So much going on this week! We will have a new post almost every day. I guess it is that time of year again! To continue our weekly University Twirler interviews, this time we travel to Huntsville, Texas, to meet the Bearkats. Our Collegiate Twirler Spotlight this week is on the Sam Houston State University Feature Twirlers - Sara Wleczyk, Rachael Doucette, and Kaymie Thomas!
The Sam Houston State University Feature Twirlers, coordinated by Kelley McCormick, are a group of Feature Twirlers that perform with the Bearkat band. If you enjoy learning more about them in this interview, you can follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shsutwirlers.
These twirlers that audition annually for their position, love being Bearkats! While the school has many great traditions, most of these ladies favorites involve the band showing their school spirit. Kaymie tells us her favorite school tradition is when they get to march to Bowers Stadium on game days, while Rachael most enjoys the Fire Festival and Battle of the Piney Woods. Sara just loves the atmosphere. “Twirling with my team members outside Bower’s Stadium with the Bearkat Marching Band, SHSU Cheerleaders, and the SHSU Orange Pride Dance Team (is my favorite). This is an awesome opportunity to be up close with our fans and getting everyone in the spirit right before the football game”.
As members of marching band, they also get to enjoy the bands specific traditions. Sara really enjoys their pregame routine. Rachael loves at the end of every practice when the band comes together and yells "It's BMB in the house!". Kaymie tells us about one of their best inside jokes, which is "Hmmmm... seems salty". While this doesn't make any sense to us, we know it gives the Bearkat Band members a little chuckle.
Now lets take a moment to learn a little more about these three twirlers individually...
Junior,
Competition Level: Beginner
Sara
is a Junior majoring in Human Resource Management. She is from West Columbia,
TX and has been twirling for 16 years with coaches Jana Reid, Jenna Reid Navarro,
Heather Holland Mikel, and Kelly McCormick. The competition title she is the
most proud of is when she won the NBTA Show Twirl. Her favorite competition
trick is a toss reverse illusion, and her favorite field trick is a toss
forward roll or any two baton trick. Sara has been inspired the most by Former University
of Houston Feature Twirler: Heather Holland, and Former University of Georgia
and Florida State University Twirler: Karrissa
Wimberley. Outside of baton twirling, Sara is an active member of Alpha Omicron
Pi and Sigma Alpha Pi - The National Society of Leadership and Success. After
college, Sara plans to eventually attend graduate school, but “my immediate
goal is to be employed in a hospital or petro chemical work environment utilizing
my HR background to manage insurance benefits or company employee policies”.
Rachael
Doucette
Junior,
Competition Level: Beginner (Solo)/Advanced (2&3 Baton)
Rachael
is a Junior majoring in Human Resources. She is from The Woodlands, TX, and has
been twirling for 12 years with coaches Patti Mickey and Kelley McCormick. The
competition title she is the most proud of is when she won the Southwest
Regional Basic Skills Pageant. Her favorite competition trick is a two spin
blind and her favorite field trick is a toss illusion. Rachael has been
inspired the most by her Mickey’s Majorette teammate, Rachel Hutchinson. Outside
of baton twirling she is also an active member of the Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority. After
she graduates from college she hopes to get a job in the Human Resources field.
Sophomore,
Competition Level: Intermediate
Kaymie
is a Sophomore majoring in Music Education. She is from Lubbock, TX and has been
twirling for 9 years with coaches Patti Mickey and Kelley McCormick. The award
she is the most proud of winning was the John Phillip Sousa award in High
School. Her favorite trick is a one spin illusion. Kaymie has been inspired the
most by the Texas Tech University Twirlers. Outside of twirling, Kaymie is an
active member of Tau Beta Sigma, a service organization ‘for greater bands’. “We
promote music and do service projects for the community and our school”. When
she graduates, Kaymie wants to be a band director and write marching drills.
Fun
Facts!
Favorite
Color = Pink (Sara), Red (Rachael)
Favorite
Movie = “Battleship” (Sara), “Moana” (Rachael)
Favorite
Food = Mexican (Sara)
Favorite
Book = The Hobbit “I love reading!” (Kaymie)
Favorite Music = Country (Sara), “Classical music and musicals like Phantom of the Opera and Alexander Hamilton”
When
they are not twirling they love to…
- Rachael = “Read”
- Kaymie = “Read and compose”
- Sara = “Spend time outdoors with my German Shepherd dog, Jethro, and just taking time out with my family and friends. Also, I have a passion for cooking one of my many Pinterest recipes which I have perfected with the help of my dad”.
Something
people might not know about them is….
- Sara = “I’m pretty much an open book”.
- Rachael = “I am very funny”
- Kaymie = “I used to wrestle in high school"
Favorite
Quote/Life Motto…
- Sara = “Be yourself, because an original is worth more than a copy!”
- Kaymie = “It is well with my soul”
- Rachael = “Everything that comes your way is an opportunity. Just because you don’t get something, doesn’t mean you never will”.
Most
Memorable Advice from their coach…
- Sara = “Leave it all floor at competitions, walk away knowing that you have done your best”.
- Rachael = “Have fun on the field”
- Kaymie = “Have fun! If you enjoy it, the audience enjoys it!"
As a Feature Twirler, these ladies get a chance to hang out and have fun together. Kaymie mentioned that they like to have fun at the games by "acting like the batons were light sabers and battling during the Star Wars stands tunes”. They also know that funny moments can happen in the middle of a performance. Rachael tells us that "Once when I was twirling at a basketball game, my fake hair piece fell out!” Yikes! On the other hand, Sara told us about a not so funny story. “Not really funny, but rather a dramatic experience when I did a toss illusion at a high school football game. The baton landed on my nose with a loud “thunk”. Literally, thought I broke my nose, but I kept on twirling through the pain. Turns out, I just had a really bad bruise the next day under my eye and a swollen nose”.
They have all learned so much from their years of twirling that they now bring with them into college and their futures. Sara tells us that baton twirling has "made me more confident in myself as a person”. Rachael says she has really learned the value of team work, and Kaymie has come to realize that you should “Never give up! You can achieve anything, do
not let fear control you!”
Finally we asked the three Bearkat Twirlers what advice they would have for a future collegiate twirler. Rachael said that she would tell them not to "think too hard about it if you drop of mess up. Just remember that most people watching do not understand the details of baton twirling and will not see your mistakes. No matter what happens you are still the best”. Along those same lines, Sara mentioned that, “If you don’t succeed the first time, get back in the gym or studio and prove them wrong!” Kaymie wraps up that thought with a great way to look at the experience. "Enjoy what you do, so the long rehearsals feel like fun and you won’t have to work a single day of the season!”
Thank you so much ladies for giving us your time and participating in our Collegiate Twirler Spotlight. We wish you a great remainder of the season full of awesome performances. Go Bearkats!
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