Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - University of Missouri Feature Twirler

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

The final week of October means we are almost into competition time, and football season is starting to wrap up. It also means our senior twirlers are beginning to have their “lasts” of their final football seasons in their current positions. If you were following the @twirlingiscatchingtx Insta-story on Saturday you got to see this week’s Featured Collegian as she experienced her last homecoming Game Day as a Feature Twirler in CoMO, and we know she had an amazing time!

This week’s Collegiate Twirler Spotlight is the University of Missouri Feature Twirler!

The University of Missouri, also known as MIZZOU, is located in Columbia, Missouri, and is the home of the Tigers, and a long legacy of amazing baton twirlers. Wrapping up her fourth year of rocking the gold and black in Faurot Field is Texas girl, and University of Missouri Feature Twirler, Josie Linson! 

Four years ago this spring, Josie got the call to audition at Mizzou, and left her audition with a twirling position that would change her life in all the best ways. We asked Josie what made her choose Mizzou, and she told us it just felt like home. “I chose Mizzou because they have an awesome Pre-Physical Therapy program, and I knew I wanted to go out of state. My audition was the cherry on top though, and when I met Band Director Dr. Knopps and my co-features, I knew that I had found my home away from home!”

Making the choice to go out of state is always a difficult one for many incoming collegians, but for Josie it was a choice she will never regret. “I believe that going out of state was the best choice I ever made for myself. I knew that I wanted to go farther away from home to be able to meet new people and experience a different environment, and I also just wanted to live in a completely new state! The first few weeks were hard and I struggled with homesickness, and it can be hard sometimes when you need help and your parents aren't close by, but the friends I have helped me through it! I will say that I miss Tex Mex food and I miss the warm weather, but Missouri autumns are beautiful! If you are considering going out of state, my advice for you is to do it! Take the leap and experience a new place. You will find your people and it will truly be the best four years of your life!”

At Mizzou, Josie gets twirls alongside some amazing co-features including Carlee Fenton, Ella Earnest, and Courtney Detwiler. The ability to twirl well with the co-features is a big part of the selection process. We asked Josie how that all worked, and she told us, “At first, you submit a video that is due at the end of January, and if you are invited for a live audition, you come to Mizzou in March and try out for a judging panel. You will perform individual routines as well as a group routine with current feature twirlers to make sure that you work well together.” Luckily Josie instantly found a connection with the other Mizzou twirlers and has felt right at home since. 

Being a part of a great program like the Mizzou Marching Band, there have also been some benefits to the position. “There is a $1,000 scholarship that each twirler receives as well as the band paying for new pregame costumes as needed and some game day essentials such as a backpack, jazz shoes, new batons, etc.” In order to earn a spot at Mizzou, we wanted to know if once offered the position, the twirler has it all four years or if they have to re-audition each year, and Josie told us, “We actually have just changed the process, so now the Mizzou Feature Twirlers have to re-audition annually.”

In addition to making memories that she will always cherish as a Feature Twirler, just being a student at the University of Missouri has been a great opportunity for Josie. “My favorite thing about Mizzou is how beautiful the campus is as well as the friendships I have been able to make through Marching Mizzou and my academic classes through the School of Health Professions.” 

Being a part of the Mizzou community, there are many great traditions, but there is one particular tradition that goes all the way back to 1911! “My favorite Game Day Tradition is marching Pregame, but school wide, I think it is amazing that we invented homecoming! The homecoming parade is so fun every year, and I am glad I got to share it with everyone with my takeover on Saturday!”

Finally, as Josie is experiencing all the “lasts” that come with Senior Season, we wanted to know what she is the most excited about, and she told us that she can’t wait for Thanksgiving Break! “I am really looking forward to marching in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with the Mizzou Band and my co-features!” What a great way to wrap up a wonderful four years with the Marching Mizzou!

Now that we have learned more about Mizzou and Josie’s experiences, let’s learn more about her!

Josie Linson
Josie is a Senior from Austin, Texas, that is majoring in Health Science with an emphasis in Pre Physical Therapy and a Minor in Spanish. She is an advanced competitor that has been twirling for 14 years as a member of Twirl ATX and “my wonderful coaches are Whitney King Coons and Ashley Wood!” Her favorite competition trick is her horizontal leg pop trick, and her favorite field trick is anything with fire baton. In baton twirling, Josie has been most inspired by former University of Texas Feature Twirler, Erica Kuntz, and Former Mizzou Feature Twirlers, Halie Hart and Lindsey McCormick. After graduating this May, Josie has plans to move on to graduate school. “I will be attending physical therapy school and getting my Doctor of Physical Therapy.”
 

Fun Facts!

• Favorite Color – Turquoise
• Favorite TV Show – “Right now, I’m watching ‘Grey’s Anatomy’!”
• Favorite Food Item – Chicken Nuggets

Favorite Quote… 
“Well behaved women rarely make history” – Eleanor Roosevelt 

When she is not twirling, she loves to…
“Listen to podcasts and go to coffee shops.”

The best non-twirling life skill she has gained from baton twirling is…
“Time management! All those hours of juggling schoolwork on top of band/individual/team practice really helps with time management and organization skills, and I am stronger in that aspect of life because of it.” 

Most Memorable Advice from her Coach…
“You’ve worked so hard to get to this moment, so go out there and just have fun!”

Advice to Future Twirlers…
“For me, practice is more fun when I listen to music that energizes me. When you find a way to have fun when twirling (even in practice), it makes your twirling all the better!”

Favorite Memory as a Baton Twirler… 
“My favorite memory is when I got to travel as a United States Twirling Ambassador to Peru in 2018. I met some wonderful friends on that trip and it truly changed my life.”

Favorite Band Tradition…
“During band camp week, we play a ton of spirit games and hold a “Spirit Cup” competition. My favorite part is the skits that each section puts together for the competition, and the twirlers and drum majors actually won the skit contest this year!”

Advice for any twirlers going in to college auditions…
“Breathe, and remember that you have prepared so long for this. At the end of the day, it is about having fun. The best college twirlers are the ones who look like they are having the time of their lives on the field!”

We enjoyed learning more about Mizzou and Josie! We wish Josie an amazing rest of her senior season, and we can't wait to see what is next for her after this year. Mizzou-Rah! Go Tigers!

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. 

Contest Calendar Series - 2022 Fall Twirling Festival

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

You know competition season is almost here when we are less than a week away from the entry deadline for the first Texas contest of the season, and less than a month away from the actual event! Wow! Make sure you have www.texastwirl.com/contests.html bookmarked on your phone or computer so that you always know where to find the upcoming contest calendar and links to all the entry forms as they become available.

Today we have our first Contest Calendar Series of the new season, the 2022 Fall Twirling Festival!

Please note that the deadline for this competition is MONDAY, OCTOBER 31ST!
Registrations can be submitted online by visiting the Online Registration site. 
For more information, please contact the contest director at michele.pangrac@gmail.com.

Who? What? When? Where? Why?
Who: Contest Director Michele Pangrac 
What: 2022 Fall Twirling Festival
When: Saturday, November 19, 2022. Facility opens at 8:00 am. Contest begins at 8:30 am.
Where: George Gervin Center Gym, 6903 S Sunbelt Dr, San Antonio, TX 78218

Why: This is a great contest to jump start the competitive twirling season and put new routines and tricks on the floor! Casual atmosphere, great facility with plenty of space, and qualified judges, makes for a wonderful event to get back on the floor.

CONTEST HASHTAG: #falltwirlfest2022
For this event we would love to see our Texas twirlers utilize the hashtag #falltwirlfest2022 when posting photos of this competition on social media. Don't forget to tag @twirlingiscatchingtx on Instagram or Facebook and we may share your pic on one of our pages.

HIGHLIGHTED EVENT: This year they will once again offer the Turkey Trick Contest! This will happen at lunchtime, and for a cash donation (of your choice amount) that goes to help feed families that are less fortunate, your twirler can compete against other twirlers in their competition level to show off their best trick! You can help a good cause and try to win a super cute turkey trick trophy at the same time!

MUST KNOW CONTEST INFO!

Pre-Order Lunch: The concession stand will have drinks and snacks available, but if you are interested in having Chick-Fil-A lunch, you must pre order using the Chick-Fil-A Lunch Pre-Order Form.

No Dresses: Since this contest is so early in the season, to make it a little easier on everyone, there will be no dresses for model pageant or advanced pageant. Please plan to do all modeling in costume. 
Award Postings: All awards will be posted online throughout the day, and awards will be available for pick up at the end of the contest, or when all your twirler's events have been completed.

*NEW* Rising Star Division: For contestants with social, physical, developmental or special needs, ONLY. Pageant and individual events available for comments only. No scores. All awards!

Bring Your Own Chairs: While there are several rows of bleachers at the facility, to allow for more spacing between groups, please bring your own portable chairs/seats. 

Want to attend this event? 
Please visit the Online Registration Page or contact michele.pangrac@gmail.com with any questions!

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

Friday Night Lights Feature - Austin High School Twirler

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Another week of those Friday Night Lights has come and gone, and we are already to the UIL Area Marching Contest week! We want to wish good luck to all our Texas Twirlers performing with their marching bands this coming weekend, whether you are playing an instrument, spinning with the guard, or twirling your baton. We know this week’s featured High School twirler will shining on the field as she represents as both her school’s Feature Twirler and Colorguard Co-Captain. 

This week’s Friday Night Lights Feature is the Austin High School Feature Twirler!

Stephen F. Austin High School, also known as Austin High, is located in the downtown area of Austin, Texas, and is the oldest high school in the Austin area. It is also the home of the Maroons and the Austin High Marching Band! While Austin High has a ton of history, one thing they have not had much of is baton twirling. While there have been twirlers at AHS in the past, it had been a long time since a twirler graced their fields, at least until AHS Feature Twirler Anna Lilie came to the school! 
 
Since there was not a formal audition process in place, we wanted to know how Anna was able to become the Feature Twirler for AHS. “There was not an audition process for Feature Twirler at Austin High. I basically started asking to twirl when I was in 7th grade, and the band director seemed to be receptive, but nothing formal was in place. Then, my Freshman year was the COVID year, so we didn’t march at all, but I zoomed with my Band Director for band class and he got to know me well. Finally, my Sophomore year I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to twirl until we were learning drill spots. My Band Director, Mr. Frock, put me in the middle of the circle on the field and said, “Don’t hit anyone with the baton and don’t let this get to your head!” That was the beginning of my high school twirling! Since then, I have had featured spots on the field throughout the UIL Marching Show.” 

Being the namesake school for a city like Austin, there are many things to love about attending AHS. As Anna tells us, “I love that the location of the school is in the heart of Austin along the shores of Lady Bird Lake! I also love all the amazing opportunities we have given to us since we are in downtown Austin!”

One of those opportunities even landed Anna on television! “Last year the Austin High School band was asked to perform at an American Idol taping in Austin. I was able to twirl and be featured on National TV representing Baton Twirling! It was a big secret that we did this so when it aired, we had people from all over texting and calling us to ask if I was twirling on American Idol!” 

Now that she is in her Junior year, and things are getting back to semi-normal after all that COVID brought, we wanted to see what Anna was most excited about this year, and she said it was getting the chance to continue to represent her school. “I’m really looking forward to more opportunities to twirl at school events!”

Now that we learned how she brought twirling back to AHS, let's learn more about Anna!
 

Anna Lilie, Junior
Competition Level: Advanced
Anna has been twirling for 10 years and is coached by Whitney Coons of Twirl ATX. The competition titles she is the proudest of earning were the 2022 Intermediate Junior Southwest Regional Pageant Winner and Miss DFW’s Outstanding Teen. Her favorite field trick is anything 3-Baton. “I love seeing all the reactions when I start juggling and doing multiple batons! I also love illusions!” In baton twirling, Anna has been inspired by many former and current Feature Twirlers that have come before her. “From the first twirling lesson, I really wanted to be like Josie Linson! She was always my “big sis” in twirling and I have enjoyed watching all she has achieved over the years and being able to cheer her on! I have also always looked up to Whitney Coons, Erica Kuntz, Adaline Bebo, & Caroline Carothers Reed as role models as well.” After high school, Anna hopes to come a feature twirler at a University. 

Fun Facts!

• Favorite Color – “My favorite color is pink because it just bring me so much joy!”
• Favorite TV Show – “My absolute favorite show is ‘The Office’ because no matter how many times you watch it you catch different jokes and little details you didn’t see the first time!”
• Favorite Book – “My favorite book is ‘Raymie Nightingale’, because she is a baton twirler and she is taking lessons to learn how to twirl for her talent for a pageant.”  
• Favorite Food – “I love chicken because no matter where I am and can usually find some type of chicken to eat. Plus, I never get bored with it because chicken can be made a ton of different ways!”

Favorite Quote…
“I have tons of mottos that I love and love by. One of my favorites is ‘Kill them with kindness, because nothing can be stronger than being kind to people!’ Another one being “You Do You”. That is something that my Mom would tell me when I was little and now it’s something that I live by and I always love to tell others to “Be proud of who you are! YOU DO YOU!”

When she is not twirling, she loves to...
“Go out to our family lake house and relax, wakeboard, and play with my family as I don’t get to see them often!”

Somethings most people might not know about her...
“Some facts about me are I play the flute, I’m dyslexic, and I also have been diagnosed with Scoliosis. I have also competed in the Miss Texas’ Outstanding Teen Organization for two years and will be going back this coming summer representing DFW (Dallas Ft. Worth)! People are always confused about how I live in Austin but compete at Miss Texas with different city titles than where I live. I am able to do this because there are some titles that are “closed” and you must live in that area to compete and hold that title, but there are many “open” titles, which means you do not have to live in that city to hold that title…DFW is one of them!

The best non-twirling life skill she has gained from baton twirling is… 
“Twirling has taught me so much! It has taught me that nothing is just handed to you, and you have to work for everything and every title you want! The interview part has also taught me life skills on how to interview for jobs and talk to others! “

Most Memorable Advice from her coach…
“My coaches, Whitney and Erica, and I have an inside joke we made up when we were practicing for my Miss Texas stuff. We like to say “TIDO!” It’s an acronym for something funny that no one else would understand but it helps me remember to be confident and showy.”

Advice To Future High School Twirlers…
“Listen to your coach because they do know what they are talking about! When they say to practice, actually practice! Also don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself when you need something, that’s just a good life skill to have.”

Funniest Memory as a Baton Twirler…
“I was at Regionals a few years ago competing in x-strut. My Coach, Whitney, told me to be really sharp and strong in my baton work. I was doing that, and the next thing I know, my baton flew out of my hands and literally across the gym and almost hit a judge in the back of the head. Very unexpected and embarrassing, but I was doing what Whitney told me to do, just a little too much obviously! Sadly, I didn’t do so well in that x-strut because I was a little overtime due to chasing the baton to get it back.”

Favorite thing about marching season… 
“I love how close we all get and during marching season, and how the band is like our second family!”

Favorite Tradition or inside joke within the band program…
“My favorite band tradition is the huge water balloon fight on the last day of summer band camp! There are thousands of water balloons, and we get to cool off and celebrate all the hard work we’ve done for the last month and a half.”

What will she miss the most when marching season is over…
“I will miss all the games and the late nights dancing up in the stands with all of my friends and all of the weird conversations on the ride back to school.”

We would like to thank Anna for sharing her awesome Game Day Takeover with us, and we wish her the best of luck with competition season and her journey to Miss Texas OT this coming summer! Go Maroons!

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. 

Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - University of Florida Gatorette

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

It is amazing how fast this season is going. Band-Tober is halfway done, and we are only two weeks away from the entry deadline for the Fall Twirling Festival (visit the Fall Twirling Festival website for more details). We are super excited though to be learning more about this Collegiate Twirler…

This week’s Collegiate Twirler Spotlight is University of Florida Gatorette, Halle Burton!

The University of Florida, also known as UF, is located in Gainsville, Florida. UF is the home of the Gators, and also a well-known twirling line, the Gatorettes! Anyone who has ever been to AYOP or a UF game is familiar with the Gatorette twirlers. Easy to recognize in their sparkly blue and orange, the Gatorette twirlers perform with precision to entertain at UF Game Days and events. 

One particular Gatorette is also a part of #TeamTexas! Former Texas Twirler, Halle Burton, made her childhood dreams come true when she earned a spot on the Gatorette line, and has since been twirling her way through the swamp as she represents her Gators!

We wanted to know why UF was the place for Halle, and she told us it went back to when she was just a kid. “I have wanted to attend the University of Florida since I was a little girl. They are a Top 5 university and I loved that I could accomplish my college twirling dreams while still focusing on academics.”

Having been a dream since she was little, the audition process was super important for Halle. “Our audition is a three-part process, and since I live out of state, I turned in a video for my initial audition. We have a list of tricks and dance skills we have to do, then there is a marching component, and a two-minute show twirl.”

Choosing to go out of state can be a difficult decision, but it wasn’t for Halle. “I used to live in Florida and grew up a Gators fan, so it heavily influenced my decision to go out of state. It definitely is hard being away from home, and I miss having my parents at every game, but I feel their strong support all the way from Texas. I also miss Bucees and all my Texas twirling friends!”  

While there are moments that she misses Texas, Halle says anyone thinking about going out of state should go for it. “To other potential out of state twirlers, you can do it!! It can be a challenge living far from home at first, but it is worth the challenge. If you are truly passionate about twirling at a university, distance is only a little obstacle you have to overcome. Twirling in Florida was one of the best decisions I’ve made!”

Now that Halle is in her second season twirling as a Gatorette, we wanted to know what the best part has been, and she says it is absolutely the community. “I love the atmosphere, especially on big game
days. Gator Nation has such a strong fan base and their loud presence in the stadium is insane, especially during pregame. It has been so amazing being able to share the field with so many talented and beautiful girls who share my passion for twirling! Go gators!”

Now that we have learned about what brought her to UF, let’s learn more about Halle!

Halle Burton
Halle is a Sophomore from San Antonio, Texas, that is Majoring in Public Relations on the Pre-Law track. In addition to being a Gatorette Twirler, she is also a photographer for PINK, the philanthropy chair in Alpha Chi Omega, a volunteer for Gator Days, and a part of the Class of ‘25 Florida's Future Leadership Program Cohort. She is an advanced competitor that has been twirling since she was 7, “so 12 years!”, and is coached by Debbie Salem and Shaylie Fawcett of the Fantasia Twirlers. For school twirling, she also works with the Gatorette Coach, Miss June Stoeber. The competition title Halle is the proudest of winning was the 2019 Intermediate Junior Pageant at AYOP. Her favorite field trick is any toss with a calyspso leap or a toss illusion ground roll. “They are both super fun and showy.” When she is on the competition floor, though, “I love any fast, low flip sections. A horizontal double is also hard to beat!” In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by many collegiate twirlers. “I am inspired by all my friends who are also living out their childhood twirling dreams. My teammates Olivia Fawcett and Makaela Anderson have been killing it as BYU’s twirlers!” After College, Halle want to be a civil litigation lawyer and hopefully travel more.

Fun Facts!

• Favorite Color – Pink
• Favorite Movie & TV Show – “Remember the Titans” and “Parks & Recreation”
• Favorite Book – “Where the Crawdads Sing”
• Favorite Food – Chicken tenders, “especially from Zaxby’s!”

Favorite Quote…
“Don’t wait for the perfect moment, take a moment and make it perfect.”

When she is not twirling, she loves to... 
“Create and edit videos.”

Something most people might not know about her is... 
“I make way too many tik toks (oops) and have over 100,000 followers on the social media platforms.”

The best non-twirling life skill she has gained from baton twirling is…
“I have learned that hard work and persistence is the key to accomplishing any goal. Nothing is impossible if you uphold the right mindset and keep pushing.”

Most Memorable Advice From her Coach…
“This is more of a story, but I vividly remember nationals in 2019, sitting down with my coach Shaylie and laughing as we said, ‘We’ve come a long way.’ Remembering where I started and where I’ve ended up makes the journey feel worthwhile and sentimental. Baton twirling shaped who I am, both on and off the floor, and I am thankful to be reminded of its meaningfulness in my life. The adventures and memories that baton has provided me is priceless.”

Advice to Future Twirlers… 
“I love practicing fun, fast-paced music. Practice should be something you enjoy doing and music helps make it better for me.”

Favorite Memory as a Baton Twirler…
“Performing in the Macy’s Parade and on the Today Show with my High School band.”

Funniest Memory as a Baton Twirler…
“I have shared a lot of laughs with my teammates after practice when we decide to try bizarre, unique field tricks. We all get a lot of humor out of the tricks that go either right or (really) wrong. The celebration dances we have after making a big catch for the first time is hard to beat.”

The advice she has for any twirlers going into college auditions is…
“Focus on being the best, most authentic version of yourself. I believe that you will end up exactly where you belong, you just need to trust the process.”

Favorite UF Game Day Tradition…
“I love our tradition of singing ‘Won’t Back Down’ after the third quarter of games to honor Tom Petty. The entire stadium is lit up by everyone’s phone flashlights.”

Favorite Tradition with the Band Program… 
“I love that we get gatorade after every halftime. I know that I will always get a refreshing drink after an energizing performance. Fun fact: UF invented Gatorade!”

What she is most excited about this coming year…
“I’m looking forward to twirling in Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day with the UF band.”

We want to say thank you to Halle for sharing her Game Day with us on Saturday, and we know her and the other Gatorettes will have a wonderful season. Go Gators!

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. 

Friday Night Lights Feature - The Woodlands College Park High School Twirler

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

What a fun weekend of field twirling! It never gets old! This past Friday we had fun watching this awesome twirler during her Instastory Takeover and are now super excited to learn more about this current Miss Majorette of the Southwest title holder!

This week’s Friday Night Lights Feature is The Woodlands College Park High School Twirler!

The Woodlands College Park High School, located in The Woodlands, Texas, is the home of the Cavaliers. It is also a school that many NBTA twirlers from Texas should be familiar with, as it is the location of the Annual Twirl in the Woods contest (check out the Twirl in the Woods Website for more info about the 2023 event that will be held on January 14th & 15th!). TWCPHS has a wonderful band program and awesome facilities, which has helped promote a great history of baton twirlers over the past decade, and we love seeing that continue with the current Feature Twirler, Sophia Dinubilo!

The Cavalier Marching Band Community is very supportive of their twirlers, and of twirling in general. Did you know that the TWCPHS Band Director’s Daughter was the 2019 Southwest Regional Beginner Juvenile Pageant Winner? Nothing like having a band director that is also a twirl dad! With such a great appreciation for twirlers, the audition process is relatively simple. As Sophia told us, “I try out in front of the band director and junior high band director every year to keep my position as the feature twirler.”

TWCPHS is the kind of school that breaks the mold when it comes to support for their students, which is what Sophia loves most about being a Cavalier. “At my high school, students really value the pursuit of academic success just as much as other students at other schools value the pursuit of athletics, extracurriculars, and social lives.”

While the school does put a lot of support behind the academic side, there is no shortage of school pride for the different organizations. Sophia says this really comes together at her favorite event of the year, the Homecoming Parade in Market Street. “The kids from out elementary and intermediate feeder schools join the high school students in a parade of floats accompanied by music, dancing, cheering, and twirling.”

As this is Sophia’s senior year, after four seasons in the TWCPHS Marching Band, we know the season starting to wrap up must be bittersweet. We asked her what she will miss most after marching season is over. “I will be sad when I am not longer able to be outside practicing with the band. I am always captivated when I hear them play music and watch them march. I will also miss being the feature twirler for my high school, as I love being able to represent my school on the football and competition field.”

However, every journey’s end is the beginning of the next, and while her time at TWCPHS might be in the final year, we know there is still a lot ahead for Sophia. We asked her what she is looking forward to the most in the upcoming months, and she told us it is “finally figuring out at what University will spend the next 4 years of my academic and twirling career!”

Now that we have learned more about her experiences, lets learn more about Sophia! 

Sophia Dinubilo, Senior
Competition Level: Advanced
Sophia has been twirling for nine years and is coached by Patti Mickey and Kayli Mickey-McIntosh of the Mickey’s Majorettes. The competition title she is the proudest of was winning 2022 Miss Majorette of the Southwest. Her favorite field tricks are a leap walkover and elbow pops into the splits. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by former SHSU Feature Twirler, Madison Frantzen. “I twirled with her my freshman year of high school. She taught me many important tips on how to navigate band, twirling, high school, and life! I am forever grateful for our friendship.” After she graduates this spring, Sophia hopes to twirl at a 4-year university while pursuing a career in the business field of advertising or marketing!

Fun Facts!

• Favorite Color – Pink
• Favorite Movie or TV Show – “Anything with Timothée Chalamet in it!”
• Favorite Book – “The Crucible” and “Cinder”.
• Favorite Food – Spaghetti with just butter and cheese! “My Italian dad is always sad when I order this!”

Favorite Quote…
“Life doesn’t happen TO you; it happens FOR you.” - Jim Carrey

When she is not twirling, she loves to…
“Do really normal teenage girl things! I love to hang out with my friends, spend my parents' money without them knowing (AKA shop) and get any extra sleep I can!”

Something most people might not know about her is…
“I am a very adventurous person! I am very open to explore new areas, take on opportunities, and meet new people!”

The best non-twirling life skill she has gained from baton twirling is…
“There will be highs and lows. There will be years that everything is clicking into place, and there will be years that things don’t really seem to be falling into place. I have learnt how to navigate through the ups and downs, as well as know how to look forward during a low period or point.”

The Most Memorable Advice from her Coach…
“Highlight what you do well, and don’t show off what you can’t do well. We all have good things and not so good things about us, highlighting and showing off what you are good at is important in life, just like a twirling routine.”

Advice To Future High School Twirlers…
“Make a firm schedule and stick to it!”

Favorite Memory as a Baton Twirler…
“I have had many good memories in my twirling career, but my most recent highlight was when I won Miss Majorette of the Southwest US at Regionals in 2022, and then got to crown my student for winning her novice pageant immediately after I was crowned. I was still so shocked that someone had to remind me that I was about to crown my very own student.”

Funniest Memory as a Baton Twirler…
“My freshman year of high school, the other CP twirler, Madison, and I had to do a lift in the band show. I was so scared about getting on her shoulders that I held on so tight to the point that I accidentally choked her. She almost fell on the band lot from coughing so much. I felt really terrible after, but we still laugh about it to this day.”

Favorite thing about marching season…
“Spending long days with my best friends. as well as the feeling when all of your countless hours of grueling work pays off at competitions.”

Favorite Tradition within the band program… 
“Every home pre-game at Woodforest Bank Stadium, a video Advertisement for Memorial Herman hospital plays. The video shows a man who had a knee injury recover with the help of the hospital, so he is able to get back to doing fun activities. Every time the ad shows the man swimming or making a basketball goal, the CP band starts screaming and goes crazy. It makes me laugh every single time they do it, and it’s even funnier when you look at our opposing teams confused faces.”

We really enjoyed learning more about Sophia, and she had some great advice to share. We wish Sophia a great rest of her Senior Season and we can't wait to see what is next for her! Go Cavaliers!

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. 

Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - University of Oklahoma Feature Twirler

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

The weather is finally beginning to change (at least in the mornings!) and it is starting to almost feel like Fall here in Texas! We love this part of the season, and we are once again excited to feature another one of our wonderful Texas Collegians today. We really enjoyed following her Instastory Takeover from the UT vs OU game, and we are happy to share more about this wonderful representative of our sport. 

This week’s Collegiate Twirler Spotlight is the University of Oklahoma Feature Twirler!

The University of Oklahoma, also known as OU, is located in Norman, Oklahoma, and is the home of the Sooners. For the past several years it has also been the home of the amazing OU Feature Twirler, Emily Perkins! 

We asked Emily what brought her from Texas to Oklahoma, and she told us that originally it was suggested to her by USTA Coach and family friend, LynnDell Harrell, that she audition there, and it ended up working out to be the best-case scenario. “My dad's biological family is from Oklahoma, so I applied with being closer to them in mind. After submitting my audition, it just kind of snowballed into exactly what I wanted to be a part of!”

The position as the OU Feature Twirler is a very special opportunity as there is only one OU twirler at a time, and when a new twirler is appointed, they not only earn a scholarship, but also the chance to maintain the position for their entire term of college. With such a prestigious position, we wanted to know what the audition process was like for Emily. “First, we sent in video auditions that were about 5 minutes long. These were a combination of competition, on-field, and other performances. After the judges picked the top three, we went to the university for an in-person audition with one personal music routine and one band music routine. Finally, there was an interview with a number of questions relating to my future plans, goals, and experience as a twirler.”

Going out of state is always a big decision for those pursuing higher education. It clearly worked out well for Emily, but we wanted to know if there were any bumps along the way. “At first it was difficult to learn how to be independent, but it quickly became one of the best decisions that I have ever made because it has allowed me to grow as a coach, choreographer, academic, and as an individual.”

Now with goals to stay in Oklahoma longer, we asked what she most missed from home, and she said the Texas trails. “I miss being able to walk the trails that surround my neighborhood most because Norman doesn't have anything similar.” However, even with missing some of those hometown moments, Emily has no regrets about her choice to attend OU and wishes the same for others. “My advice to any other twirler looking to go out of state is to go for it! You will figure it out as you go.”

Now that we have learned about what brought her to OU, let’s learn more about Emily!

Emily Perkins
Emily is a First Year Graduate Student from Houston, Texas, that is studying Regional and City Planning. She has been twirling for eighteen years and competes at the Elite level. Emily is coached by Lori Perkins of KOS, and has also been a member of Intrepid (2015), Mystique (2016), Encore (2018), and most recently Luxe (2022), with whom she earned a silver medal at the WBTF World Championships. In addition to being the OU Feature Twirler, she is also working as a graduate assistant for the RCPL program, as a guard tech for a local high school, and as a baton instructor for a number of different classes. Through her years of twirling, she has earned many amazing titles, but the ones she is the proudest of was being the 2019 USTA National Collegiate Champion and being a 5 time international competition silver medalist. Emily’s favorite competition trick is a back throw catch inside leap, and her favorite field trick is a leap double walkover. In baton twirling she has been most inspired by Abigail and Anna Pollock. After college she would like to find a city planner job in OKC and continue working as a baton instructor. “I am very interested in finding ways to make public transportation more common to help the environment!”
 
Fun Facts!

• Favorite Color – Blue
• Favorite Movie or TV Show – “Yuri on Ice”
• Favorite Book – “Dune”
• Favorite Food Item – Ramen

When she is not twirling, she loves to... 
“Use my artistic skills in every area possible!” She was very excited to have the opportunity to use these skills to create the artwork/logo for the UTSA Central Region Championship this year.

Something most people might not know about her is... 
“I love gothic metal music.”

The best non-twirling life skill they have gained from baton twirling is…
“How to present myself professionally”

Advice to Future Collegiate Twirlers…
“Don't be afraid to push yourself past what you are comfortable with performing on the field.”

Favorite Memory as a Baton Twirler…
“Meeting some of my best friends!”

Funniest Memory as a Baton Twirler…
“At international cup in France (2019) I faceplanted right before competing in three baton and earning a silver medal!”
 
What advice would she give to a twirler about to go into college auditions…
“Present yourself in a professional manner and give it your all!”

What is her favorite thing about attending OU…
“I love how the graduate program for RCPL is set up, and the different academic opportunities available to me through it.”

Favorite School Game Day Tradition…
“When the stadium yells "boomer" and "sooner" back and forth.” 

Something you are really looking forward to this school year…
“Performing pre-game!”

It was an honor to follow this National Champion and World Medalist as she shared her Game Day adventure with us, and we just loved learning more about her and her experiences. We want to wish Emily a wonderful rest of the football season and good luck with all that comes next! Boomer Sooner!

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. 

Friday Night Lights Feature - Steele High School Twirlers

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Another great weekend of twirling means we are almost done with marching band season. Can you believe it? Only a few more weeks with these amazing twirlers representing on their High School fields. We hope all of you are enjoying it while it lasts. We know we will miss it! In the meantime, we have another Feature Interview with some of our awesome Texas Twirlers for your reading enjoyment today.

This week’s Friday Night Lights Feature is the Steele High School Feature Twirlers!

Steele High School, located in Cibolo, Texas, is the home of the Knights, and these three wonderful twirlers! Each Friday, the Steele community gets to enjoy watching their marching band, as well as this week’s Featured twirlers performing as both twirlers and members of the Colorguard! The Steele High School Feature Twirlers are Aralynn McHatton, Micaiah Hubbard, and Natalie DeLeon!

We asked them about their audition process, and they said it was all based on their UIL Solo Rating.  Since they couldn’t do UIL until they were already in the band program, as Natalie told us, they had to be in color guard their freshman year. Then, as Aralynn mentioned, “We had to get a 1 on our twirling solo at the Region UIL contest to get to twirl. It was super fun for me because I performed in front of the entire guard since I was sick the original date of UIL, so I had to do it during practice.” 

While Game Days and performing with the Steele Band are of course highlights of their season, we wanted to know what other things they loved about going to Steele HS. Micaiah told us that her favorite part “is the amazing people and different extracurricular activities”, while Natalie says she loves the support from the school, especially around exam time. “Before our final exams, the staff puts on a small carnival during our lunches. They have music playing with bouncy castles and even a petting zoo to help soften our nerves before the stressful week of tests.” Aralynn has had a similar experience with supportive teachers and has been able to keep connections with many of them. “I have this one teacher that I can go to her classroom and fill her in on my life and she will play games and laugh with me and some of my other friends, even though she hasn’t been my teacher since freshman year.”

Being a part of Steele Nation, there are so many fun traditions within the school, the band, and the student body. Natalie tells us her favorite tradition is one that helps her gives back to the band program. “My friends and I have started a tradition where we work the Freshman and JV football concession stands every Thursday. We have a ton of fun volunteering and all the money that we make goes right back to the band.” Aralynn says that many of her favorite traditions are from being in Colorguard, especially the Karma Kapp. “It’s a Colorguard tradition that we do before we go on the field where we basically scream “ONE AND TWO AND THREE HUH!” We also do squiggle arms with it and then we all laugh after.”

This year they are looking forward to many new experiences, as well as their marching show. Micaiah is really excited about taking their show to marching band competitions, as is Aralynn. “Our marching show is A Princess Bride, and we get to have a costume change! It is so fun!” Natalie is excited about the show as well, but also about one of her classes. “One of my classes this year is child development, and I am honestly really looking forward to having to carry a baby around school and bringing it home.”

Now that we have learned about being a part of SHS, lets learn more about these twirlers! 

Aralynn McHatton, Junior
Competition Level: Intermediate
Aralynn has been twirling for nine years and is coached by Michele Sweet Pangrac of the Twirling Sweet Sensations. Her favorite field trick is a toss leap, front roll, catch. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by Emma Carr and Adaline Bebo. “They have both inspired me so much and if you look at my twirling style you can tell they have definitely influenced it.” After High School Aralynn hopes to move to Montana or Idaho. 

Micaiah Hubbard, Sophomore
Competition Level: Novice
Micaiah has been twirling for five years and is coached by Michele Sweet Pangrac of the Twirling Sweet Sensations. Her favorite field trick is a two spin. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by her teammate, and current Penn State Majorette, Bethany Williams. After High School, Micaiah hopes to attend an Ivy League college. 

Natalie Rose DeLeon, Sophomore
Competition Level: Beginner
Natalie has been twirling for five years and is coached by Michele Sweet Pangrac of the Twirling Sweet Sensations. Her favorite field trick is anything two batons. “The crowd thinks it’s really cool, and it’s fun for me!” In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by Caroline Carothers Reed. After High School, Natalie wants to go to a Texas University where she hopes to earn a degree to become either a teacher or social worker, with a possibility of twirling.

Fun Facts!

• Favorite Color – Purple (Aralynn), Pink (Micaiah), Orange (Natalie)
• Favorite Movie or TV Show – “Never Have I Ever” or “Friends” (Aralynn), “Teen Wolf” (Micaiah), “New Girl” (Natalie)
• Favorite Book – “I Got This” by Laurie Hernandez (Aralynn), “Little Fires Everywhere” (Micaiah), “Lovely War” (Natalie)
• Favorite Food – Chocolate Ice Cream (Aralynn), Lasagna (Micaiah), Street Tacos (Natalie)

Favorite Quote…

• Aralynn – “Not all treasure is silver and gold.” – Pirates of the Caribbean 
• Natalie – “Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.” – Annette Funicello
• Micaiah – “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get!” – Forrest Gump

When they are not twirling, they love to... 

• Aralynn – “Do epoxy work like notebooks or charms!”
• Micaiah – “Play guitar and make my own music.”
• Natalie – “Read and cuddle with my dog.”

Something most people might not know about them is... 

• Aralynn – “I’m a math geek! I love math and am one of those students who is constantly volunteering to show my math in class.”
• Micaiah – “I play over 5 instruments.”
• Natalie – “I taught myself how to crochet a few summers ago and make hats for my family, including my dogs.”

The best non-twirling life skill they have gained from baton twirling is…

• Aralynn – “That you must appreciate where you are and what you’ve done. If you don’t, you won’t learn, you will self-sabotage on what you have. This took me a while to learn.”
• Micaiah – “Practice and hard work really does pay off.”
• Natalie – “I’m normally pretty shy, but baton twirling has definitely brought me out of my shell.”

Most Memorable Advice from your Coach…

• Aralynn – “Remember how long you’ve been in this level and how long the other girls have, to be at the top is fantastic.”
• Micaiah – “Always remember the only person that is stopping you from succeeding is yourself, so believe in yourself!”
• Natalie – “Last year our team motto was no doubt, meaning that when we leave the floor after competing or performing there should be no doubt in our minds that we didn’t just have our best performance.”

Advice for Future High School Twirlers…

• Aralynn – “Create a goal for each practice and then achieve that goal. Even better, write it down to see your progress!”
• Micaiah – “Always push yourself. Even though skills are hard, I promise you’ll get it as long as you push yourself.” 
• Natalie – “Like Nike once said, ‘Just Do It’.”

Favorite Memory as a Baton Twirler…

• Aralynn – “Going to nationals and seeing my idol, Emma Carr, win College MMOA!” 
• Micaiah – “The duet I did with my younger sister.”
• Natalie – “My first ever no drop routine was at regionals, and I remember feeling on top of the world after, and all of my teammates were congratulating me.”

Funniest Memory as a Baton Twirler…

• Aralynn – “When my baton landed right on one of my coaches sonic drink and split the cup right in half spilling her tea everywhere!”
• Micaiah – “When I accidentally chucked my baton across the room, and it was really funny.”
• Natalie – “At nationals when our coach Ms. Michele made us dance in our practice to a funny song to get all of our nerves out before we competed the next few days.”

Favorite thing about marching season…

• Aralynn – “In rifle, we are usually on our own so we have to do something productive, a lot of time we do ladders which is where you start at singles and wake our way up to 5s or 7s, but no one can drop, and everyone has to catch it properly… it’s so funny and a good way to practice our tosses!”
• Micaiah – “Being able to go to all the away games and seeing different people from around the state.” 
• Natalie – “I have made some of the best friends in the band, and because of them, the entirety of marching season is a blast, even when we have what seems like practices that last forever in the Texas heat.”

Favorite Tradition or inside joke within the band program…

• Aralynn – “Sometimes the band will randomly break into this specific woodwind feature during our breaks outside and everyone from woodwind, brass and even color-guard join in and sing the rift!”
• Micaiah – “Whenever the band says: don’t prop open the doors.”
• Natalie – “Singing “boy you look like a burnt chicken nugget” with the whole band to one of our drumline cadences.”

What Will You Miss Most when marching season is over…

• Aralynn – “Our seniors! There the life of the party and color guard will be very boring next year without the Seniors, especially since my best friend is our senior captain.”
• Micaiah – “I will miss traveling and going to football games.”
• Natalie – “I will miss all the Friday night football games. Last year when they were over it was crazy that I had a full free weekend, and I didn’t know what to do.”

We want to say thank you to these twirlers for sharing their Game Day with us through their Instastory Takover, and we enjoyed learning more about them. We wish them luck with their season. Go Knights!

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. 

Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - Lamar University Feature Twirler

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

As we cross into October, which puts us almost halfway through football season, we are excited to feature our next collegiate twirler. We hope you enjoyed following her Instastory Takeover on Saturday, and we know you will enjoy learning more about this sweet twirler. 

This week’s Collegiate Twirler Spotlight is the Lamar University Feature Twirler!

Lamar University, located in Beaumont, Texas, is the home of the Cardinals, as well as the Showcase of the Southeast Texas Marching Band. A big part of the Showcase is their Feature Twirler, also known as the Cardinalette. This year’s Cardinalette Feature Twirler is Kristin Hebert!

We asked Kristin what brought her to attend LU and she told us, “I chose to come Lamar University as an early college high school student in the Texas Academy. I completed my junior and senior years of high school while attending Lamar University. I chose to stay here because both of my parents and sister are alumni of Lamar University.”

With already having experience at LU through her high school program, we asked what she had to do to earn the position of the Cardinalette. “For an audition, I had to perform a solo for the twirling sponsor, and she called out a list of tricks afterwards to make sure I had the necessary skills for this position and to earn the $2,000 Feature Twirler scholarship. Also, I do not have to re-audition annually. There will not be another tryout for this position until I graduate.” 

Having a family legacy of Cardinals, we wanted to know what Kristin loves the most about LU. “My favorite thing is the small class sizes at Lamar University allow me to form relationships with all of my professors. It also allowed me to chose to stay in Texas for college because of the amazing opportunities I have received from Lamar University. The best part about staying in Texas is I am still near all my family. I stay in the dorms on campus, but my parents’ house is only a 10-minute drive from the university. Honestly, I go home almost every night to have dinner with my family, so I still see them very frequently.”

Game Days at LU are always a big deal, and Kristin has a lot of fun performing for the Cardinal community. “Before every game, the band performs in the middle of tailgating before heading up to the stands. This is my favorite thing about game day seeing everyone gather around to watch us have a small performance.”

With this being her second season as the Cardinalette Twirler, we wanted to know what she is looking forward to the most this year, and she told us about the annual band trip. “Every Mardi Gras, the Lamar University Showcase of Southeast Texas marching band takes a trip to New Orleans to perform in the Krewe d’Etat Parade. I didn’t get to go on the trip this past year, but I am looking forward to it this upcoming year.”

Now that we have learned about life at LU, we wanted to learn more about Kristin! 

Kristin Hebert

Kristin is a Junior from Nederland, Texas, that is majoring in Exercise Science and minoring in Public Health and Healthcare Administration. In addition to being the Feature Twirler for LU, Kristin is also in the Honors Student Association for the Reaud Honors College and a member of the Helping Hands Club, which organizes food drives for local homeless areas. She has been twirling for 15 years and was coached by Phyllis Mosley at ‘Twirls and Swirls’ twirling studio. “She taught me everything I know about twirling and shaped me to be a better performer.” At LU, she has been working with the Cardinalette Twirling Sponsor, Lauren Stepan. Kristin’s favorite field trick is juggling 3-batons. “The crowd always loves when I go onto the field and start juggling.” After college, Kristin plans on getting a Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology. “With this degree, I hope to become a cardiovascular epidemiologist.”

Fun Facts!

Favorite Color – Sage Green

Favorite TV Show – Grey’s Anatomy 

Favorite Book – “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio.

Favorite Food – Chick fil A chicken nuggets!

Favorite Quote…

“Always be my best self.”

Something most people might not know about me…

“I had to have Hand surgery.”

The best non-twirling life skill they have gained from baton twirling is…

“Perseverance. Whenever I am working on a new trick, it takes a lot of practice for me to master that trick. However, no matter how long it takes, I will persevere until I have mastered the trick. I also apply this in my everyday life by continuing to persevere in every situation no matter how difficult it might seem.”

Most memorable advice from her coach…

“One thing I learned from Phyllis Mosley was always show off my hardest tricks to a judge, but avoid dropping my baton at all costs when performing on the football field.”

Advice to future Collegiate twirlers…

“One thing I would tell future twirlers would video yourself during practice. I have done this for years while trying to perfect tricks. By going back and watching the videos, I can see exactly what I need to improve on.”

Favorite memory as a baton twirler…

“My favorite memory as a baton twirler was hosting a Cardinalette twirling camp. We had girls from kindergarten to high school seniors who spent the day with me learning routines to perform during our halftime performance at the football game. It was amazing getting to teach girls of a variety of ages and skills to perform alongside me.”

What advice would you give to a twirler about to go into college auditions…

“Remember that you are prepared for this audition. You have practiced and perfected your routines as much as possible, so don’t stress and just go twirl!”

We want to say thank you to Kristin for sharing her LU Game Day with us, and we wish her an amazing rest of her season. Go Cardinals!

 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.