Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - San Diego State University!

 Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

We are officially at the last collegiate blog post for October, which means we are almost into competition time, and football season is starting to wrap up. This awesome Texas twirler has done an amazing job this fall, and we love watching her and her co-feature wow the crowds. We especially enjoyed her Instastory Takeover this past weekend and are excited to learn more about this Texas twirler turned Cali girl.

This week’s Collegiate Twirler Spotlight is San Diego State University Feature Twirler, Kaylynn Lambert!

San Diego State University, also known as SDSU, is located in San Diego, California, and is the home of the Fighting Aztecs. Led by Coach, and Former College Miss Majorette of America, Catherine Watters, SDSU has been building their reputation as a great place for college twirlers. This year they have two amazing Features including California native Julia Sawin, and Texas Twirler, Kaylynn Lambert! We wanted to learn more about what led this Texas Girl to California, and what her experiences have been like as an SDSU Aztec. 

The twirlers at SDSU have set an amazing standard for performance within the University, and have been a mainstay at games for decades! As Kaylynn tells us, “The Marching Aztecs have had twirlers for over 50 years now! The twirlers have always been an integral part of the Marching Aztecs and SDSU spirit!” As such an importance piece of the SDSU community, they get some amazing performance opportunities including game days for multiple sports, community events, and they even got to perform on stage at the House of Blues!

To get started, we had to know how Kaylynn decided on SDSU. “I chose to attend San Diego State University for so many reasons. It is in the top 20 public schools in the nation and has such amazing academic and research opportunities. Being a twirler at SDSU is also unique because we have the opportunity to twirl at Soccer, Volleyball, and basketball AND football games!!”

Next we wanted to learn more about the audition process. “The audition process for SDSU starts with filling out the audition form and submitting the required academic forms and a resume as well as a video. If you are selected for a callback, there is an in-person audition and interview with a panel of judges including Coach Ransom (the band director), Coach Catherine (the twirling coach), and additional people such as alumni twirlers and staff members of the athletic department.”

Being from Texas, we knew the decision to go to Cali was a big one. We asked Kaylynn about why she decided to go out of state, and what she has missed the most from at home while she is at school. “I always knew that I wanted to go to a school pretty far from home but I never knew that I would be nearly 2000 miles away! Being so far away from home is great because I get to experience a culture that isn’t present in Texas and it's so fun to explore such a beautiful city in my free time. The hardest part about being SOO far from home is that I can’t make weekend trips home to see my friends and family very often and I was also the only person from my high school that came to San Diego!”

We know Kaylynn has loved her decision and has really shined at SDSU! We wanted to know what her favorite thing about attending school in San Diego is, and she told us it is the “Environment of the student section! The students never disappoint at games and are always loud and proud. I get goosebumps whenever I hear them on the field or at basketball games!”

Being a big part of the SDSU Spirit Program, Kaylynn gets some amazing experiences. We had to know what her favorite traditions at SDSU were, and she told us about the basketball games. “The best university tradition in my opinion is at basketball games. Before every home game, the student section, which is known as The Show, brings up an alumni, professor, or loyal SDSU fan to lead the “I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN” chant. It gets the entire arena excited for the game and is super intimidating to the visiting team!"

Now that we have learned more about life at SDSU, let's learn more about Kaylynn!

Kaylynn Lambert

Kaylynn is a Junior from The Woodlands, Texas, that is majoring in Biology (Cellular and Molecular) and Minoring in Psychology (Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience). In addition to being an SDSU Feature Twirler, Kaylynn is also a member of the Aztecs Professional Pre-Health Organization (APPHO) and the San Diego State Younglife. She is an advanced/elite level baton twirler that has been twirling for 15 years (“That makes me feel really old”). Kaylynn is a member of the Mickey's Majorettes and she is coached by Patti Mickey and Kayli Mickey-McIntosh. “I absolutely love them so much. They have made me the person and twirler I am today!” She also gets additional coaching from Catherine Watters, the SDSU Twirling Coach. “She helps us out so much throughout the school year to make sure we are ready for the field and staying on top of competition routines as well.”

The competition award she is the proudest of earning was the Major Margaret Mann Innovative Choreography Award at the 2023 Texas State Championship for the State Advanced 16+ Solo competition. “Even though this award doesn’t necessarily mean the solo also got first place, it means so much more! Mrs. Mickey and Kayli and I worked so hard when choreographing my solo that year and that award is something that we all get to share now! It is definitely what I am most proud of!”

Her favorite competition trick is her Hollywood roll combination to enter her rolls! “It is so fun and cool. I love the feeling of a hard roll working in front of the judge!” Her favorite field trick is anything 3 baton! “I love doing three baton at games and something that always gets the crowd excited is when I do my horizontal box on my knees.”

In baton twirling, Kaylynn has been most inspired by former Baylor Golden Girl & former UT Feature Twirler, Caroline Carothers. “To this day, I will pretend that I am her whenever I am twirling because she is so exciting to watch and that’s what I want to be as well!”

After college Kaylynn hopes to go to medical school or veterinary school. 

Fun Facts!

• Favorite Color: “My favorite color is pretty specific… it is muted emerald green!!”
• Favorite TV show or Movie: “I have so many favorite movies and tv shows. Right now, my favorite TV show is Criminal Minds and my favorite movie at the moment is Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.”
• Favorite Book: “My favorite book is Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban.” 
• Favorite Food or Drink: “My favorite drink is a hot oat milk latte or Diet Dr Pepper.”

Favorite Quote…

“Focus on the small steps that lead to your big goals because every step is just as important.”

When she is not twirling, she loves to…

“I love to go hiking, read all kinds of books, and listen to music!”

Something people might not know about you…

“I played the trumpet and French horn for 7 years! I can also do the worm and I have a dog named Pumpkin with me in San Diego!”

The best non twirling life skill you have gained from baton twirling is...

“Learning how to communicate with people of all ages and backgrounds. This is a skill that I will be using for the rest of my life, and I wouldn’t have learned it without twirling.”

Most memorable advice from her coach...

“You have to remember that the people around you want to see you succeed…not fail” -Patti Mickey

Advice to future collegiate twirlers or those in the audition process...

“Trust the process. Trust me, I know it's hard especially when you have your heart set on one school BUT you will always end up where you are supposed to be.”

Favorite memory as a baton twirler...

“My favorite memory as a baton twirler was the first game we had after Snapdragon Stadium was opened. It was so loud and packed, and I got chills whenever I heard the crowd during pregame! I will never forget that feeling!”

Funniest memory as a baton twirler...

“The funniest memory is pretty recent! Julia and I were filming a TikTok where each sport attempted to do a trick. We had a couple of guys on the basketball team trying 2 and 3 baton and hearing their reactions to how hard twirling is was so funny.”

Favorite thing about your university's marching band program...

“My favorite thing about the Marching Aztecs is how everyone feels like a big family. We are all there to support our amazing Aztecs and put on a fun show. The environment is so inclusive and loving.”

Favorite tradition or inside joke within your band program...

“Every year during summer band, we have a section marching “contest” where the section leaders get to come up with a mini-show to perform all of the marching techniques they have learned! The creativity is mind-blowing, and it always makes me laugh to see what they come up with!”

Something she is really looking forward to this field season...

“Although I absolutely LOVE SDSU football games, I am most excited for the Basketball season which starts in just 2 weeks! After making it to the NCAA Championship game last season, the entire city of San Diego is excited to see what we can do this year! I also really love twirling at basketball games because the environment is unmatched!”

We want to thank Kaylynn and her co-feature Julia for sharing their game day with us, and we loved getting to learn more about Kaylynn! We wish them a great rest of their football season, and you know we will be following that SDSU Basketball season as well! Go Aztecs!

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 - Shiner High School

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Happy last week of October! How are we already here? The football season is winding down, and the competition season is about to start. Just a few more twirlers left to feature, including this wonderful trio!

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

Photo Credit to @photosbyloriraabe

Shiner High School, located in Shiner, Texas, is the home of the Comanches, and a long legacy of excellence! This legacy also includes a great history of twirling thanks to their super supportive band director and amazing community! Join us today as we get to know Shiner Feature Twirler, Keely Knesek, and Shiner Line Twirlers, Evelyn Johnson and Eve Roberts!

We had to know more about this legacy of excellence, and Keely told us about some amazing Shiner facts. “Shiner is a very competitive school; we strive to be the best in everything we do. Last year, our band won the gold medal at the state 4A UIL marching contest, with the show The Witch and The Saint, and the year before we won the silver medal with the show Return of the Samurai. All of our sports are phenomenal and while I’ve been in high school, we have had countless teams make state in numerous sports. A fun fact about getting to twirl in Shiner is that because we are a very small school, with Pre-K through 12th grade in two buildings, everybody comes to the pep rallies, football games, and band competitions. With this said, it means as a high schooler I get to look out on the playground and see elementary kids with batons because they saw me at a pep rally.” Evelyn also mentioned the football team's continued success... and their polka band! “Our school was back-to-back state champions in football in 2020 and 2021. In addition to football and band, we have also advanced to state in track, golf, cross country, and UIL... We also have a polka band who plays during the 3rd quarter of football games, and the elementary students learn how to sing the Shiner Song in Czech.”

To get these great twirling positions, we wanted to know what their audition process was. According to Keely, “the audition process for twirler at Shiner High School entails many different pieces. For line twirlers, there are basic fundamentals, a routine that the individual creates, and an interview. For feature twirlers, there are more fundamentals that are more complex than line fundamentals, and a second routine that the individual creates as well. To get the opportunity to try out for feature twirler you have been on the line for at least one year and at the next auditions you first have to make the line again and then you can do your second set of fundamentals and second routine, to try out for feature twirler.”

With such rich traditions and great programs, we had to know what their favorite things about attending SHS were. Keely had a whole list! “There are so many things that I love about my school, one thing that I really love is our school spirit. Shiner is what I would call tiny but mighty, and no matter how far the game is or if right here at home the fans in the stands, show up to support the school that they love. The thing I love most about that school spirit is that everybody has it. At the beginning of every quarter of a game, we do the Comanche Chant. This is a song that the band plays, and everybody gets on their feet and does “The Chop”, and that is where the saying Chop Em’ comes from. The song is very similar to Florida State, and it is something I look forward to every football season.” While Evelyn enjoys the traditions as well, her favorite thing is the people. “As a whole, we are all kind, talented, fun, and extremely hard working. Nearly everybody is a great friend and a wonderful overall person. We are all always there for each other, and we are very supportive of others' successes. So many people here feel almost like family to me, and I’m so blessed to be a part of this community.”

We wanted to learn more about the traditions at SHS, and the twirler had plenty of favorites to share. According to Keely, “Shiner has many traditions, some big, and some little, but all hold the same place of importance and love. One that I already mentioned is The Comanche Chant. Another school tradition is that our school song is a polka song. This is a super important tradition and cared about tradition because most of the people in Shiner are Czech and German. Another tradition that Shiner has, is our pep rallies. As I mentioned, our pep rallies include everybody from Pre-K through 12th grade and many parents come as well. Our pep rallies always have themes, but some fan favorites are; blackout, which is our glow-in-the-dark pep rally, Comanches through the decades, in which each high school and junior high grade gets a decade and has to dress up for and dance to music from that decade, pink out, this pep rally is always the first one in October, we have cancer survivors and people battling cancer walk-in with the football boys and get front row seats for all of the pep rally activities. Lastly, an absolutely amazing tradition is our graduation walk. At the end of the school year graduating seniors and graduating kindergarteners walk through the halls as everybody claps and cheers for them.” 

The pep rallies seem to be a popular tradition, as that is Evelyn's favorite thing at Shiner as well. “One of my favorite traditions are the pep rallies. We always have a parade followed by a community pep rally for Homecoming. Each class decorates a float, and we all ride around town. We also have a black-out pep rally each year. We turn out all the lights and use black lights, glow sticks, and we twirl light-up batons. Another one of my favorite pep rallies is the pink-out pep rally for breast cancer awareness. We have all of the local women who have fought against breast cancer represented at the pep rally to honor their bravery and ability to push through when times are tough. It’s truly special.”

With so much excitement around their school, we wanted to know what they were looking forward to the most, and their appearance at the State UIL Marching Band competition next week was high on Keely's list. “This year there are countless things that I am looking forward to, but something that I am looking forward to the most is marching band. This year and last, I have been a main character in the marching show. Last year I was the saint, in the show 'The Witch and The Saint'. This year I am Little Red Riding Hood, in the show 'By The Lanterns Light'. I am looking forward to not only what the outcome is at the contest, but also the memories made with my bandmates.”

As Keely is enjoying her time as an upperclassman, Evelyn is just looking to take in all the things that her freshman year will bring. "I am looking forward to spending as much time with my friends and family as I can, though it’s difficult at times because of how busy I am. I’m also excited to play high school sports and be a part of other extracurricular activities.”

How do they keep this legacy of twirlers going in their small town? The high school twirlers play a big role in supporting the middle school twirlers, and they also hold camps! For the past two summers the Shiner Twirlers have hosted their own camp. The 3-day camp is full day for jr. high and high school twirlers and half day for mini campers in 1st grade and up. The mini campers are then invited to join the twirlers on the sidelines at one of two home games for pregame and the first quarter. While dates have not been set yet for the 2024 camp, those interested can email natalieknesek@att.net to be added to the contact list.

Now that we have learned more about life in Shiner, let's learn more about a couple of these twirlers!

Keely Knesek, Junior
Competition Level: Intermediate
Keely has been twirling for 11 years. She is currently a member of the Heart of Texas Twirlers and is coached by Sara Rudin and Mary Ann Pozzi. The competition title she is the proudest of earning was the 2018 Twirltacular Hall of Fame. “This was my very first title win and I was so proud of myself.” Her favorite competition trick is anything two baton, and her favorite field trick is anything three baton or any split trick. In baton twirling she has been most inspired by current University of Southern California Feature Twirler, Emily Tutnik, and former Baylor Golden Girl, Adaline Bebo. After High School, Keely is still deciding her next steps. “I, as a junior in high school, am often asked the question of what I want to do after high school, and I do not have much of an answer. I love twirling and want to twirl in college, but that is all I know. I know that one day I want to work with kids, but I do not know yet what career I hope to have.”

Evelyn Johnson, Freshman
Evelyn has been twirling for three years. She started twirling in Middle School, and currently works with SHS sponsor, Dr. Natalie Knesek. Her favorite field trick is anything that involves a jump or a kick. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by former Shiner Feature Twirler, Lilyana Gipson. “She is like a second mom to me, and I love her so so so so so so much!” After high school, Evelyn hopes to go to college at Texas A&M and possibly play volleyball there. “Once I graduate college though, I want to come home to Shiner and become an art teacher and a coach. I also want to live on land and have a big family, animals, and a garden. I also want to travel the world and maybe start a small art studio or give painting, sports, twirling, or music lessons.”

Fun Facts!

• Favorite Color: Lilac (Keely), “There’s too many good ones to choose from” (Evelyn)
• Favorite TV show or Movie: Friends & Tangled (Keely), “I love anything that my mom watched when she was growing up, musicals, Disney princess movies, not-corny-romances, and “Enola Holmes.” (Evelyn)
• Favorite Book or Podcast: Any Non-Fiction or Historical Fiction (Keely), “ I love the Harry Potter books, the Red Queen series, “The Girl Who Drank the Moon,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and historical fiction. Especially those that take place around WW2.” (Evelyn)
• Favorite Food or Drink: Anything Italian & Dr. Pepper (Keely), “BBQ, Dr. Pepper, sweet tea, chocolate, salad, baked potatoes, and anything else that tastes good.” (Evelyn)

Favorite Quote or Life Motto: 

• Keely - “You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.” -Dolly Parton
• Evelyn - “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

When they are not twirling, they love to… 

• Keely - “When I am not twirling, I am doing countless numbers of 4-H projects. I have been a very active member of 4-H since 3rd grade. With 4-H I have traveled across the country, traveled to Spain, and learned countless numbers of skills; from how to raise an animal to how to sew a dress to leadership skills and so much more. In 4-H I am also Halfmoon 4-H club President, Lavaca County 4-H Council 2nd Vice Chairman, District 11 3rd Vice Chairman, and a Healthy Texas Youth Ambassador. Some school-related functions that I participate in are the Student Council, where I am Vice Chairman, FCA, where I am a FCA group leader, and NHS, where I am the Character Pillar Chair.”
• Evelyn - “I love to play sports, draw, play my flute, play the piano, come up with names, sleep, and spend time with my friends and family.”

SHS twirlers pictured with the Shiner Jr. High Twirlers, 

Tatum Carson, Jewel Caka, Lanie Bolom, Allie Garcia, 

Brynlee Langhoff, & Alena Winkenwerder. 

Something people might not know about them…

• Keely - “Something people know about me is that I live in what could be considered a ghost town. I live on land between Shiner and Gonzales. When the railroad went through years ago towns popped up along it and where I live is Maurin. It is a town that never reached a population over 40, and only ever had two businesses, one post office, and a rail station. My family was here in 1889 when it was founded and will be in this same ghost town for years to come.”

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

• Keely - “The best non twirling life skill I have gained from baton twirling is to go about everything with joy. Twirling has good days and bad but when you go with joy even the bad days are good. This is a great outlook on every challenge you face.”
• Evelyn - “The best life skill I’ve learned is to push through and still work hard when I’m having a rough time and I really just want to go home, take a shower, and go to sleep.”

Advice to future high school twirlers…

• Keely - “Have fun and twirl with joy! When I started twirling on the field, I thought that I had to always be perfect, and while no drops are great and the idea of everything going to plan sounds amazing, it does not always come to fruition. I now perform with my smile and presentation just as much as I do with my batons.”
• Evelyn - “Some advice I’d give to future twirlers is to not get nervous when performing. I always tell myself that everyone watching me will either never see me again, or I don’t care what they think of me, or that they will love me anyway. If you do happen to mess up, just take a breath and find a point to start back up. It’s alright to make mistakes. I promise that there are much worse things.”

Funniest memory as a baton twirler…

• Keely - “One of my most recent funny memories is that not once but twice in one day I kicked myself in the head. In the pep rally one morning I was performing for the elementary kids and did a high kick and kicked myself in the face. Later that day I was performing our halftime show and did a ring leap in which I kicked myself in the back of the head. Needless to say, my head hurt pretty bad that day.”
• Evelyn - “One of the funniest memories I’ve had as a twirler was the first time, I got to know my friends Lilyana Gipson, Megan Winkenwerder, and Keely Knesek. We had just arrived in San Antonio for twirl camp, and we decided to go eat dinner at Raising Canes. My mom is a teacher at the high school, and she helps a lot with the twirlers, so she was there too. Before we ate, of course, all of us kids went to wash our hands, and I sprayed water on Lilyana. She then turned around and sprayed me back, and we kept on going back and forth. We sprayed each other and everyone else in the bathroom with us, while Megan frantically dried off the floor, begging us to stop making a mess. All of a sudden, Lilyana turned around with a handful of water and she dumped it on me. I was soaked. We were all in tears of laughter, when Lilyana came up to me, gave me a hug and said, “Don’t tell your mom!””

Favorite thing about marching season…

• Keely - “My favorite thing about marching season is by far the memories and experiences. Marching band has been a huge part of my life since 8th grade because our 8th graders play with our high school band. With that being said I love the memories that I have made with not only the people older than me but also the ones much younger than me. I also love how big of dreams and goals my band has. We push each other to continuously be better, and time and time again it pays off.”
• Evelyn - “My favorite thing about marching season is getting to spend so much time with my friends, many of which I wouldn’t see very much otherwise.”

Favorite tradition or inside joke within your band program…

• Keely - “Anything for my band director, literally anything! But also, Morning Jam Sessions! Each morning at the beginning of practice we stretch and jam out to music. Normally that music is, any One Direction song, any Disney song, or any Taylor Swift song.”
• Evelyn - “We love to call our director “The Prettiest Princess.””

What will you miss the most when marching season is over?

• Keely - “I will miss the field, the fans, and the moment of hearing our name called as first. I love performing on the field, it allows me to perform for so many people. In twirling on the field, I have learned to perform with joy every day and I love that I get to spread my favorite sport. I’ll also miss the moments of anticipation at awards, the feelings of excitement, nervousness, and joy. Most of all when marching season is over, I will miss the excitement of performing for the little kids watching, from the fence line of the field.”
• Evelyn - “I will miss the feeling I get this time of year. It’s when everything seems to be new, and I haven’t gotten sick of school, my lack of sleep, or the cold, yet. Fall brings football, volleyball, hunting, Thanksgiving, marching band, and it means Christmas is on the way! Fall, and especially the marching band, brings so many happy memories to my mind and I know I will miss them.”

We want to thank these twirlers for sharing their Game Day with us, and we wish them and the entire Shiner Marching Band good luck as they take on UIL State next week! Chop Em Comanches!

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 Texas, San Antonio

 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 Kick-Off Contest (visit the Fall Kick-Off Contest website for more details). In the meantime, we are super excited to be learning more about this awesome group of Collegiate Twirlers!

This week’s Collegiate Twirler Spotlight is on the University of Texas, San Antonio Twirlers!

The University of Texas - San Antonio, also known as UTSA, is located in San Antonio, TX, and is the home of the "Spirit of San Antonio" - the Roadrunner Marching Band. The SOSA Auxiliary, coordinated by sponsor Mary Ann Srulowitz Pozzi, sparkles and shines in the Alamodome as they twirl and support their Roadrunners. This year the UTSA Twirlers include Feature Twirler Megan Garcia, and seven Line Twirlers - Maddie Brown, Baylee Brandin, Stephanie Garza, Delaney Laza, KayLynn Rieger, Kyra Bevill, and Lauren Gluck!

We asked the twirlers what the process was to become a UTSA Twirler, and they told us about the audition process. “Auditions take place in the Spring each year. Candidates fill out an application and submit a video of the fight song that they've learned through a video and a video of their solo, highlights from football/competition routines, and a brief introduction.” (BTW, all information for tryout requirements can be found at https://www.utsabands.org/sosa-twirlers for those interested!)

UTSA Twirlers get to have such a unique experience. What other band gets to perform in the amazing Alamodome almost every game and travels for bowl games as well? We wanted to know what their favorite thing about attending UTSA is and they told us that “UTSA is growing! There are so many new opportunities available to students. We love the community feel on campus and that we get to be part of something that is relatively new.” 

We wanted to know more about what they meant by relatively new, and they told us, “The Spirit of San Antonio Band is only in its 13th season; it was formed after UTSA got a football team. This is our first year in the American Athletic Conference and we love our game days in the Alamodome.” Also, originally UTSA only had Feature options, but in the Fall of 2021, a twirling team was introduced in addition to the feature twirler role. 

Finally, we wanted to know what they were looking forward to the most this season, and beside Midnight Lights (which is their favorite tradition), they were just looking forward to enjoying this season together. “This is the most twirlers UTSA has ever had! We are looking forward to finishing out football season (and hoping for a bowl game!) and competing this Spring and Summer!”

Now that we have learned more about twirling at UTSA, let’s learn about the twirlers!

Feature Twirler:

Megan Garcia

Megan is a freshman from Corpus Christi, Texas. She has been twirling for 15 (almost 16) years and is coached by Mary Ann and Keely Davis. Her favorite trick is a toss walkover. After college she hopes to attend med school to become an OBGYN.

• Favorite Quote… “If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time.”

• When she is not twirling, she loves to... “Hang out with friends.”

• Something people might not know about her... “I love cows ”

• Advice to future college twirlers... “Just have fun!”

Line Captain:

Maddie Brown

Maddie is a third-year student from New Braunfels, Texas. She has been twirling for 11 years and is coached by Pat Montgomery. Her favorite trick is a toss cartwheel. After college she hopes to attend medical school to become an oncologist.

 

• Favorite Quote… “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” -Winnie the Pooh

• When she is not twirling, she loves to… “Cook/bake, read, and watch Netflix.”

• Something people might not know about her… “I don’t have an appendix.”

• Advice to future collegiate twirlers or those in the audition process… “Remember to have fun when you perform and to choose a school that makes you happy both on the field and in the classroom.”

Baylee Brandin

Baylee is a junior from Port Neches, Texas. She has been twirling for 14 years and is coached by Erica Osgood Mitchell. Her favorite trick is a toss cartwheel. After college she hopes to become a wildlife biologist and work in conservation.

• Favorite Quote… “Grow through what you go through”

• When she is not twirling, she loves to… “Read, spend time with friends and family, and crocheting."

• Advice to future collegiate twirlers… “Be yourself and have fun! Tryouts can be stressful, but if you are having fun it takes a ton of the stress away!!”

Stephanie Garza

Stephanie is a Junior from Corpus Christi, Texas. She has been twirling for 12 years. Her favorite field trick is a toss cartwheel. After college she hopes to work with a marketing firm.

• Favorite Quote… “We have a choice of what we put into the world every single day that we wake, and we should choose love every single time.”

• When she is not twirling, she loves to... “Read and make tiktoks.”

• Something people might not know about her… “I have a podcast with my best friend Christa!”

• Advice to future collegiate twirlers... “Trust the process.”

Delaney Laza

Delaney is a freshman from Corpus Christi, Texas. She has been twirling for 15 years and is coached by Mary Ann Pozzi and Keely Davis. Her favorite trick is a one turn back. After college she wants to go to law school and become a lawyer.

• Favorite Quote… “The only thing you control is your effort, that’s all and that’s everything.”

• When she is not twirling, she loves to… “Play with my dog, Tucker.”

• Something people might not know about me… “I love clothes. :)”

• Advice to future college twirlers… “Don’t give up even when it gets difficult, you’re capable of more than you may think.”

KayLynn Rieger

KayLynn is a freshman from Needville, Texas. She has been twirling for 16 years, and is coached by Amanda Warncke, Madison Frantzen, Trenton Haltom. Her favorite trick is a toss layback. After college she hopes to become a 2nd grade teacher. 

• Favorite Quote… “You have nothing to fear but fear itself.”

• When she is not twirling, she loves to… “Spend time with friends and family.”

• Something people might not know about her... “I was supposed to be born on Christmas.”

• Advice to future college twirlers… “Always believe in yourself and never tell yourself you can’t.”

Kyra Bevill

Kyra is a freshman from Buda, Texas. She has been twirling for six years and is coached by Kristen Tate and Mary Ann Pozzi. Her favorite trick is a toss illusion. After college she hopes to become a Registered Nurse and work in Kyle, Texas.

• Favorite Quote…  “If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain”

• When she is not twirling, she loves to… “Hang out with friends, Play Video Games, and watch Grey’s Anatomy.”

• Something people might not know about her… “I have Scoliosis and have had many different doctors and chiropractors for it throughout my life.”

• Advice to future college twirlers… “Keep working on those hard tricks and persevere!”

Lauren Gluck

Lauren is a freshman from Jacksonville, Texas. She has been twirling for 8 years and is coached by Mrs. Breiann Gee and Mrs. Jeri Coke. Her favorite trick is a two-spin catch blind. After college, she plans to attend graduate school to be an occupational therapist!

• Favorite Quote… “If you never bleed, you’re never gonna grow.” - Taylor Swift

• When she is not twirling, she loves to... “I love to read, listen to music, and hang with friends/family.”

• Something people might not know about her… “I love cottage cheese!”

• Advice to future college twirlers... “If you want it, really just chase after your dream! It’s a lot of work to get there but performing for your school is the best feeling ever!”

Some of their favorite memories as a UTSA Twirler…

• “Any time I look up and see my mom in the stands is my favorite, I love her so much!”

• “Marching out of the tunnel for pregame my very first game!”

• “Being on the field when we have won both the conference championship games.”

A few of their funniest moments twirling for UTSA…

• “With the girls there is never not a funny moment. We are always cracking up at practices and games!!

• “When Maddie and Baylee made a tiktok about Stephanie missing a practice to go to a Harry Styles concert.”

• "When Maddie accidentally hit a trumpet player with a baton during pregame and then they later direct messaged her on Instagram asking for her phone number!” (Wow!)

Some of their favorite things about marching season... 

• “Fall weather!”

• “Football games!”

• “Watching our Roadrunners get the win!”

Their favorite traditions and inside jokes with the SOSA Band…

• “Tuba 6!!!! There was a game where a tuba was accidentally tackled and destroyed. They then had a burial service equipped with a youtube video of my band director crying and paying his respects.” (Hilarious!)

• “When we sing our alma mater before we march out of the tunnel for pregame!”

• “Microphones.”

To wrap up our interview, we asked these twirlers what they will miss the most after the marching season is over, and they said everything! “We love SOSA! Getting to perform on the field with this group is something that we love to do- when it's over we will be counting the days until football season next year!”

We want to thank these wonderful twirlers for sharing their Game Day with us, and we wish them an amazing rest of their football season, and a successful contest season! Go Runners!

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.