Friday Night Lights Feature - Columbia High School

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

We are back for week two of Friday Night Football! This year may look a little different, but twirlers all over Texas are making it work, and we are so excited to be able to Feature many of them over the next couple of months. As those Friday Night Lights turn on in stadiums all over Texas, we hope to see many face masks and safety precautions being taken so that we can continue to enjoy the sights and sounds of football teams, marching bands, and our favorite, lots of talented baton twirlers! 

Each season this blog likes to get to know many of our awesome TX twirlers a little better by learning about their experiences. We will be meeting many HS twirler on Fridays through the season with the Friday Night Lights Features and discovering more about our TX Collegians with the Collegiate Twirler Spotlights. We will also be having many of our HS and Collegiate twirlers take over our Social Media Story for their Game Days and may even have some special Live moments! Make sure to follow us on Instagram @twirlingiscatchingtx or at facebook.com/twirlingiscatchingtx so you don't miss a thing!

This weekend’s Friday Night Lights Feature is the Columbia High School Twirlers! 

Columbia HS, located in West Columbia, TX, is the home of the Roughnecks, and a great legacy of twirling! Thanks to the CHS twirling coach, Jana Reid, this school has a constant flow of talented twirlers at the High School and even Middle School level. We are so excited to learn more about Feature Twirlers Ashley Wilkinson & Taryn Fojtik, and Line Twirlers Elizabeth Alexander, Morgan Janek, and Macy Mahurin!

Last night was the Columbia High School Homecoming Game, as you may have seen on our social media story as part of the CHS Instastory Takeover. The Feature Twirlers did a great job at halftime, and all of the twirlers rocked it on the sidelines throughout the game. 

We all know this season has been a little different for everyone. We asked the CHS twirlers what has changed this year. Elizabeth told us about the new ticketing system. “Spectators are having to follow many new rules including each twirler only being allowed 4 tickets each game for family members. Another thing that was changed for this year is we now always perform our halftime show towards our families no matter if we are home or away.” Taryn said this new ticketing system has made things difficult for some family members. “The first football game the tickets sold out in 20 minutes, which has never happened, so it can be difficult to get tickets for your parents since they can only sell a certain amount. Sometimes there is a good chance you family won’t get to watch you twirl for that Friday.” 

Morgan talked about the impacts on the football team. “COVID has definitely affected our football program in so many ways. Like us, they were not able to have practice all summer, so it’s been hard for all of us to get ready and prepare for the season. Our school started mid-August giving students the option to go in person or online. I chose to do in person, and it’s been great so far. Masks and social distancing are being enforced.” While some of the twirlers are doing in person learning, some are doing virtual. Ashley is one of the virtual learners but is still able to participate at the football games due to the extra safety procedures. “The twirlers we able to meet in August before school started to get our routines together for season. Also, at football games, all the fans must wear masks and we have to wear mask when we aren't twirling.” Macy also mentioned that the distance they can travel for a game has changed their attendance. “If it takes us more than an hour to get to the game, the band, twirlers, color guard, and dancing dolls do not get to attend.” 

Despite these big changes, the CHS Twirlers are making this season count, especially for Seniors Ashley, Elizabeth, and Morgan. They all agree that the best thing about football games is the “Diggy”, and even COVID cannot take that away! Apparently the “Diggy” is a dance that is performed during the fourth quarter and at pep rallies by the dancers, cheerleaders, and twirlers. Macy tells us “Every student just gets up and starts dancing along to this song!” Elizabeth says that the Diggy is a great way to encourage school unity. “The Diggy is so much fun, and the whole school gets involved by dancing together.”

To become the Columbia HS Twirlers, these young ladies had to complete spring auditions. Morgan tells us that the audition process is the same each year. “We hold tryouts, which consists of a week of preparing a group routine for all trying out and practicing basics. On tryout day, we are asked to perform certain tricks to the best of our ability, and then we perform our group routine to see how well the group flows. Decisions for who made the team are then later revealed.” This year they did have a little curve ball thrown at them as the auditions had to be held virtually! Elizabeth said that even with the virtual change, the expectations were the same. “We still had to complete a list of fundamentals correctly, preform a solo routine, as well as a group routine.” At the end of auditions, it was announced that the 2020-2021 Twirlers would consist of two Feature Twirlers – Ashley & Taryn, three Line Twirlers – Elizabeth, Morgan, & Macy, and one Alternate - McKenzy. 

Now that we have learned more about their game days, let’s learn more about the CHS Twirlers!

Ashley Wilkinson
Senior – Feature Twirler
Ashley has been twirling for 13 years and is coached by Jana Reid. Her favorite field tricks are any big exchanges. After High School, she hopes to attend Texas State University and get her teaching degree. 

Taryn Fojtik
Sophomore – Feature Twirler
Taryn has been twirling since she was 8 years old and is coached by Jana Reid. The competition title the is the proudest of earning was the State Intermediate Solo. Her favorite field trick is a toss illusion. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by Savannah Miller. After High School, she hopes to attend Texas Tech and become a nurse. 

Elizabeth Alexander
Senior – Line Twirler
Elizabeth has been twirling for 10 years and is coached by Jana Reid. The competition title she is the proudest of earning was the Marching Auxiliaries Solo Winner. Her favorite field tricks are group exchanges. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by Simone Esters. “She won Miss Missouri in 2018 with baton twirling as her talent, and I also compete in pageants with baton twirling as my talent.” After High School, she hopes to graduate from Baylor University with a Doctorate in Pediatric Medicine. 

Morgan Janak
Senior – Line Twirler
Morgan has been twirling for 6 years and is coached by Jana Reid. After High School she plans to study abroad and then attend a University, hopefully followed by attending medical school to become a physician. 

Macy Rae Mahurin
Junior - Line Twirler
Macy has been twirling since she was in second grade and is coached by Jana Reid. Her favorite field trick is a leap, “because they look so amazing out on the field.” After High School, she hopes to attend college to become a teacher. 

Fun Facts!
Favorite Color – Yellow (Macy & Ashley), Bright Yellow (Elizabeth), Purple (Morgan)
Favorite Music – “Any Type” (Ashley), “I enjoy any older country” (Elizabeth)
Favorite Show – “Gossip Girl” (Morgan)
Favorite Book – “Girl, Stolen” (Elizabeth)

Favorite Movie – “Toy Story” (Macy), “After” (Ashley), “Avatar” (Taryn), “Sweet Home Alabama” (Elizabeth)

Favorite Quote...

• Ashley – “You have to work toward what you want. Nothing is given.”
• Taryn – “Find your happiness!” 
• Elizabeth – “Don’t look back, you are not going that way.”

When they are not twirling, they love to…

• Ashley – “Hang out with my friends.”
• Taryn – “Go out with my friends.”
• Elizabeth – “Play golf.”
• Morgan – “Play tennis, or spend time with my friend and family.”
• Macy – “Draw or workout! Working out makes me feel motivated and gets me ready for the day.”

Something people might not know about them is…

• Ashley – “I show chickens and rabbits at our county fair.”
• Taryn – “I show turkeys.”
• Elizabeth – “I’ve stayed the night on the military ship USS Constitution.”
• Macy – “I can sing, and I like to do it in my free time or when I’m in the car.”

Most helpful tip from their coach…

• Ashley – “Point your toes!!!”
• Taryn – “Be the example.”
• Elizabeth – “Fake it till you make it!”
• Morgan – “Never give up!”
• Macy – “'Keep your head up!’ It applies whether it’s engaging with a twirling lesson or just everyday life.”

Best Non-Twirling Skill they have learned as a twirler…

• Ashley – “Always have a good attitude and be ready for whatever comes your way.”
• Taryn – “I have greatly improved my interviewing skills.”
• Elizabeth – “Always be 15 minutes early for everything you do, so you know you are on time.”
• Morgan – “Better hand eye coordination and teamwork."
• Macy – “To never give up. It’s all about being motivated to do new things."

Best advice for future High School Twirlers…

• Ashley – “You have to work hard for what you want.”
• Taryn – “Stay motivated!”
• Elizabeth – “Enjoy your time at practice, competitions, and any other time with your teammates because you really do become like sisters with each other.”
• Morgan – “Cherish all the time you have together as a group, because it all happens so fast and will be over before you know it.”

These twirlers have made many memories and have had wonderful experiences twirling together. Ashley will always remember the game where they had a no drop routine and (their coach) Ms. Jana bought them all blizzards. Morgan remembers all the adventures including the away camps and just spending time with each other. Taryn tell us that she values all the moments, “All of them!"

Of course, some of the memories are funnier than others. Taryn says her sweaty palms are a constant inside joke, and apparently one-year Elizabeth thought there were three Unites States, but the most memorable involved a twirler mistaking a doorbell for a fire alarm! Elizabeth shared with us that, “during summer twirling camp my freshman year we had a doorbell on our hotel room. As one of our past twirlers was taking a shower, Jana pushed it to tell us we are leaving for dinner. The past twirler thought it was the fire alarm and ran outside in her towel!” Oh no! 

There is so much to love being a Columbia HS Twirler! Elizabeth tells us, “My favorite thing about marching season is when you first look up at halftime and see your whole town cheering for you right before you perform.” Ashley also enjoys performing for their town, especially doing their sideline routines, and Taryn always looks forward to when they get to rush to the sidelines when there is a touchdown. 

We asked them what they miss the most when it is not football season. Macy enjoys the sideline dances and listening to the band every Friday Night, and Taryn will miss spending every Friday with her friends. Morgan tells us she will miss the car rides to football away games, twirling camps, “and pretty much everything!” Ashley agrees and says, “as a senior, I am going to miss everything, especially my girls!”

To wrap up our interview, we asked the CHS Twirlers how they handled the last six months and keeping up their twirling through the quarantines. Taryn told us, “To keep myself ready I stayed stretched. The biggest challenge in this was staying motivated and I am learning that I have to rely on myself to keep that motivation.” Elizabeth felt the biggest challenge was practicing on their own and having to use videos to keep them connected over the summer. Macy kept herself going by making sure she practiced every other day, “to keep the memory of the routines in my head.” Ashley felt the challenges as well, but also still found ways to practice ensuring she was ready for the virtual try outs and the Fall. “This had taught me to learn to adjust to changes”. Morgan found that sometimes you have to just make it work. “I practiced a lot during the quarantine break, and we all kept in touch so we wouldn’t lose that bond that makes us such a great team. It was definitely different, and we all had to adapt and prepare quicker to be able to learn our routines faster, but in the end, so far this year has been a fun chaos when it comes to our twirling world.”

We want to thank Ashley, Taryn, Elizabeth, Morgan, and Macy for sharing their Friday Night with us. It was so fun to see how much they enjoy twirling together, and how they are adjusting to the changes and still offering great performances. Good luck this season, and we wish them a great rest of the year. Go Roughnecks!  

We hope you have enjoyed this edition of our FNL Feature. Have a favorite High School or Collegiate Twirler that you would like to see interviewed? Please contact us at texastwirlcontact@gmail.com with their name and email address so that we can reach out to them!