Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - University of Texas San Antonio

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Last weekend was a great weekend for College Games. So many fun pictures and videos on social media of Texas twirlers performing their hearts out and supporting their teams.

Each season this blog likes to get to know some of these awesome twirlers a little better by learning about them and their experiences. We will be meeting a new High School twirler each Friday through the season with the Friday Night Lights Features, and discovering more about our Texas Collegians with the Collegiate Twirler Spotlights during the week. Make sure to follow us at facebook.com/twirlingiscatchingtx or on Instagram @twirlingiscatchingtx for lots of live content and Insta-story take overs by some of your favorites.

This week’s Collegiate Twirler Spotlight in the University of Texas-San Antonio Feature Twirlers!

Who else had a blast following the UTSA Twirlers as they took over our Insta-Story on Saturday? Experiencing Game Day with the SOSA Sweethearts, Alexis Tanner, Hannah Kacher, and Caitlin Stanke, was so much fun. We got to see the view from the field at the Alamodome, a sneak peek at the TeamWalk, and some pre-game and halftime twirling awesomeness. It made us super excited to get to know more about these three wonderful Feature Twirlers!

As we saw on Instagram, a UTSA Football Game Day with the Spirit of San Antonio (SOSA) Marching Band is unforgettable. The UTSA Feature Twirlers, coached by Staci Smith, are a beautiful presence on the field and bring extra talent to the organization. First year Feature Twirler, Hannah, tells us that the experiences with SOSA is what brought her to be a Roadrunner. “Of course I’ve been to college games, but being a performer on the field is a completely different experience. I loved my first game so much, and although it was long, I will never forget that day. A big reason why I chose UTSA was because of SOSA. Being from San Antonio I know how big of a deal SOSA is, and how could I not want to be a part of it?”

First year Feature Twirler, Caitlin Stanke, agreed. “I chose UTSA because of the pride shown in the band, even though it hasn’t been established very long. It’s amazing to see how we all work together to create such entertainment for all UTSA fans!” Being a freshman twirler has to be an overwhelming experience, but Caitlin also told us it was just as astonishing. “The atmosphere is so much different than high school band. I enjoy it every second of it, especially since I have two great new friends along my side!”

The University of Texas - San Antonio has been a presence in San Antonio since it was built in 1993, but they did not have a football team or marching band until 2011. This season is only the 9th year that SOSA has been rocking the Alamodome, but in that time they have developed some great school traditions. We asked the twirlers which of them meant the most to each girl. Second year Feature Twirler, Alexis, told us her favorite tradition is when, “after each game, win or lose, the football team and band gather together to sing the Alma Mater”. Catilin also loves the singing. It is such a special moment for the two organizations. Another event they enjoy is Midnight Light. Hannah tells us that “at midnight the night before school starts they get everyone pumped for the school year and light fireworks. It was very tiring but a memory I will always have!”

The band continues their traditions off the Game Day field. Hannah tells us how much she loves the unity that the band organization has and that is shows when they end rehearsal. “The drum major stands on the podium then gathers everyone’s attention through a back and forth chant. At the end you can hear the echo the band leaves and it gives me chills every time.” During the many, many hours the SOSA organization spends together, they have created a lot of fun inside jokes to go along with the more serious traditions. Alexis says her favorite inside joke is “Y’all Hear/See Sum?” which makes no sense to us, but we are sure it means something to them. They also agree that the nicknames they make up for  keeps them giggling on those long days. Caitlin additionally mentioned that “Hannah is a secret food critic of Mac and Cheese.”

Now that we have learned what it is like to be a part of the UTSA and SOSA Community, let’s learn more about Alexis, Hannah, and Caitlin!

Alexis Tanner
Alexis is from Corpus Christi, Texas, and is currently a sophomore majoring in Mathematics with a Teacher's Certification. She has been twirling for 13 years. She is a member of the Mickey’s Majorettes and is coached by Patti Mickey and Kayli Mickey McIntosh. The title she is the most proud of winning was the 2019 National 18 Year Old Baton Flag Champion. Her favorite competition trick is a toss double illusion, and her favorite field trick is a toss front walkover. In baton twirling, Alexis has been most inspired by her role model, now coach, Kayli Mickey McIntosh. “When I was little I wanted to be just like Kayli Mickey and I remember she put a crown on me at a competition and I completely freaked and didn’t let my mom touch it because Kayli had touched it, and now Kayli is my coach!!” After college she hopes to become a high school math teacher and either coach track or baton at the school.

Hannah Kacher
Hannah is from San Antonio, Texas, and is currently a freshman Psychology and Kinesiology major. She has been twirling for 13 years. Hannah is a member of the Twirling Sweet Sensations and is coached by Michele Pangrac and Mary Ann Srulowitz. The title she is the most proud of winning was the Junior Intermediate Texas State Pageant. Hannah’s favorite competition trick is a floor roll into a split catch blind, and her favorite field trick is a toss cartwheel. “It is definitely an easy crowd pleaser”. In baton twirling, she has been inspired by many of those around her. “Caroline Carothers has always been a person I loved to watch on the field and on the competition floor. But I can’t leave out my teammates on Sweet Sensations that have always encouraged me and inspired me to push myself, and now my new friend Alexis who has pushed me these past couple weeks to do bigger and better tricks." After college she is hoping to become a “Sports Psychologist, and maybe open up my own practice. Being to help athletes, like twirlers, overcome the mental strain of competition and games is something I am very passionate about”.

Caitlin Ann Stanke
Caitlin is from Rogers, Texas, and is currently a Medical Humanities Major with a Pre-Dental focus. At UTSA she is also a member of the First Generation College Student Organization and the UTSA Pre-Dental Society. She has been twirling for 6 years and is coached by Stacie Smith. Her favorite field trick is a toss cartwheel. In baton twirling she has been inspired the most by Karissa Wimberley. After college she hopes to start her own dental practice.











Fun Facts!
Favorite Color… Blue (Alexis), Gold - “because it has the perfect shine” (Hannah), Red (Caitlin)
Favorite Movie… Moana (Alexis), “I love, love, love Pitch Perfect!” (Hannah), Documentaries (Caitlin)
Favorite Music… Country (Caitlin), “I listen to all kinds of music, but you will usually find me listening to R&B” (Alexis).

Favorite Quote or Life Motto…

• Alexis: “Fake it till you make it!”
• Hannah: “Why do anything less than your best?”
• Caitlin: “Come forth into the light of things and let nature be your teacher”

When they are not twirling they love to…

• Alexis: “Workout or run! Being active outside of twirling is very important to me”
• Hannah: “Play with my puppy and kitty. My pets are my entire world”
• Caitlin: “Read!”

Something you might not know about them is…

• Alexis: “I have broken my nose WAY too many times!”
• Hannah: “I’m a pretty open book, so I can’t necessarily think of anything”
• Caitlin: “I love photography and taking photos!”

Most memorable advice from their coaches…

• Alexis: “Just keep smiling! And if you need to cry, don’t let anyone see you upset”
• Caitlin: “Don’t knock it until you try it”

Favorite moment of twirling…

• Alexis: "I gave myself a bloody nose in front of Mrs. Mickey at a local competition and stopped in the middle of my routine to bend over and cry. Mrs. Mickey told me to "keep going", so I proceeded to wipe the blood from my nose onto my arm and finish my routine. After I saluted, of course, I started crying again while my coach started walking me to the bathroom and my mom made sure that I didn’t get any blood on the white parts of my costume. I got a sportsman ship award at that competition, so I would say it was worth it!"
• Hannah: “Definitely my team’s Disney trip where I got to be 1 of 3 twirlers that lead the parade”
• Caitlin: “Teaching a multitude of young girls how to twirl every year at my high school."

Funniest Twirling Moment: 

• Alexis: “Last year during a show we had to listen carefully to the music for a cue to move to the other side of the field in time for a trio section of the show. Well, I guess I was just having WAY too much fun twirling that I completely forgot to listen to the music. I soon realized that Julie (former UTSA twirler) was already on the other side of the field with Michael (another former UTSA twirler). I stopped twirling and bolted it to the other side of the field. With all that sprinting I got to my spot just in time for the opening exchange."
• Catilin: "Getting chased by bees at practice. (Also very scary)"

Baton twirling has opened many new experiences to these ladies, but it has also taught them many life lessons. Caitlin says the main thing she has learned from twirling is “Proving to myself that I can do more than I think I can”. Hannah feels the strongest lessons she has learned have been about leadership and friendliness. “I believe you must be a role model in and out of the gym.” So true! The non-twirling skill Alexis is proud to have gained from twirling is how to talk to and make friends with people. “Believe it or not, I am a very shy person, but over the years twirling has taught me how to make friends with ease. It has also taught me how to speak to people in higher positions than myself. This is, of course, from the countless numbers of interviews I’ve done in practice and at competitions.”

As this is Alexis’ second yeas as a SOSA Sweetheart, we asked what she was the most excited about this season, and what she plans to improve on from last year. “I was most looking forward to just performing and being on the field again! Competition twirling is so much different that field twirling. I definitely don’t feel as much pressure on the field. I am able to be less critical of myself, be more comfortable showing the audience what I have improved on, and focus on putting on a good show. I will add harder tricks to my performances this year, and also add in more facial expressions. Last year I was very scared of performing on the field since it was my first time. However, since I have a year under my belt now, I am more comfortable with the setting and environment and I am able to have more fun. Also, adding in more expression to my twirling will hopefully make the show more exciting for me and the audience.”

To close the interview we asked these twirlers what advice they would pass on to future collegiate twirlers. Learning from experience, Alexis advises twirlers to work on facial expressions. “It may feel silly but if you practice these and incorporate them into your routine it will make a world of difference. It will add so much excitement into your twirling and the audience will appreciate it. Even if you are doing a trick that you find easy make it exciting for the audience to watch”. Caitlin suggested being in the moment as much as you can. “Take a deep breath and relax, enjoy and take pride in the routine you are going to perform. Once it’s over you’ll want to do it again and again!” Hannah kept it short and sweet with “Enjoy the game and smile so so big!” Love it!

We want to say thank you to Alexis, Hannah, and Caitlin for letting us get a glimpse in to the SOSA life, and wish them an amazing season in the Alamodome. Go Roadrunners!

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.