Friday, June 26, 2020

2020 Fall Twirler Announcements - University of Delaware

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

It is that exciting time of year where twirlers are auditioning for twirling spots for the Fall. This blog hopes to help spread the excitement by announcing the selections for the lovely twirlers we will see on the field very soon in Texas, and representing out of State. If you have an announcement for new twirler selections for 2020-21, please email texastwirlcontact@gmail.com so that we can help spread the word!

Today we announce one of the 2020-21 University of Delaware Golden Girl Twirlers!


The University of Delaware is located in Newark, Delaware, and is the home of the Blue Hens and the UD Golden Girls. The Golden Girls Twirlers have been long standing as a part of the Marching Band at the University of Delaware. The Golden Girls are lucky to have a great connection with the University and the Band Director, which allows them to participate as much as they want to in the band activities and really become a part of the band family. The history of the Golden Girls goes back, having numerous twirlers that were world champions and Miss Majorettes of America. The program has always been rich with competitive and successful girls and encourages a hard working attitude, enthusiasm, and positive attitude towards the band. There is not a set number each year as the sponsor and band director are willing to take as many as they feel fit the expectations of a Golden Girl. If you are interested in learning more about the UD Golden girls, you can check them out at www.facebook.com/UDGoldenGirls or on Instagram @udmb_goldengirls.

This year, the UD Twirlers will include Texas girl, Kathleen Knesek!

Kathleen is from Shiner, TX, and just graduated from Shiner High School, where she the Feature Twirler. She is coached by Pat Montgomery of the Alamo City Strutters. At UD her major will be Art Conservation with the plans to pursue a Master's Degree that focuses on Textile Preservation. According to Kathleen, "my goal is to one day work in a museum system working to preserve and restore historical items. My dream job would be working in the Smithsonian Museum system, but anywhere with historical items will be exciting to work in."

We asked this Texas girl what made her look to further her education in Delaware and why did she choose to go into Textiles Preservation, as it is not a very common major? "I initially found the Art Conservation program at the University of Delaware through the Smithsonian Museum Internship website. I have been saying that I want to work on the restoration and preservation of textiles in museums since I was about six. The summer before seventh grade, I visited Washington D.C. with my school and saw the first ladies dress exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

The Texas 4-H program has allowed me to learn about textile preservation as I spent time at the George Bush Library in College Station, spent two Thanksgivings in Washington D.C., where we had the freedom of visiting the museums, as well as seeing restorations and preservation done at museums internationally through the Texas 4-H International trips in 2017 and 2019.

When it came time to start looking at college decisions, I looked at the Smithsonian website, to see if there was anything that could feed into an internship or job and that is where I found the University of Delaware. I was super excited and told my mom about the program and she booked a campus visit. While visiting campus, I met with a senior in the Art Conservation program where I learned about what the program offers. I also was able to meet Ashlee Amos, who has been a Golden Girl the past four years. She told me about the program and really helped me learn about what collegiate twirling is like. This sparked my interest in the University even more because I could find my dream degree program and twirl. I started researching more into the University and program and found that only four universities in the country offer Art Conservation majors, and the University of Delaware is the only one that focuses on Conservation at the undergraduate level. I learned that they partner with a nearby museum and have top professors in the field as well as connections around the world. I really liked that the University has an ideal position being only a few hours from D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. This would allow me to easily access so many historical parts of our country and the museums in them.

I attended their 2019 Twirler Day where I was able to meet the twirling sponsor, Mrs. Deena Frank, and the band director. I learned even more about the Golden Girls and I got to see how much the twirlers really are a part of the band. After this visit, the University of Delaware became my clear top choice as it allows me to fulfill my dream of Collegiate Twirling and obtaining a degree that allows me to restore and preserve textiles." 

Wow! That sounds amazing to find your dream major and a twirling home all in one place. We all want to wish a huge congrats to Kathleen as she represents in Delaware! Go Blue Hens!

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. 

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

2020 Fall Twirler Announcements - Kilgore College

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

It is that exciting time of year where twirlers are auditioning for twirling spots for the Fall. This blog hopes to help spread the excitement by announcing the selections for the lovely twirlers we will see on the field very soon in Texas, and representing out of State. If you have an announcement for new twirler selections for 2020-21, please email texastwirlcontact@gmail.com so that we can help spread the word!

Today we announce the selection of the 2020-21 Kilgore College Twirling Line!



Kilgore College, located in Kilgore, Texas, is the home of the Rangers, and the Kilgore College Twirling Line. The KC Twirlers are known for their precision routines, dedication to perfection, and crowd-pleasing performances. You can see the KC Twirlers at many football games, pep rallies, and other community and school event. Under the direction of Jordan Jenkins, this great group of young ladies are helping to keep twirling thriving at the college level in East Texas. Auditions were held late last month, and eight twirlers were selected for the 2020-21 Twirling Line, including four returning twirlers and four new twirlers.

Silver Starlite - Katie Ash
From Long Branch, TX
Majoring in Business Administration

Laney Hearon
From Whitehouse, TX
Majoring in Business Management

Madison Miley
From Henderson, TX
Majoring in Education

Haille Stephenson
From Kilgore, TX
Majoring in Nursing

Raina Jackson
From Tatum, TX
Majoring in Accounting

Sydney Knight
From Lindale, TX
Majoring in Biology

Maggie Kroesche
From New Braunfels, TX
Undeclared Major

Emily Nix
From Ore City, TX
Majoring in Mathematics


We want to wish these eight ladies the best of luck this coming season! Go Rangers!

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.

Monday, June 1, 2020

Contest Calendar Series: 2020 Virtual ATX Summer Twirl Fest

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Welcome to June! We know the past couple of months have been a little crazy, and there have been quite a few disappointments with contest cancellations, but before you hang those routines up for the summer, we have one more contest opportunity for you!

Today our Contest Calendar Series is about the 2020 Virtual ATX Summer Twirl Fest!



*REGISTRATION DEADLINE FRIDAY* 
Please note that the registration deadline for this contest is this Friday, June 5th at Midnight! Visit http://www.twirlatx.com/summer-twirlfest.html to find the contest information and registration form, or you can email the contest directors at atxtwirlfest@gmail.com with any questions.

Who? What? When? Where? Why?
Who - Hosted by Twirl ATX & Directed by Ashley Wood and Whitney Coons
What - 2020 Virtual ATX Summer Twirl Fest
When - Saturday, June 20th, 2020. The first events will start at 8:30 am
Where - Wherever you want! This contest is virtual, so all performances will occur using ZOOM via your personal electronic device. Some competitors will perform in gyms or studios, some will perform on tennis or basketball courts, and many will perform on the street in front of their house! There is no right or wrong place to perform, as long as it is flat, safe, and the screen can see your full body during your routines.


Why - This event will allow everyone to enjoy a twirling competition while staying safe, giving your twirlers something to look forward to, and offering closure to the season. They have a panel of excellent NBTA Certified judges lined up, and a wide variety of events. All events will be performed live via Zoom and judged upon completion as they would be at an in person competition. Performances will not be recorded and will only be seen by the judge and their clerk.

CONTEST HASHTAG! #atxsummertwirlfest
For this event we would love to see any competing Texas Twirlers utilize the hashtag #atxsummertwirlfest when posting photos of the competition weekend on social media. Use the hashtag and your photo could end up on this blog or the contest site! Don't forget to tag @twirlingiscatchingtx on Facebook or Instagram and we may share your pic on one of our pages.

HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS: 

  • Miss Twirling Sunshine Pageant: While there have been other virtual contests, the ATX Summer Twirl Fest is the first to offer a pageant! Winners will receive a plaque and sash, and the 2nd through 5th place twirlers will receive a slightly smaller plaque. 
  • UIL Ratings Event: As UIL Texas State Solo & Ensemble was cancelled, the ATX Summer Twirl Fest has arranged for a UIL State Twirling Judge for those wanting to perform their UIL routine for a rating, just like they would have at TSSEC. The judge will even be designating 1-3 Outstanding Performers! While this will not be an official UIL designation, this gives twirlers the opportunity to see how they would have done and have that final performance. 
  • Father/Daughter Events: Since the ATX Summer Twirl Fest will be held on Father's Day Weekend (Saturday only though), they wanted to get the dads involved! Fathers & their Twirler can compete in either the Daddy/Daughter Basic Strut or Duet (or both!). Prizes for this event will include custom Koozies for the Top 5 Dads in each category!

UNIQUE FEATURE: Zoom Hangout Rooms
They have added a fun feature to this event just for the twirlers! We know the best part of contests is visiting with your friends, so during the course of the ATX Summer Twirl Fest they will be operating Zoom Hangout Rooms for the twirlers to get together and catch up! This will allow the twirlers to visit with their friends all over Texas in between events just like they would at an in person contest. It may not be exactly the same, but it is one step closer to seeing their friends!


Interested in attending this event? Visit http://www.twirlatx.com/summer-twirlfest.html to find contest info and the online registration link. Have any questions? Contact atxtwirlfest@gmail.com or call /text Ashley at 512-848-7426. We hope to see everyone via Zoom on June 20th!


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