We hope everyone enjoyed the first weekend of college football! So many beautiful twirlers on fields all over Texas. If you were following our Story on Instagram you got to experience a Game Day with a very special twirler that is also the twirler being featured in our first Collegiate Interview of the season.
Today's Collegiate Twirler Spotlight is the new University of Texas Feature Twirler, Caroline Carothers!
Saturday was a very special day for Caroline, one she had been hoping would happen for many years. Caroline has had an amazing twirling and pageant career… Miss Texas 2016, Top Seven at Miss America, University of Baylor Golden Girl, plus many State, Regional, and National twirling titles… but in that time there was still one dream she wanted to see through, and on Saturday, August 31st in Darrel K Royal Stadium, this dream came true in front of tens of thousands of screaming Longhorn fans. We asked Caroline about this new adventure and what brought her to being the new University of Texas Feature Twirler!
“It seems that perseverance has been a theme of mine throughout my twirling career, and my UT journey is no different. Since I was 9 years old, twirling at my parents’ alma mater had been a dream of mine. As I researched education programs in Texas for my Masters, I found Educational Leadership and Policy- more specifically the Program in Higher Education Leadership, at UT. It encompassed everything I hoped to accomplish in a Master’s program. Erica Kuntz (the previous UT Feature Twirler) has also been one of my good friends and competitors since we were little, and I knew she was graduating around the same time. God's timing was perfect! I was accepted to The University of Texas at Austin and was invited to a live tryout just a few short weeks later. I knew that I wanted to give it 100% so that regardless of the outcome, I would have no regrets. I practiced harder than I ever had before, and my hard work paid off when Dr. Hanna called me with the wonderful news! I’m so glad that I never gave up on my dream of twirling for the Longhorns and decided to take a chance and just go for it!”
Wow! Such a beautiful lesson on never giving up and taking chances when they come your way. We can imagine this was a huge moment for Caroline and her family. When asked how she reacted to the news when she was called and offered the position, she told us, “I was in the middle of a Baylor Ambassadors meeting when Dr. Hanna's name popped up on my phone. I ran out into the hallway and answered immediately. I honestly don't remember much of our conversation, but I had tears of joy in my eyes and couldn't wait to call my parents and my coach Mrs. Mickey to share the good news!!”
Now that Caroline has been able to experience her first Game Day with the Longhorn Band, we asked her what was her favorite part of the day? “Right before the 4th quarter, the band plays ‘Wabash Cannonball’ to pump up the crowd while the twirler and cheer team perform a feature routine. This song has a special place in my heart because I grew up practicing to it to help push my speed. This was a literal dream come true!”
A Game Day is a very active day for a Feature Twirler when performing with a Division One School. We asked Caroline what events were included in Game Day and how did she prepare for such a marathon of a day? “The only events I had really prepared for were pregame and halftime. I wasn’t sure what to expect for the rest of Game Day, but I knew that I wanted to participate in every opportunity to the fullest. I got to lead two parades through the public tailgate, called Bevo’s Boulevard, around the stadium. The first was for Bevo’s grand entrance and the second was for the entire football team and coaching staff. It was exhilarating to see so many fans there to support the team. My advice to other twirlers is to be flexible, stay positive, and always be ready to twirl your heart out for every performance.”
We know there are many things about Saturday that will stay with Caroline, but we wanted to know what will she always remember from that day? “Entering the packed stadium is a feeling I'll never forget. Yes, I was nervous, but just because I cared, and I wanted to perform my best. I was also more excited than I had ever been to perform on a football field! I cannot wait to do it again next weekend for the anticipated top 10 showdown between Texas and LSU”. (Go Horns! Beat the Tigers!)
Now that we have learned a little more about what brought Caroline to the University of Texas, and her first Game Day as the Longhorn Feature Twirler, let's learn a little more about her!
Competition Level: Advanced/Elite
Caroline is a first year Master’s Student in the program for Higher Education Leadership, and also has a graduate assistant-ship with new student services. She is from San Antonio, Texas, and has been twirling for 17 years (since she was 6 years old!). She is coached by Patti Mickey of the Mickey’s Majorettes, and Lynn Dell Harrell. She is most proud of winning the title of Miss Texas 2016, where she also won overall talent and overall interview. Her favorite competition trick is a 5 spin catch right blind into a deep knee bend, and her favorite field trick is 3 baton bowling pins while traveling across the field. After she finishes her Master’s program she would love to work somewhere in Education.
Fun Facts!
Favorite Color – Burnt Orange (Hook Em)
Favorite Thing to Watch – College Football
Favorite Quote – “Adapt, Adjust, and Overcome”
Twirler she has been most inspired by... " Moriah Muscaro, because she had the perfect blend of difficulty and entertainment in her choreography.”
When she is not twirling she loves to... "Explore new restaurants in Austin”.
Something people may not know about her is... "I am a third generation Longhorn”
Best advice from her coach... "When I salute at the beginning and ending of each routine, my former coach, Holly Smith, told me to say, “Thank you Jesus.” It’s a good reminder to be thankful for my blessings, and also prevented me from getting an improper salute penalty!”
Favorite Moment as a Twirler... "In 2011, I had the opportunity to perform in the Fiesta Flambeau parade as Miss Teen San Antonio and I can’t wait to go back this year with the Longhorn Band."
Best School Tradition... “Big Bertha is the largest drum in the world and is one of the most important parts of the longhorn band. She is nicknamed the “Sweetheart of the Longhorn Band.”
Best non-twirling life skill she has learned from baton... “Time management. Twirling keeps me busy, but it’s important to “juggle” all aspects of life.
Advice to any future Collegiate Twirlers... “First and foremost, you are part of the band. If the band is practicing in the rain, so are you!”
If you are interested in meeting Caroline in person, she will be doing a “Meet & Greet” during the third quarter of the University of Texas Games. “The Meet and Greet is designed to give me a chance to interact with fans and visiting twirlers, friends, and family. Last Saturday, I loved seeing those precious twirlers and meeting new fans. In the future, the Meet and Greet will be on the concourse of Section 25 - next to the brand new Hall of Fame. I hope to see you all there this weekend or at any future UT home games! Hook ‘em!”
We want to thank Caroline for being such a great representative for our sport, and that burnt orange sure does look good on her. It is like she was born to be a Longhorn! Congrats to her on a great first game, and we can’t wait to see her smiling face at many more UT Game Days.
Photo Credit to: @mcar_texas, Ralph Arvesen, @longhornfeaturetwirler, and Delia's LHB Pictures.
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.
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