Houston

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Happy November! The weather is (kind of) starting to cool down (maybe?), and football season is starting to wrap up. These awesome twirlers have done an amazing job this fall, and we love watching them wow the crowds. We especially enjoyed their Instastory Takeover this past weekend and we are excited to learn more about this amazing duo 

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 High School twirlers throughout the season with the Friday Night Lights Features and discovering more about our Texas Collegians with the Collegiate Twirler Spotlights. We will also be having many of our High School 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!

Our next Collegiate Twirler Spotlight is on the University of Houston Feature Twirlers!

The University of Houston, located in the heart of Houston, Texas, is the home of the Spirit of Houston Marching Band and these two UH Feature Twirlers! The UH Feature Twirlers, led by Coach Kayli Mickey-McIntosh, can be seen rocking the red and white on the field at the TDECU Stadium. This University has a long-standing reputation for having some great twirlers, and the 2024-2025 Feature Twirlers, Alexis Tanne and Paige Carruthers, have really continued to bring the fun and excitement this season! 

In order to earn their spot, they had to complete a two round audition process that included a virtual audition followed by an in person audition and interview. A fun thing to know about this position is that the feature twirlers at the University of Houston receive a scholarship to help with school expenses as well as costumes!

Alexis being a graduate student, and Paige being a Florida native, both had big decisions to make when it came to choosing UH, but they both know they made the right choice. As Alexis told us, “After graduating from UTSA, I wasn't sure if grad school was meant for me. However, there was a twirling position available at UH and I thought it would be good to branch out of San Antonio! Best decision I could have made!” Paige was excited about the opportunity it gave her to branch out. “The schools that have twirlers in my hometown were very close to where I had lived my whole life, so it was a change of scenery. The UH twirling program looked amazing and, as a bonus, I love the school colors!”

 
As proud Cougars, these two have so many amazing things to say about attending UH, but we wanted to know what their absolute favorite things were. Paige told us her favorite part has been that “the campus is very pretty, and everything is a walkable distance.” Alexis really loves the culture. “The diversity and rich culture surrounding UH is wonderful.”

As a school rich in culture, the traditions have to be top notch. Alexis is very excited about the sleepover her class ring gets to have. “A tradition that I am excited to participate in this year is having my class ring spend a night with our live cougar mascots at the Houston Zoo!” Paige has really gotten into the school spirit, which makes Cougar Red Fridays her favorite. “Every Friday you're supposed to wear something cougar red!”

The twirlers are members of the Spirit of Houston Marching Band, which along with having some amazing alum, brings the pep to each game day. However, as Alexis and Paige tell us, they don’t just show their spirit on game day, they show it every rehearsal! “During rehearsal, if someone asks, “(name), do you love the cougars?” you have to scream ‘I LOVE THE COUGARS!’ as loud as possible!” They also say it is really special at the end of every rehearsal when the band sings the alma mater all together as a group.

As the season is starting to wind down, we wanted to know what they are looking forward to the most. Alexis is excited to perform as the exhibition band at the BOA San Antonio marching contest, and Paige can’t wait to perform their 2010s themed halftime show!

Now that we have learned more about being a Cougar, let’s learn more about the twirlers!

Alexis Tanner, Senior/Grad Student
Competition Level: Advanced/Collegiate
Alexis has been twirling for 19 years. She is a member of the Mickey’s Majorettes and is coached by Patti Mickey and Kayli Mickey-McIntosh.The competition title she is the proudest of earning was when she was named the 2024 College Miss Majorette of the Southwest. Her favorite competition trick is a double illusion, and her favorite field trick is a toss double walkover. “I really like being able to do gymnastics!” In baton twirling, her biggest inspiration has been her coach, Kayli Mickey-McIntosh. “She has been my biggest inspiration since I was probably 9 years old, and now I'm lucky enough to call her my coach!” After college, she plans to find a job in the mathematics field, and if possible, keep twirling in her life by moving to the coaching side. 

Paige Carruthers, Freshman
Competition Level: Advanced
Paige has been twirling for 13 years. She is a member of the Brite Star Twirlers and is coached by Candy Dowdy. The competition title she is the proudest of earning was when she was named the 2022 Intermediate Florida State Fair Twirling Champion. Her favorite competition trick is spins and her favorite field trick is anything with a front walkover. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by World Gold Medalist, Savannah Miller. After college she is not quite sure what she wants to do yet but is thinking about something in the geology field. 

Fun Facts!

• Favorite Color – “Black (Honorable Mention: Cougar Red)” (Alexis), “Red” (Paige)
• Favorite TV Show or Movie – “Any of the Spiderman movies’ (Alexis), “Dr Stone” & “Pirates of the Caribbean” (Paige)
• Favorite Book – “The Catcher in the Rye” (Alexis), “One Piece” manga series (Paige)

Must have drink/snack for Game Days…

• Alexis - “Redbull, specifically the peach flavor!”
• Paige - “Gatorade and pringles.”

Favorite Quote…

• Alexis - "Whatever is meant to happen, will happen.”
• Paige - "Did I teach you to dream small?" - Kim Hongjoong 

When they are not twirling, they love to…

• Alexis - “I love to spend time with my friends! We'll go to the Houston Zoo, try new restaurants, or just hang out!”
• Paige - “Crochet, watch shows/movies and listen to music.”

Something people might not know about them is…

• Alexis - “I am EXTREMELY clumsy and usually leave each practice with a new bruise.”
• Paige - “I love figure skating! That is the sport I would have gone into if I did not twirl.”

The best non twirling life skill they have learned from twirling is…

• Alexis - “Being comfortable in stressful situations! Twirlers are always put in high stress environments whether that be halftimes, improv twirling, or interviews. So learning how to relax and not let my nerves get to me in those situations has helped me the most.”
• Paige - “I can get ready very quickly if needed.”

Best advice from their coach…

• Alexis - “Have Fun! And don't be too hard on myself. This is something they have to constantly remind me of, but it's always helpful.”
• Paige - “Have fun and don't harp on simple mistakes.”

Best advice for future Collegiate twirlers…

• Alexis - “Enjoy every part of being a college twirler as much as you can! Having this important role within your school makes college so much more fun!”
• Paige - “Have fun! It's such a cool experience!”

Funniest/Most Fun memory as a twirler…

• Alexis - “My funniest memory would have to be when the littles from my team comforted me after winning my College pageant! It was a sweet moment, but it always makes me giggle when I watch the video of them trying to make me. a grown adult, feel better.”
• Paige - “Having our team parents do baton routines at our show.”

Favorite thing about marching season…

• Alexis - “My favorite part about marching season is getting to perform for my school and meet new people!”
• Paige - “Being able to do it! I was not able to march in high school (only sidelines).”

What are they going to miss the most once marching season is over…

• Alexis - “Since this is my last marching season, I will miss everything! But I will most likely miss performing on the field the most!”
• Paige - “The great memories made on the field and in the stands.”

We want to thank Alexis and Paige for sharing their Game Day with us. We also want to send Alexis best wishes for the rest of her senior season, and we hope Paige enjoys the remainder of her rookie season. These two have been a great pairing and we love seeing them together at TDECU! True we’ll ever be. Go Coogs!

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. 

Friday Night Lights Feature - Stockdale High School

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Another great weekend of twirling means we are almost done with marching band season. Can you believe it? Only a few more weeks with these amazing twirlers representing on their High School fields. We hope all of you are enjoying it while it lasts. We know we will miss it! In the meantime, we have another Feature Interview with one of our awesome Texas Twirlers for your reading enjoyment.

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 High School twirlers throughout the season with the Friday Night Lights Features and discovering more about our Texas Collegians with the Collegiate Twirler Spotlights. We will also be having many of our High School 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!

Our next Friday Night Lights Feature is the Stockdale High School Feature Twirler!

Stockdale High School, located in Stockdale, Texas, is the home of the Brahmas, and today’s Featured Twirler, Careum Faughtenbery! 

 
Repping the Purple, White, and Black, Careum earned her spot by trying out in front of a panel of three judges to a song picked by the band. Now that she has the honor of being the SHS Feature Twirler, Careum says her favorite thing about Stockdale is the pride the people have in their community. 

There is no greater example of that pride than at Careum’s favorite school tradition, the bonfire the school has at the end of the football season! Between the bonfire and the football games, Careum just loves being able to support the team!

Now that we have learned more about Stockdale let’s learn more about Careum! 

Careum Faughtenbery, Senior
Competition Level: Advanced
Careum has been twirling for almost 11 years. She is a member of the Vick’s Chicks where she is coached by Vicki Ray, in addition to instruction from Heather Harmer Hayden. The competition placement she is the proudest of was her first state x-strut win in 2022, “I was always and will forever be proud of that one!” Her favorite competition trick is an illusion one spin, “or any trick that has some sass!” Her favorite field trick is any leap trick. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by Adaline Bebo and Kylie Cates, as well as current Miss Majorette of America, McKenzie Bronk. After High School, she hopes to twirl at the college level, get her bachelors in Biology, and go into medical school. 

Fun Facts!

• Favorite Color – Hot Pink 
• Favorite TV Show or Movie – “Grey’s Anatomy” 
• Favorite Book – The “Hunger Game” series or “Harry Potter” 

Must have drink/snack for Game Days…
“I must have a diet coke and sour patch kids on game day!!”

Favorite Quote…
“There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” – Derek Jeter

When they are not twirling, they love to…
“I love to practice and play golf with my friends, and work with my show cattle.”

Something people might not know about them is…
“Some people may not know that I also raise and show cattle, Herefords. I love to be in the barn!!”

The best non twirling life skill they have learned from twirling is…
“To portray confidence even if you are not all that confident. I have learned to “fake it till you make it" in that area.”

Best advice from their coach…
“I will always remember when one of my coaches, Mrs. Margaret Mann, tells me to leave it on the floor and sell it. She is my biggest supporter and always tells me no matter what happens to always stay confident and let the step backs help you get better.”

Best advice for future High School twirlers…
“Always have fun! This is your time to shine, show the crowd what you can do!!”

Funniest/Most Fun memory as a twirler…
“During one halftime performance I accidentally ran into one of the clarinet players, and in the next movement I almost cartwheeled into one of the trumpet players. In the moment it wasn't funny, but now the band and I still talk about it and make jokes. I can now laugh about it.”

Favorite thing about marching season…
“The marching contest, and the bus ride to the contest/football are my favorite things during marching season. The energy they bring.”

What are they going to miss the most once marching season is over…
“I will miss all the underclassmen and being able to watch them grow and learn.”

We want to thank Careum for sharing her Game Day with us, and we wish her an amazing rest of her senior season and senior year! Enjoy every minute! Unleash the herd!

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. 

Contest Calendar Series - 2024Fall Twirling Festival

Hello Texas Twirl Fans! 

You know competition season is almost here when we are only FIVE DAYS away from the entry deadline for the first Texas contest of the season, and less than a month from the actual event! Wow! Make sure you have www.texastwirl.com/contests.html bookmarked on your phone or computer so that you always know where to find the upcoming contest calendar and links to all the entry forms as they become available.

Today's Contest Calendar Series is on the 2024 Fall Kick-Off Contest!

Please note that the deadline for this competition is FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST!
*Due to November Travels, absolutely no late entries will be accepted, so don't miss the deadline!*

Registrations can be submitted online by visiting the Online Registration site. 
For more information, please contact the contest director at michele.pangrac@gmail.com.

Who? What? When? Where? Why?
Who: Contest Director Michele Pangrac   
What: 2024 Fall Kick-Off Contest (formerly the Fall Twirling Festival)
When: Saturday, November 23, 2024. Facility opens at 8:00 am. Contest begins at 8:30 am
Where: Randolph AFB High School, 1225 West Perimeter Rd, Universal City, TX, 78108

Why: This is a great contest to jump start the competitive twirling season and put new routines and tricks on the floor! Casual atmosphere, great facility with plenty of space, and qualified judges, makes for a wonderful event to get back on the floor.

CONTEST HASHTAG: #fallkickoffcontest2024
For this event we would love to see our Texas twirlers utilize the hashtag #fallkickoffcontest2024 when posting photos of this competition on social media. Don't forget to tag @twirlingiscatchingtx on Instagram or Facebook and we may share your pic on one of our pages.

HIGHLIGHTED EVENT: This year they will once again offer the Turkey Trick Contest! This will happen at lunchtime, and for a cash donation (of your choice amount) that goes to help feed families that are less fortunate, your twirler can compete against other twirlers in their competition level to show off their best trick! You can help a good cause and try to win a super cute turkey trick trophy at the same time!

SPECIAL CONTEST DIVISIONS: Get your parents in on the fun with the Mom's Modeling or the Dad's Military Strut! Whose Mom and Dad have what it takes to bring home their very own trophy?

MUST KNOW CONTEST INFO!

No Dresses: Since this contest is so early in the season, to make it a little easier on everyone, there will be no dresses for model pageant or advanced pageant. Please plan to do all modeling in costume. 

Award Postings: All awards will be posted online throughout the day, and awards will be available for pick up at the end of the contest, or when all your twirler's events have been completed.

Concessions: A Snack bar will be available with snacks and drinks all day, and the Twirling Sweet Sensations will have a Concession stand with healthy options available. 

Rising Star Division: For contestants with social, physical, developmental or special needs, ONLY. Pageant and individual events available for comments only. No scores. All awards!

WANT TO ATTEND THIS EVENT?
Please visit the Online Registration Page or contact michele.pangrac@gmail.com with any questions!

We hope you found this edition of the Contest Calendar Series useful. We are always looking for new stories about Texas twirlers. Do you have an idea or some info we could use to help highlight our sport? Contact us at texastwirlcontact@gmail.com and we would love to hear more!

Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - Texas Tech University

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

The final week of October means we are almost into competition time, and football season is starting to wrap up. It also means our senior twirlers are beginning to have the “lasts” of their final football seasons in their current positions. We hope all of them are making amazing memories and enjoying every moment!

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 High School twirlers throughout the season with the Friday Night Lights Features and discovering more about our Texas Collegians with the Collegiate Twirler Spotlights. We will also be having many of our High School 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!

This week’s Collegiate Twirler Spotlight is on the Texas Tech University Twirlers!

Texas Tech University, located in Lubbock, Texas, is the home of the Red Raiders, the Goin' Band from Raiderland, and a legacy of wonderful baton twirlers. Representing in the scarlet and black, the Texas Tech Twirlers have had a history of some fantastic talent representing on the field for many, many years, and this year if definitely one of the books! Led by former Texas Tech Feature Twirlers and Coaches, Bethany Tolley & Amanda Tolley, the 2024 Texas Tech Twirlers are made up of a Feature Twirler, a Head Twirler, and a twirling line. They work together on the field to entertain the crowds and support their Red Raiders.

This year the TTU Twirlers include Feature - Kirby Stanek, Head Twirler - Laney Whitefield, and Line Members Sophie Carnes, Taryn Fojtik, Anna Lilie, Addison Lee, Kaelyn Wood, Kiana Schraufnagel, Lauren Feltner, and Sommer Wermes!

To learn more about life at Tech, we talked to Feature Twirler, Kirby, and Head Twirler, Laney, about their experiences. As always, we first wanted to know what brought them to Texas Tech to begin with. Lubbock Native, Kirby, told us it had always felt like home. “I have grown up in Lubbock and taken from Bethany Tolley since I was 5 years old, so I knew I had to continue twirling for her in college.” Laney says she came for the academics and the twirling combined. “I chose Texas Tech because of the amazing nutrition program, the twirling program, and the enthusiastic fans.”

In order to get their spots, they had to go through the annual audition process. As Laney told us more about it. “After completing your audition packet, you will visit Lubbock for our in-person auditions. During auditions you will learn a group routine, perform your personal audition routine, and interview with a panel of judges.” For Kirby, the process to become the Feature Twirler had a few more steps. “Trying out for the Feature position begins with making sure you can do each of the required tricks. Then I had to send in a video for our coach and band director, which compiled videos of me twirling in competition, on the high school field, and at other events I have twirled at. After you make it past that round you go to in person try-outs. This includes performing a 3-minute routine to a song in front of a panel of judges, followed by an interview.”

Through their years at Tech, they have had some amazing experiences, so we wanted to know their favorite thing about attending TTU. According to Kirby, “there are so many things I love about Texas Tech. My favorite must be the unbeatable atmospheres on game days. We have a new South Endzone this year, and it has made football games better than ever! No matter the sport, people all over Lubbock will show up to support our teams. Whether you are in college or not you will have a blast at every game!” Laney also loves all things Game Day, but says the academics have really heightened her love for the school. “The professors at Texas Tech are very passionate about their subjects and care about each student’s well-being and success.”

There are also many moments that stick with them as wonderful memories. Laney’s is when they do the Matador song. “At the end of every rehearsal and game, the Goin’ Band’s Leadership plays the Matador Song while the rest of the band sings along. It is such an amazing moment.” Kirby says there are so many great opportunities as a Tech Twirler, but one that she will always remember is when they got to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade last year in New York City. “We also got to perform on the Today Show and meet Hoda and Jenna. It was definitely one of the most amazing experiences.”

Finally, we had to hear about the Tech Traditions! As Kirby tells us, the tortilla game at Tech is really strong. “One of our favorite traditions is at every game people will throw tortillas onto the field at kick-off. It definitely shocks anyone new to a Tech game!” Laney agrees with the tortilla throwing, but also mentioned several other amazing TTU Traditions. “There are so many great traditions at Texas Tech. A few of our favorites (besides the tortillas) are the Victory Bells after we win a game or Raider Power! 

Now that we have learned more about Tech, let's learn more about the twirlers!

Feature Twirler - Kirby Stanek, Senior
Kirby, who is from Lubbock, Texas, has been twirling for 16 years and is coached by Bethany Tolley. At Tech she is majoring in Sports Management with a minor in Public Relations. The competition title she is the proudest of earning was when she was named College Miss Majorette of the Southwest and Collegiate Twirling Champion at the 2023 Southwest Regionals. In baton twirling,she has been most inspired by the many awesome college twirlers that have come before her. “I have always looked up to the college twirlers and winning College Miss Majorette of the Southwest just confirmed that I had reached one of my biggest goals! My collegiate routine was my most memorable routine, I had a no drop and it was the most fun I ever had in a routine at a competition.” Her favorite competition trick is a 4 spin catch blind and her favorite field trick is a Toss Double Leap catch in roll over. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by former Tech Feature, Sydney Webster. “Sydney Webster is the reason why I got into Baton Twirling. She has always been an older sister to me, and I will never forget following her around at competitions and Tech games. Now having the same position as her when she was at Tech is super cool!” After graduation, Kirby plans to go into Sports Management. “Being a Sports Management Major, I have always known I want to continue working in the sports world. I really hope to become a coach or athletic director so that I can impact kids the same way my coach, Bethany Tolley, has impacted me.”

Fun Facts: 

• Favorite Color: Red! DUH!
• Favorite TV show or Movie: Love Island
• Favorite Book or Podcast: Anything Colleen Hoover
• Favorite Food or Drink: Iced Coffee!

Favorite Quote or Life Motto...

Philippians 4:13 - “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

When she is not twirling, she loves to...
"Spend time with my family and friends."

Something people might not know about her is...
"I played volleyball from 5th grade through High School and absolutely loved it. Being a part of two sports has definitely helped me in so many ways over the years! Being a varsity captain and feature twirler gave me more insight into being a successful leader."

The best non twirling life skill she has gained from baton twirling is...
"Confidence. Before I twirl in front of the thousands of people on gameday, I tell myself to have confidence. I’m the one who got myself here, and being confident in myself helps me shine on the field! It also helps me in my day-to-day life. I speak in public better and have over all more confidence in the things I do every day."

Most memorable advice from her coach...
"One of Bethany’s favorite things to say to me is “Show if Off!”. This has completely changed how I twirl. I don’t focus on trying to be completely perfect, I focus on having fun and showing off each of my tricks. The more sass and fun you are having, the more the audience will be drawn into watching you."

Advice to future collegiate twirlers...

"Enjoy every second of where you are at. Work hard every day and push yourself to be better. Have fun and show off your tricks. What your face is saying says more than what your body is saying. With this being my last year, I tell everyone to soak in every second because it seriously flies by!"

Favorite memory as a baton twirler...
"Every game day makes a new favorite memory for me. I absolutely love performing on the field in front of people. Hearing our drumline begin to play, taking the field by myself, and hearing the crowd go crazy, is an exhilarating feeling. But my favorite twirling memory that I will have forever is twirling in New York City. Five-year-old Kirby would never believe that she would perform on the streets of New York in front of millions of people."

Funniest memory as a baton twirler...
"There are too many funny memories to pick just one. Our team can make anything funny, I definitely laugh at every practice we have."

Favorite thing about your university's marching band program...
"The Goin Band is one big family. I love how we laugh together at every rehearsal and know that we are all in it together."

Favorite tradition or inside joke within your band program...
"One of my favorite traditions is after every rehearsal our leadership team will play the Matador Song. No matter the outcome of the game or how our practice went, we all come together and sing our school song."

Something you are really looking forward to this field season...
"I am most looking forward to every performance that we have, especially game days. I hope to make my last year twirling my best year! Soaking up every last second performing in The Jones!"

Head Twirler - Laney Whitefield, Senior
Laney is from Granbury, Texas. She has been twirling for 15 years and is coached by Vicki Ray of the Vick’s Chicks as well as Bethany Tolley. She is a Nutrition and Dietetics Major that is also a member of the Student Dietetics Association. The competition placements she is the proudest of has been earning Top 5 and Top 10 placements in all of her events at Nationals for the past two years. Her favorite competition trick is anything rolls, and her favorite field trick is a one turn illusion. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by former Tech Head Twirler, Emma Zuar. After graduation, Laney plans on attending a master’s program and completing her dietetic internship!

Sophie Carnes, Senior
Sophie is from Corpus Christi, Texas, and is coached by Catherine Lattimore. She is majoring in Kinesiology and minoring in Psychology. She is also the Co-founder and Vice president for an organization called The Collegiate Companions for Hospice and a kinesiology ambassador!

Taryn Fojtik, Sophomore
Taryn is from Damon, Texas, and is coached by Jana Reid of Jana’s School of Dance. She is a pre-speech major that is also a member of the Pre-SLHea. 

Anna Lilie, Freshman
Anna is from Austin, Texas, and is member of Twirl ATX where she is coached by Whitney Coons as well as Ashley Wood. She is a Kinesiology major, and while she is not in any other school organizations yet, she hopes to get involved after marching season is over. 

Lauren Feltner, Freshman
Lauren is from Omaha, Nebraska, and is a member of the Sue’s Stepperettes. She is a biology major and plans on joining The Collegiate Champions for Hospice Club.

Sommer Wermes, Freshman
Sommer is from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and is a member of Julie’s Touch of Silver. She is majoring in BioChemistry for pre-pharmacy with minors in Spanish and Biology, and at Tech she is a member of the ¡Sí Club de Español!

Kiana Schraufnagel, Freshman
Kiana is from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and is a member of Julie’s Touch of Silver. She is majoring in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience, and while she is not in any other organizations yet, she hopes to join some after the marching season. 

Addison Lee, Freshman
Addison is from Goldthwaite, Texas, and is a member of Twirl ATX where she is coached by Ashley Wood as well as Whitney Coons. She is majoring in Marketing and also plans to study abroad in Spain to get a Minor in Spanish. At the moment she is not involved in any non twirling organizations, but would love to maybe be in a book club.

Kaelyn Wood, Freshman
Kaelyn is from Piedmont, Oklahoma, and is coached by Vicki Ray of Vick’s Chicks. She is majoring in Architecture and is not in any non-twirling organizations yet. 

Favorite Colors: 

• Sommer - “Pink”
• Sophie - “Teal”
• Anna - “Pink, Blue and Purple”

Favorite TV shows or Movies: 

• Sommer - “My favorite movie is ‘Flipped’. I love a good romance.”
• Anna - “I love ‘The Office’ but I have currently been obsessed with ‘Your Honor’.”
• Sophie - “I absolutely adore watching ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’, ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’, and ‘10 Things I Hate About You’!”

Favorite Books or Podcasts: 

• Lauren - “Recently I’ve been listening to the Crime Junkie podcast! I love a good murder mystery!”
• Kaelyn - “I don’t really read or listen to Podcasts, math is more of my thing.”

Favorite Foods or Drinks: 

• Taryn - “Diet Cherry Coke.”
• Lauren - “My favorite food is macarons, and my favorite drink is an iced chai from Scooters!”
• Kiana - “I love cheese curds and custard.” 
• Kaelyn - “Brownies and strawberry lemonade.”

Favorite Quote or Life Mottos: 

• Taryn - “If you ain’t first you’re last.” 
• Kiana - “Never give up and always believe in yourself and always have faith.”
• Addison - “‘As long as we can love each other, and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on—in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here.’ -Morrie Schwartz… This quote comes from one of my all time favorite books Tuesdays With Morrie. I read it in my English 3 class my junior year of high school and it really touched my heart and I thoroughly enjoyed the lessons and deep emotion of the book.”

When they are not twirling, they love to… 

• Sophie - “I love to workout, watch movies, and hangout at coffee shops!”
• Kiana - “When I’m not twirling I love volunteering and bringing awareness to mental health.”

Something people might not know about them…

• Kiana - “A fun fact people don’t know about me is I’m a third generation dancer.”
• Kaelyn - “I have been twirling for 13 years.”

The best non twirling life skill they have gained from baton twirling is...

• Anna - “I learned how to talk to people and have and hold a conversation, as I was painfully shy and the interviews from twirling have taught me those very important life skills.”
• Kaelyn - “Discipline and pushing myself to work outside of my comfort zone for growth.”

Most memorable advice from their coach... 

• Anna - “Whitney always tells me to just be myself and trust myself that I have worked hard and to just let it show!”

Advice to future collegiate twirlers or those in the audition process... 

• Taryn - “Try to take in every moment of game days, even when they can be somewhat stressful. You have 4 years to be stressed about homework and everything else, let twirling be the thing you look forward to every day.”
• Lauren - “My advice would be to be prepared mentally. Auditions can be very stressful, so you have to remember to stay in a good head space! I like to do this by listening to music.”

Favorite memory (on or off the field) as a baton twirler...

• Lauren - “One of my favorite memories was meeting Kirby, the Feature Twirler for Tech, at nationals two years ago in the practice gym! If it wasn’t for that interaction, I would not have ended up here at Texas Tech!”
• Addison - “I have had dreams of being a TTU twirler since I started twirling and during the first pregame when the masked rider rode in and the football boys ran in the stadium it was so electric, and my dreams came to reality. It was just so exciting and something I will always remember.”

Funniest memory as a baton twirler... 

• Sommer - “During my first game, I was hit by a tortilla in the stands as we were cheering on the red raiders!”
• Taryn - “When I got pranked into thinking I wasn’t supposed to have driven 9 hours home, because we had a team meeting right before winter break.”

Favorite thing about your university's marching band program... 

• Sommer - “I absolutely LOVE everything about pre-game! It’s so fun getting to march through the band and I love carrying on the traditions here at TTU!”

Favorite tradition or inside joke within your band program...

• Sophie -  “Our band directors are very fun and interesting people. Last year, one of our band directors was asking the band members to move back to measure M so he said, “M for mommmmmy” and now I always quote that with band members!”

Something you are really looking forward to this field season... 

• Addison - “I am looking forward to performing all the different routines in the Jones. I love that the band does a different show for every game which makes halftime so memorable and exciting. Overall living out this dream truly makes me so happy and excited for this season.”

We want to thank Feature Twirler - Kirby, Head Twirler - Laney, and the Texas Tech Line Twirlers for sharing their Game Day with us, and we know they will continue to wow the crowds in Lubbock all year long. Wreck Em Tech!

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. 

Friday Night Lights Feature - Sabine High School

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Happy last week of October! How are we already here? The football season is winding down, and the competition season is about to start. Just a few more twirlers left to feature, including this wonderful team!

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 High School twirlers throughout the season with the Friday Night Lights Features and discovering more about our Texas Collegians with the Collegiate Twirler Spotlights. We will also be having many of our High School 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!

Our next Friday Night Lights Feature is the Sabine High School Twirlers!

Sabine High School, while being in an unincorporated area, has its address as Gladewater, Texas, and is the home of the Cardinals. It is also the home of the Sabine Majorettes! This great group of ten twirlers, led by coach Blair Maxwell, performs with the Sabine marching band as both instrumentalists in their military style shows, and as twirlers each game day. We are so excited to learn more about Brooklyn Maxwell (Head Twirler), Haileigh Garrett, Anna Tryon, Ro McKnight, Chloe Stephens, Kenzi Levingston, Mikaela Haufler, Brylee Parker, and Susie Miller.

SHS, while being a smaller school (3A), is very successful in both extracurriculars and academics, including being a 4-time Academic State Champion! But it is the spirit that really makes the most impact. “Our favorite thing about school is that everyone is so involved in everything, and we have a lot of school spirit.”

With that much school spirit, the traditions must be the best! “We have so many great traditions, but one of the funniest is that our band's mascot, Craig the Traffic Cone, comes with us to every competition, football game, and concert! On a more school wide level, Homecoming is also super fun. We always have a homecoming parade where all of the school/community organizations create floats as we march down the streets of Liberty City! The week is filled with dress up days, parades, a dance, and of course the football game itself! The whole town shows up to the football game to support our team! Go Cards!”

Spending so much time together, they must have a lot of great inside jokes. “Every game during 4th quarter the band plays SC, a tune that is unique to our band. It always makes the crowd go wild! Also, anytime anyone says it's hot outside, it is tradition for the entire band to yell back at them: "It ain't hot!!!" Even if it's 110 degrees!”

Finally, besides Homecoming, we asked what they are looking forward to move this season, and they told us about a really cool tradition they have called Honor America Night. “Honor America night is hosted by the band for all veterans and the community at the stadium. We have different groups from the school perform like the band, majorettes, strutters (dance line), singing sensations (elementary choir), etc.  We honor each branch of the military. A large firework show is at the end of the night.  Everyone gets to enjoy a traditional American meal: hotdogs, chips, and a drink.” Anyone else start hearing Stars and Stripes Forever while reading that too? What an amazing tradition!

Now that we have learned more about Sabine, let’s learn more about the twirlers! 

Brooklyn Maxwell, Senior
Head Twirler & Drum Major
Competition Level: Advanced
Brooklyn has been twirling for 16 years. The competition title she is the proudest of was when she won the 16 year old National Show Twirl at NBTA Nationals. Her favorite competition trick is back necks on the knees, and her favorite field trick is a toss double leap catch backcatch. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by former University of Tennessee Feature Twirler, Laney Puhalla. After High School, she hopes to attend a University and twirl there as the Feature Twirler. 

Haileigh Garrett, Senior
Competition Level: Beginner
Haileigh has been twirling for 7 years. She is coached by Blair Maxwell. Her favorite competition trick is a toss illusion and her favorite field trick is when they use knives. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by her best friend and teammate, Brooklyn Maxwell. After High School, she hopes to go to school to become a dermatologist. 

Anna Tryon, Junior
Competition Level: Beginner
Anna has been twirling for 2 years. She is coached by Blair Maxwell, Her favorite competition trick is a toss illusion, and her favorite field trick is a two turn. In baton twirling she has been most inspired by former Sabine twirler, Kenna Stutsman. “She graduated a few years ago and is now twirling at University of Arkansas!” After High School, she would like to twirl in college, possibly major in engineering, and then go to law school.

Skylar “Ro” McKnight, Junior
Competition Level: Beginner
Skylar has been twirling for 5 years and is coached by Blair Maxwell. The competition placement she is the proudest of was when she earned 2nd at her very first twirling contest! Her favorite competition trick is either 3 baton juggles or doing the splits & horizontal split fingers, and her favorite field trick is a toss double leap. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by her coach, Blair Maxwell. After High School she hopes to get her bachelors in ASL and be an interpreter. 

Chloe Stephens, Sophomore
Competition Level: Beginner
Chloe has been twirling for 4 years and is coached by Blair Maxwell. Her favorite competition trick is a two turn, and her favorite field trick is their roll series. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by her teammates, Brooklyn Maxwell. After High School she hopes to continue to twirl in college and pursue a career in cosmetology. 

Kenzi Levingston, Sophomore
Competition Level: Novice
Kenzi has been twirling for 10 years and is coached by Blair Maxwell. Her favorite field trick is a double knee, where you toss and the other baton goes under both knees. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by her teammates Brooklyn Maxwell and Haileigh Garrett. After high school she plans to go to college for philosophy. 

Mikaela Haufler, Sophomore
Competition Level: Novice
Mikaela has been twirling for five years. She is coached by Blair Maxwell. Her favorite competition trick is a loop series, and her favorite field trick is a roll series. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by her teammate, Brooklyn Maxwell. After High School she hopes to go to a college and major in spanish, learn ASL, and become a speech pathologist for elementary schools. 

Brylee Parker, Freshman
Competition Level: Novice
Brylee has been twirling for 3 years. She is coached by Blair Maxwell. Her favorite field trick is a reverse figure eight. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by her teammate, Brooklyn Maxwell. After high school she hopes to go to college and get a job. 

Kendall Delange, Freshman
Competition Level: Novice
Kendall has been twirling for 3 years. She is coached by Blair Maxwell. Her favorite field trick is a thumb toss. In baton twirling she has been most inspired by teammates Brooklyn Maxwell. After High School she hopes to attend vet school.

Susie Miller, Freshman
Competition Level: Novice
Susie has been twirling for five years, and she is coached by Blair Maxwell. Her favorite competition and field tricks are little joes. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by her teammate, Brooklyn Maxwell. After High School, she hopes to go to vet school. 

Fun Facts!

• Favorite Color - Red (Brooklyn), Green (Haileigh, Kendall, & Susie), Orange (Anna), Light Purple (Ro), Pink! (Chloe), Dark Green (Kenzi), Periwinkle (Makaela), Red & Black (Brylee)
• Favorite Movie or TV Show - “F.R.I.E.N.D.S.” (Brooklyn), “The Sound of Music” (Anna),  “Switched at Birth” or “Suits” (Ro), “Gravity Falls” (Chloe), “Supernatural” (Kenzi), “Camp Harlow” or “Jane Eyre” (Mikaela), “The Hunger Games” (Brylee), “Batman” (Kendall), “Grey’s Anatomy” (Susie)
• Favorite Book - “I love adventure books” (Brooklyn), “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (Haileigh), “Percy Jackson” (Anna & Kendall), “Not If I Save You First” by Ally Carter (Ro), “Hunger Games” (Chloe, Brylee, & Susie), “Anything greek mythology” (Kenzi), “Jane Eyre” (Mikaela)

Must have drink/snack for Game Days…

• Brooklyn Maxwell - “Dr. Pepper.”
• Haileigh Garrett - “Mountain Dew.”
• Anna Tryon - “Snickers bar and Dr. Pepper.”
• Ro McKnight - “White Red Bull.”
• Chloe Stephens - “Whataburger.”
• Kenzi Levingston - “Dr. Pepper and Nutella.”
• Mikaela Haufler - “Mexican lime soda.”
• Brylee Parker - “Takis, green tea, and coke.”
• Kendall - “M&Ms.”
• Susie Miller - “Alani and pretzels.”

Favorite Quote…

• Brooklyn Maxwell - “Progress, not perfection.”
• Haileigh Garrett - “Little things do end, but it's never the end of everything” & “Don’t do it until it’s right; do it until you can't get it wrong.”
• Anna Tryon - “The sky is not the limit when there are footprints on the moon.” - Paul Brandt
• Ro McKnight - From an old coach of mine - “Loyalty is a two-way street. Nothing is more important than trusting your team.”
• Chloe Stephens - “You only live once!”
• Kenzi Levingston - “If they wanted to, they would.”
• Mikaela Haufler - “When she speaks her words are wise and she gives instruction with kindness.” Proverbs 31:26
• Brylee Parker - “Stay strong in hard times. SMILE!”
• Susie Miller - “Don’t practice until you get it right. Practice till you can’t get it wrong.”

When they are not twirling, they love to…

• Brooklyn Maxwell - “Train my mustang! It is my FFA project for my senior year.”
• Haileigh Garrett - “Read or play video games.”
• Anna Tryon - “Hang out with my family.”
• Ro McKnight - “Hang out with my friends and work.”
• Chloe Stephens - “Sleep!”
• Kenzi Levingston - “Work in the woodshop.”
• Mikaela Haufler - “Play basketball and throw discus.”
• Brylee Parker - “Play basketball, run, and music.”
• Kendall - “Sing.”
• Susie Miller - “I’m with FFA.”

Something people might not know about them is…

• Brooklyn Maxwell - “At my first baton twirling competition I was wearing a diaper under my skirt.”
• Haileigh Garrett - “My favorite animal is a grizzly bear.”
• Anna Tryon - “I have been keeping chickens since 3rd grade. I have 15 now!”
• Ro McKnight - “I work at Whataburger, but I hate the color orange.”
• Chloe Stephens - “I find opossums cute! And I catch them in my yard when I can!”
• Kenzi Levingston - “My friends think I’m funny, but I disagree (I’m awkward).”
• Mikaela Haufler - “I volunteered at a kid’s church camp (Camp His Way) for 4.5 weeks this summer.”
• Brylee Parker - “I’m really funny and chill.”
• Kendall - “I have 6 siblings.”
• Susie Miller - “I’m always at the school.”

The best non twirling life skill they have learned from twirling is…

• Brooklyn Maxwell - “Interview speaking.”
• Haileigh Garrett - “Communication.”
• Anna Tryon - “Consistency. If you are not consistent in your practice, you can't be mad if you get worse than what you expect.”
• Ro McKnight - “My flexibility and how I stretch. I am so much more flexible because of Majorettes.”
• Chloe Stephens - “Don’t beat yourself up when things aren't going too well.”
• Kenzi Levingston - “Knowing my left from right.”
• Mikaela Haufler - “Memorization.”
• Brylee Parker - “Being able to smile in bad timing or situations.”
• Kendall - “Straight arms.”
• Susie Miller - “Teamwork.”

Best advice from their coach…

• Brooklyn Maxwell - “Don’t practice until you get it right. Do it until you can’t get it wrong.”
• Haileigh Garrett - “Don’t take it personal.”
• Anna Tryon - ‘Practice isn't something you do once you get good, but it's what makes you good.”
• Ro McKnight - “Even when you drop your baton, never drop the smile from your face.”
• Chloe Stephens - ‘Always keep your free hands clean and straight.”
• Kenzi Levingston - “Don’t be a follower, be a leader.”
• Mikaela Haufler - “Listen to all sides of the story.”
• Brylee Parker - “Don’t wear Crocs to practice, and ‘Don’t practice until you get it right, practice till you can’t get it wrong.”
• Susie Miller - “Don’t wear Crocs to practice.”

Best advice for future High School twirlers…

• Brooklyn Maxwell - “Live in the moment. Time flies by way too fast.”
• Haileigh Garrett - “Point! Your! Toes!”
• Anna Tryon - “Keep working! Practice will make you the best that you can be.”
• Ro McKnight - “Stay smiling and rely on your teammates.”
• Chloe Stephens - “Don’t give up even when it is tough.”
• Kenzi Levingston - “Straight legs and elbows. Free hand!”
• Mikaela Haufler - “Just enjoy it!”
• Brylee Parker - “Don’t be late (aka 10 minutes before the end of practice).”
• Susie Miller - “Don’t forget your baton on the bus.”

Funniest/Most Fun memory as a twirler…

• Brooklyn Maxwell - “During twirling practice, all of the twirlers came up to my best friend Haileigh and I and sprayed us with silly string since we were celebrating our birthdays.”
• Haileigh Garrett - “During my first try out, I hit myself in the forehead during a one turn.”
• Anna Tryon - “Dressing up with Chloe on dress up days. We always go over the top!”
• Ro McKnight - “The first two-turn I ever caught was after 30 minutes of non-stop two-turns. My teammate offered me a Dr Pepper if I caught the next one, and I caught the next one!”
• Chloe Stephens - “Getting hit in the head by Brooklyn!”
• Kenzi Levingston - “My coach. She is funny. You need to not take advice to heart and get your feelings hurt.”
• Mikaela Haufler - “Brooklyn wheezing in the front seat as her laugh. She sounds like a tea kettle!”
• Brylee Parker - “When Kenzi hit her elbow on a baton trick.”
• Kendall - “I broke my nose during a routine, and you can’t notice.”
• Susie Miller - “Brylee walking in 10 minutes before practice.”

Favorite thing about marching season…

• Brooklyn Maxwell - “Dancing to the songs that the band plays so loud.”
• Haileigh Garrett - “Spending time with my girls and stand trash.”
• Anna Tryon - “Marching and twirling under the Friday Night Lights for the crowds.”
• Ro McKnight - “State!”
• Chloe Stephens - “Performing under the beautiful lights.”
• Kenzi Levingston - “Friday Nights!”
• Mikaela Haufler - “The family the band becomes.”
• Brylee Parker - “Counter marches.”
• Kendall - “Everything.”
• Susie Miller - “My section leader.”

What are they going to miss the most once marching season is over…

• Brooklyn Maxwell - “Twirling to songs that the band plays in front of our community and twirling with my friends.”
• Haileigh Garrett - “Friday night lights.”
• Anna Tryon - “Playing in the stands - the whole band makes sure to keep spirits up!”
• Ro McKnight - “Twirling at football games.”
• Chloe Stephens - “Hearing ‘One More Time!” when it is not the last time.”
• Kenzi Levingston - “Some of the people and the vibe.”
• Mikaela Haufler - “How close everyone was.”
• Brylee Parker - “The fun I had with learning the marches with my friends.”
• Kendall - “Everything.”
• Susie Miller - “Counter marches.”

We want to thank the Sabine Twirlers for sharing their Game Day with us, and we wish them a wonderful rest of their season together! Cherish every moment. Who are we? SC!

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.