Friday Night Lights Feature - Lake Highlands High School

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

We have returned and those Friday Night Lights are back to brighten up our weeks! As those Friday Night Lights return, we look forward to enjoying the sights and sounds of football teams, marching bands, and our favorite, lots of talented Texas baton twirlers! 

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 season’s first Friday Night Lights Feature is the Lake Highlands High School Feature Twirler!

Lake Highlands High School, located in Dallas, Texas, is the home of the Wildcats, and a football field nicknamed “The Boneyard”! With a name like that, you know you will have some exciting games, which are only made better by the wonderful Lake Highlands High School Feature Twirler, Breckyn Steele!

Sporting the Red, White, and Black, Breckyn is proud to be the first twirler in LHHS in over 25 years! To earn this position, she went through a slightly different audition process. “Since there was no twirler, I met with the band director when I was in 8th grade and he allows me to twirl 4-5 games a year, but I also play in the front ensemble of percussion with the band.”

Being a part of a spirit organization really puts Breckyn on the forefront of the LHHS community. “I love how the community comes together and supports EVERYTHING about Lake Highlands! All the sporting events are always packed with fans!”

Having such a supportive community always means the best traditions! We had to know what Breckyn’s favorite game day tradition was. “The Band always marches from the school, around the stadium and into the stadium before every home football game. The fans always stand on the sidewalks and watch the band enter!”

With this being Breckyn’s senior season, we wanted to know what event she was most looking forward to, and she told us about their Elementary School night. “It is so fun to perform at! The elementary school kids get SO excited! And after halftime I will meet so many kids and teach them a few fun tricks. I love seeing their faces light up!”

Now that we have learned more about twirling at LHHS, let’s learn more about Breckyn!

Breckyn Steele, Senior
Breckyn is an advanced level twirler that has been twirling for 14 years. She is a member of the Texas Touch of Class where she is coached by Sheila Rigelsky, and was previously also coached by the late Shirley Payne. The competition title she is the proudest of winning is a tie between earning the Jr. Miss Majorette of Texas title in 2024 or being named the Advanced Senior X-Strut Champion at the 2026 Super West Regional. Her favorite twirling trick is the split trick in her solo where she tosses it up and switches her split under the toss. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by her coaches, Miss Sheila and Miss Shirley, but all of the "big girls" that really helped her grow and love twirling even more were Erica Kuntz, KK Tunnell, and Chailie Alsaffar. After High School, she hopes to become a dyslexia teacher.

Favorites!
• Favorite Color – Purple
• Favorite Movie – Frozen 

Must have Game Day Snack…
“Sour Patch Kids.”

Favorite Quote or the Life Motto… 
“Miss Shirley used to always quote Winston Churchill and say ‘Never, Never, Never Give up!’ It has always stuck with me.” 

When she is not twirling, she loves to…  
“Go to our lake house to ride the jet skis, swim, or go on the boat.”

Something people might not know about her… 
“I am dyslexic and my dyslexia teachers played a HUGE role in me wanting to be a teacher myself.”

The best life skill she has gained from baton twirling is… 
“Interviewing and being able to talk to adults.”

The most memorable advice from her coach…  
“Never, Never, Never give up!”

Advice to future high school twirlers… 
“Enjoy every moment. Take every opportunity you can to perform, and show your community what an amazing talent twirling is!”

Her funniest memory as a baton twirler… 
“In 2021 at Regionals we had covid protocols, so there wasn't an awards ceremony.  I went into the awards gym to get my bag of awards and there was a crown in the bag and I didn't realize it was because I had won the Intermediate 10-12 Southwest Pageant. I asked Ms. Ashley (Wood) what this was for! At that same time my Mom came in and hugged me because they had posted the results on the Band App and she saw I won. It didn't really register with me that I had won until I saw the sash and scoresheets!”

What will she miss the most when football season ends? 
“That means my High School twirling career is over and I will be 1/2 way through my Senior Year. However, it will be the start of a whole new chapter!”

We want to thank Breckyn for sharing her Game Day with us. We know she will have the very best senior season, and we are excited to see what the rest of this year will bring! Go Cats!

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. 

2026 Texas State Pageant Winners - Advanced Pageant

Hello Texas Twirl Fans! 

With AYOP behind us, before we officially close the 2026 season, we want to take a moment to look back on the NBTA Texas State Championship that was held in June in Burnet, Texas. It was a wonderful Lone Star themed event with beautiful Hill Country views and lots of Texas Champions!

To celebrate our Texas State Pageant title holders we have been recognizing them here on the blog and are down to our final post. Congrats to all of these talented twirlers on their success at the State contest!

Today we will be recognizing the 2026 Miss Majorettes of Texas!

College Miss Majorette of Texas

Brooklyn Maxwell

Texas State University

Brooklyn is from Liberty City, TX, but is currently a Feature Twirler at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. She is coached by Janice Jackson Seamands. Her favorite memory from State weekend was hearing her name announced as the Collegiate Pageant winner. "It was a complete surprise, and I truly wasn't expecting it, which made the experience even more special. I also loved spending time with one of my lifelong childhood friends, Keira George, who is one of the feature twirlers at the University of Houston. Being able to share the weekend with her made the experience even more memorable." This summer Brooklyn attended AYOP where she was most looking forward to representing both the great state of Texas and Texas State University on a national stage. "This competition is incredibly inspiring because it brings together so many talented athletes from across the country. I was excited to learn from others, build new friendships, and be surrounded by individuals who share the same passion and dedication for the sport of baton twirling. Eat Em Up Cats!"

Senior Miss Majorette of Texas

Analeia Aleman

Analeia is from Sherman, TX, where she is the Feature Twirler for Gunter High School... Go Tigers! She is coached by Christina Aleman and Catherine Lattimore with additional help from Lori Watters and Kathy Forsythe. Her favorite memory from state weekend is hearing her name called as Miss Majorette of Texas and receiving the Shirley Payne Memorial Trophy. A close second would be competing in Rhythmic Twirl for the first time since she was in the 7-9 division. "It was so much fun!" Analeia attended AYOP last month where she was most looking forward to takin on the blue curtain in the senior division and representing Team Texas, and she was beyond excited to earn a spot on Team USA where she will be competing this Spring in Italy! Way to go Analeia!

Junior Miss Majorette of Texas

Corin Salamon

Corin is from Rosenberg, TX. She is a member of the Mickey's Majorettes where she is coached by Patti Mickey and Kayli Mickey-McIntosh. Her favorite memory from state was hanging out with her teammates and friends while curling their hair before awards and cheering for her duet partner when she won her pageant. This summer she was able to represent Texas at AYOP, where she was most excited for perform in front of the Blue Curtain for the first time, getting to check off her AYOP traditions with her mom, and having a fantastic time with teammates and old and new friends.

Preteen Miss Majorette of Texas

Payge Carroll

Payge is from Temple, TX. She is a member of the Legends twirling team where she is coached by Liane Aramaki. Her favorite memory from state was her coach being there, spending time with her twirl friends, and winning her pageant! While Payge did not attend AYOP, she did attend USTA Nationals where she had fun being with her team mates and seeing all her other twirl friends! 

CONGRATS TO ALL OUR 2026 MISS MAJORETTES OF TEXAS!

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. 

2026 Texas State Pageant Winners - Intermediate Pageant

 Hello Texas Twirl Fans! 

With AYOP behind us, before we officially close the 2026 season, we want to take a moment to look back on the NBTA Texas State Championship that was held in June in Burnet, Texas. It was a wonderful Lone Star themed event with beautiful Hill Country views and lots of Texas Champions!

To celebrate our Texas State Pageant title holders we will be recognizing them here on the blog over the next week. Congrats to all of these talented twirlers on their success at the State contest!

Today we will be recognizing the 2026 Texas State Intermediate Pageant Winners!

Senior Intermediate Pageant Winner 

Olivia Crisp

Olivia is from Canyon Lake, TX, and just finished her freshman year at Texas State University where she was a Feature Twirler for the Bobcat Marching Band. She is a member of Twirling Sweet Sensations where she is coached by Michele Pangrac. Her favorite memory from state was spending time and laughing with her twirl sisters. This summer Olivia attended AYOP where she was most looking forward to the TSS team dinner, and seeing her twirl friends from across the country. 

Junior Intermediate Pageant Winner 

Abigail Gorring

Abby is from The Woodlands, TX, where this Fall she will be a Feature Twirler at The Woodlands College Park High School. She is a member of the Mickey's Majorettes where she is coached by Patti Mickey and Kayli Mickey McIntosh. Her favorite memory from state weekend was cheering on her teammates and qualifying for AYOP. Abby attended AYOP this summer where she was most excited for all of the yummy snacks in South Bend and the noodles from a favorite restaurant spot! 

Preteen Intermediate Pageant Winner 

McKenzie Hubbard

McKenzie is from San Antonio, TX. She is a member of the Twirling Sweet Sensations where she is coached by Michele Pangrac. Her favorite memory from state weekend was getting to watch her teammates perform their advanced solos and cheer them on. McKenzie attended AYOP for the first time this summer and was so excited to see all of the advanced twirlers compete and be inspired while making memories and having fun!

CONGRATS TO ALL OUR TEXAS STATE 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. 

2026 Texas State Pageant Winners - Beginner Pageant

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

With AYOP behind us, before we officially close the 2026 season, we want to take a moment to look back on the NBTA Texas State Championship that was held in June in Burnet, Texas. It was a wonderful Lone Star themed event with beautiful Hill Country views and lots of Texas Champions!

To celebrate our Texas State Pageant title holders we will be recognizing them here on the blog over the next week. Congrats to all of these talented twirlers on their success at the State contest!

Today we will be recognizing the 2026 Texas State Beginner Pageant Winners!

Senior Beginner Pageant Winner 

Arielle Garcia

 

Arielle is from Corpus Christi, TX. She is a member of the Texas Stingerettes and is coached by Kim Berger. "She coached all of my events and helped me drive for this title." Her favorite memory from state weekend was performing a duet with her twin sister, Arianna. "We love twirling together and performing in front of our parents and friends. It is such a great feeling." This summer Arielle was excited to attend AYOP, where she was most excited to perform with her team. "I had teammates coming along this year. I love twirling with them and getting closer through spending time together."

Junior Beginner Pageant Winner 

Laurel Scallan

 

Laurel is from Liberty Hill, TX, where she is the Feature Twirler at Liberty Hill High School. She is a member of Twirl ATX and is coached by Whitney Coons, as well as Ashley Wood and Jassandra Sadler. Her favorite memory from the Texas State Championship was winning her first pageant title and receiving her awards from three of her favorite twirlers. Laurel represented Texas at AYOP this summer,  and was most excited to eat lots of pretzels and watch the Big Show.

Preteen Beginner Pageant Winner 

Shree Roy Karmakar

 

Shree is from Leander, TX, where she is the Feature Twirler for Stiles Middle School. She is a member Twirl ATX where she is coached by Jassandra Sadler, as well as Whitney Coons and Ashley Wood. Her favorite moment from state weekend was winning both her pageant and open X-Strut! Shree was able to attend her first AYOP this summer, where she was most excited for her first chance to compete on a national-level platform, and she enjoyed learning from other talented participants and experiencing their dedication, positive attitude, and commitment to the sport. She was also especially excited to try the famous pretzels with vanilla icing! "I had heard so much about them!"

Juvenile Beginner Pageant Winner 

Gracen Kerley

 

Gracen is from Hutto, TX, where she twirls as an elementary student for the Hutto High School games. She is coached by LynnDell Harrell. Her favorite memory from state weekend was the award ceremony. She LOVED the way the award ceremony was done and the pomp and circumstance that NBTA brings to the Twirling World! While Gracen did not attend AYOP this year, she is looking forward to attending in future years and getting to immerse herself in a new adventure! 

CONGRATS TO ALL OUR TEXAS STATE 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. 

2026 Texas State Pageant Winners - Basic Skills

Hello Texas Twirl Fans! 

With AYOP behind us, before we officially close the 2026 season, we want to take a moment to look back on the NBTA Texas State Championship that was held in June in Burnet, Texas. It was a wonderful Lone Star themed event with beautiful Hill Country views and lots of Texas Champions!

To celebrate our Texas State Pageant title holders we will be recognizing them here on the blog over the next week. Congrats to all of these talented twirlers on their success at the State contest!

 

Today we will be recognizing the 2026 Texas State Basic Skills Pageant Winners!

Senior Basic Skills Pageant Winner

Miracle Chavarria

Miracle is from Crane, TX. She is a member of the Odessa Twirl Elite where she is coached by Naticia Dodson and Pam Brewer. Her favorite memory from State weekend wasn't receiving this award, but rather it was watching the people who made the entire experience possible be recognized. "My coaches, Naticia Dodson and Pam Brewer, took me under their wing and showed me what true baton twirling is. They believed in me, supported me, and lifted me up when I needed it most. I’m beyond grateful for every opportunity I’ve been given since joining them. They, without a doubt, deserve this recognition just as much as I did." This summer Miracle was able to attend her very first AYOP where she was most looking forward to living her dream of attending and experience twirling on such a big stage. 

Junior Basic Skills Pageant Winner 

Emily Rieg

Emily is from Tyler, TX. She is a member of Precision Twirl, where she is coached by Paige Keitt with additional support from Kayli Mickey-McIntosh. She is homeschooled but will have the privilege of being the feature twirler at King’s Academy in the 26-27 school year. Emily’s favorite memories from State were meeting new friends and hearing her name called as pageant winner. 

Preteen Basic Skills Pageant Winner 

Millie Martin

Millie from Sunnyvale, TX. She is a member of the Texas Touch of Class and is coached by Sheila Rigelsky and Kassie Steele. Her favorite memories from State were spending time with her twirling friends (and her twirling sister) and watching them succeed!

Juvenile Basic Skills Pageant Winner

Reese Hewitt

Reese is from Spring, TX, where she is coached by Kelley McCormick as a member of Forever Twirl Texas. Reese's favorite memory from the state competition was practicing her solo and struts with her twirl friends!

Little Miss Basic Skills Pageant Winner 

Stevie Palmer

Stevie is from Corpus Christi, TX, where she is a member of the Texas Stingerettes and is coached by Kim Berger. Her favorite memories from State weekend were seeing all the friends she has made this season, doing her model walk, and competing in her duet and x-strut for the first time. She had the chance this summer to attend her first AYOP where she was most excited to show off the new skills that were added to her solo as well as fly on an airplane and leave Texas first the very first time! 

CONGRATS TO ALL OUR TEXAS STATE 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. 

2026 Super West Regional Pageant Winners - Advanced Pageant

 Hello Texas Twirl Fans! 

With this post we will wrap up the celebration of our new Super West Regional Pageant title holders by recognizing our last group of competitors here on the blog. Congrats to all of these talented twirlers on their success at the inaugural Super Regional.

Today we will be recognizing the 2026 Miss West of the Mississippi Majorettes!

Senior Miss West of the Mississippi

Evelyn Henry

Evelyn is from Dallas, TX, where she was a Feature Twirler at Woodrow Wilson High School. This Fall she will be attending the University of Arizona where she will be a UA Twirler. She is a member of the Texas Touch of Class and is coached by Sheila Payne Rigelsky. Her favorite moment from Super West was getting to compete and win her pageant in her own high school gym! This summer at AYOP she is most looking forward to seeing all of her friends!

Junior Miss West of the Mississippi

Hailey Wood

Hailey is from Cedar Park, TX, where she is the Feature Twirler for Vista Ridge High School. She is a member of the Mickey's Majorettes for individual events where she is coached by Kayli Mickey-McIntosh, Patti Mickey, and Tori Elyea. She is also a member of Twirl ATX as well as the Ambition Baton Club for teams. Her favorite memory from Super West was getting to hostess as the Jr Grand National Champion in her home state and be able to hand out awards, where she got to crown and give trophies to many of her closest twirling friends. This summer at AYOP she is most looking forward to taking on the blue curtain again and enjoying her daily AYOP pretzel!

Preteen Miss West of the Mississippi

Emery Ramirez

Emery is from Burnet, Texas. She is a member of Twirl ATX, where she is coached by Ashley Wood as well as Whitney Coons & Jassandra Sadler. Her favorite memory from Super West was having two all catch solos on the floor! This summer at AYOP she is most looking forward to eating a lot of pretzels and doing her three baton routine. 

Juvenile Miss West of the Mississippi

& Juvenile Miss Majorette of Texas

Caroline Gee

Caroline Gee is from Jacksonville, Texas. She is a member of the Mickey's Majorettes where she is coached by Kayli Mickey-McIntosh and Patti Mickey. Her favorite memory from Super West was all of the time she was able to spend with the Jacksonville High School twirlers! "We cheered for each other and laughed a lot!" This summer at AYOP she is most looking forward to seeing all of the collegiate twirlers, spending time with her Mickeys teammates, feeding ducks, and eating pretzels!

CONGRATS TO ALL OUR 2026 MISS WEST OF THE 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. 

2026 Super West Regional Pageant Winners - Intermediate Pageant

Hello Texas Twirl Fans! 

We continue the celebration our new Super West Regional Pageant title holders by recognizing them here on the blog. Congrats to all of these talented twirlers on their success at the inaugural Super Regional.

Today we will be recognizing the 2026 Super West Regional Intermediate Pageant Winners!

Senior Intermediate Pageant Winner 

Avery McGraw

Avery is from Tyler, TX, where she is the Feature Twirler & Head Twirler for Whitehouse High School. She is a member of Twirl Revolutions where she is coached by Jeri Coke, with additional coaching from Ella McDaniel. Her favorite memory from Super West was "definitely making new friendships with the TOJ's who I will be twirling with in the fall at SFA!". This summer at AYOP she is most looking forward to spending time with my family, competing in pageant for the first time at Nationals, and eating lots of pretzels!" 

Junior Intermediate Pageant Winner 

Candace Johnson

Candace is from Corpus Christi, TX. She is coached by Terri Dominick and Haley Shiver, as well as being a member of the Heart of Texas Twirlers where she is coached by Mary Ann Pozzi. Her favorite memory from Super West was "most definitely becoming the very first Super West Junior Intermediate Pageant winner!" This summer at AYOP she is most looking forward to hanging out with friend from different states, really just soaking up every moment, and having an amazing experience at Nationals!

Juvenile Intermediate Pageant Winner 

Klara Pugh 

Klara is from Liberty, TX. She is a member of the Mickey's Majorettes where she is coached by Patti Mickey & Kayli Mickey-McIntosh. Her favorite memories from Super West included “I made a new friend from another part of Texas and exchanged phone numbers so we can keep in touch, had my first no drop solo in intermediate, and I’m happy that I won my category and get to go to nationals. I’m also happy that I got to go to the first ever super regionals competition. It was probably the most fun I’ve ever had at a competition.” This summer at AYOP she is most looking forward to setting new goals, growing as a competitor, and seeing twirlers from all over the country. "I can't wait to be there with my teammates and coaches!"

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.