Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - Oklahoma State University

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

We just love that College Football is back in full swing. The past few weekends have included some awesome field twirling. We loved getting to follow along with a #TeamTexas Twirler turned OSU Feature Twirler as her and her co-feature took over our Instastory on Saturday, and now we are excited to have them as this week’s Collegiate Twirler Spotlight.

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

Our first Collegiate Twirler Spotlight of the season is the Oklahoma State University Feature Twirlers!

Oklahoma State University, located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is the home of the Cowboys, and as of this August, it is also the home of Feature Twirlers Jaidyn Poole and Callan Hall! 

This season, Jaidyn and Callan have brought twirling back to Boone Pickens Stadium with style and flair. “We haven’t had twirlers here in two years, so we are so excited to bring it back this year!” In order to earn the honor of wearing the orange and black, they had to go through an extensive audition process. “Our audition process is two rounds consisting of a virtual round and an in-person audition. For our virtual round we had to submit videos of us twirling and our resume, and for the in person round we performed three routines to set music, a one baton, two baton, and combined 1, 2, and 3 baton routine. We also go through an interview portion.”

Both Jaidyn and Callan have come to OSU from out of State. Jaidyn is from Texas, and Callan is from Kansas. We asked both of them what encouraged them to look at, and ultimately commit to, OSU. Callan told us, “I came here because they have a brand new nursing program and it isn’t too far of a drive from my hometown. I loved the campus, and because I made it as a twirler!” Jaidyn also loved the campus. “I came here because the campus is beautiful, it's the perfect size of school, they have a great fashion merchandising program, and because I made it as a twirler!”

Making the decision to go out of state is always a big one, but it was an easy choice for both of them. “We are both from out of state, and we wanted to try something new, and meet new people, but we were so glad that we get to go through it all together!”

Being new to the OSU campus, these two twirlers have been able to have many amazing experiences. We wanted to know what has been the most exciting part of their first month in Still water. “We love all of the school spirit and how nice everyone is here on campus! We are also both a part of Greek life and love being involved! We love the game day traditions and taking the field with the Cowboy Marching Band.”

Speaking of Game Day traditions, we asked Jaidyn and Callan what their favorite has been so far, and they already have many! They said they love doing the walk into the stadium on game days, but they are also super excited for their first OSU homecoming and the parades! They also love what they call “Orange Friday”, which is when they all wear orange on the Fridays before game days.

Now that we have learned more about life at OSU, let’s learn more about Jaidyn & Callan!

 

Jaidyn Poole, Freshman
Competition Level: Advanced
Jaidyn has been twirling for 10 years. She is a member of the Mickey’s Majorettes and is coached by Patti Mickey and Kayli Mickey-McIntosh. The competition titles Jaidyn is the proudest of earning was when she placed Top 10 in the 2024 Miss Majorette of America competition, and holding the titles of 2023 Miss Majorette of the Southwest and 2024 Miss Majorette of Texas. Her favorite competition tricks are any sort of back neck combination or her toss stationary leap, catch in the split, and her favorite field tricks are toss walkovers or toss aerials. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by her coaches and the other collegiate twirlers on her team. After college, Jaidyn hopes to work in Fashion Merchandising for a designer brand.

Callan Hall, Freshman
Competition Level: Advanced
Callan has been twirling for 14 years. She is a member of Shannon’s Stars and is coached by Shannon Meis and Lauren Cox. The competition placement Callan is the proudest of earning was either when she placed 6th in the NBTA Collegiate Solo Finals as a freshman this past summer, or when she won her first national title. Her favorite competition trick is a horizontal toss with a toe roll to stand up from the floor, and her favorite field trick is a leg bounce with a “Go Pokes” under it! In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by her coaches. “I grew up watching one of them compete and I always remember how watching her do what she loves made me feel!” After college, Callan hopes to work as a labor and delivery nurse.

Fun Facts!
• Favorite Color – Pink (Jaidyn & Callan)
• Favorite TV Show – Grey’s Anatomy (Jaidyn & Callan) 
• Favorite Book – “Any mystery series” (Jaidyn), The Bible :) (Callan) 

Must have Game Day Snack/Drink…

• Both - "Peach rings, watermelon sour patch kids, and WATERRRR!" 
• PLUS - Celsius for Jaidyn and coffee for Callan!

Favorite Quote or Life Motto…

• Jaidyn - “I always remind myself that I get out what I put in for everything I do. Do everything for yourself and set your own goals. Getting caught up in comparing yourself to others will not help you succeed.”
• Callan - Psalm 34:4-5 “I sought the lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all of my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant their faces are never covered with shame.” or Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

When they are not twirling, they love to…

• Jaidyn - “Hang out with my friends, family, and especially my dogs. Try new restaurants and go shopping!”
• Callan - “Go to church, hang with my friends and family, and play sports!”

Something people might not know about them…

• Jaidyn - “I was captain of my dance team in high school and have four dogs!” 
• Callan - “I played 3 sports in High school (not including baton).”

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

• Jaidyn - “Confidence and determination. I have learned so much about how important mentality is going into a competition. Through the years I had grown to believe in myself and all the work i put in at the gym. Twirling has taught me how to be accountable and put in those extra hours of practice in order to be my best.”
• Callan - “Leadership and determination! I always looked up to the older girls and it is important for me to be a good role model for the younger girls on my team. And determination is obvious because twirling can be frustrating but remember to never give up!!”

The most memorable advice from their coach(es)… 

• Jaidyn - “My coach Patti has always told me to yawn whenever I get nervous. It may seem funny, but it really works!”
• Callan - “‘Competitions are a performance!! Don’t think of it as competing!’ My coaches are the best and always give me pep talks. I can't even pick my favorite thing!” 

Advice to future Collegiate twirlers… 

• Jaidyn - “I would say to just always be flexible and keep an open mind. You never know where you will end up and college twirling is such an amazing opportunity. Don’t take anything for granted and say yes to any opportunities that come your way!”
• Callan - “When you are looking for a college, pay close attention to the people and how the environment makes you feel!! Enjoy every moment. I will never forget my first game!”

Funniest memory as a baton twirler… 

• Jaidyn - “All of the fun inside jokes I have made with my teammates and coaches while spending time together in the gym.”
• Callan - “My baton teacher cutting my hair at nationals before modeling!”

Favorite thing about marching season… 

• Jaidyn - “Having the opportunity to really bond with the Cowboy Marching band has been amazing. Me and Callan have gotten close with the drum majors and have made so many friends in the band. It’s great to be a part of such an amazing group of musicians and get to experience game-day alongside them.”
• Callan - “I loved band camp and getting to hang out with our coaches!! And I love making memories with Jaidyn and getting closer with the drum majors.”

What will they miss most when marching season is over… 

• Jaidyn - “I will miss doing the walk into the stadium. The fans at Oklahoma State are amazing and I will miss all the pictures I get to take with aspiring twirlers.”
• Callan - “I will miss taking the field and miss spending time with my coaches, Jaidyn, and the drum majors.”

Thanks to Jaidyn & Callan for sharing their awesome takeover. We really enjoyed learning more about OSU Game Days and seeing these two wonderful twirlers in action. Congrats ladies, and we wish you both a fantastic remainder of your season. Go Pokes!

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. 

Celebrating a Season to Remember: Collyn Lambeck, Summer 2024

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Today we have a special interview for you. This blog was created to celebrate and share the achievements of our Texas Twirlers, and this past summer was a record-breaking experience for one of our own. This decorated twirler already has a crazy impressive resume, especially for her age, but this summer alone she got to add more titles to that list than many elite twirlers achieve in an entire career.

Collyn Lambeck is an 11-year-old Sixth Grader from Stockdale, Texas. She is coached by Catherine Lattimore, Lori Watters, and Kathy Forsythe. This past competition season she competed as a 10-year-old, the youngest in the PreTeen (10-12) division. Between February & August of 2024, she put in the work and was able to achieve all seven of these outstanding titles:

• 2024 PreTeen Miss Majorette of America
• 2024 PreTeen Grand National Twirling Champion
• 2024 PreTeen National & World Open Solo Champion
• 2024 PreTeen National & World Open X-Strut Champion
• 2024 PreTeen National & World Open Two Baton Champion
• 2024 Junior Rhythmic Qualifier for the IBTF World Championship
• 2024 IBTF World Championship Junior Rhythmic Finalist

The adventure began this February when Collyn added the 2024 Junior Rhythmic Qualifier for the IBTF World Championship to this list, making her a member of the 2024 Team USA at just 11 years old. We asked Collyn what she did to prepare for the rhythmic qualifier? 

"To prepare for the qualifier, not only did I practice A LOT, but I also had Mrs. Kathy and Mrs. Catherine come to my town to work with me!!!! It was so much fun showing them around my small town!!!"

The moment it was announced that Collyn had secured her spot on Team USA had to be a core memory. We asked her what was going through her head when she found out she made the team?

"My Mom had kept her expectations low the entire time & constantly reminded me that I was “just doing this for fun”, so I couldn’t wait to tell her how FUN it is to make the team!!"  

After earning her spot on Team USA, Collyn had just five months until the back-to-back Nationals and World. With two big events on the line, we wanted to know how she was able to prepare for both. 

"I practiced both my nationals routines and my rhythmic almost every day, which made for really long practices, up until about two weeks before nationals. During those two weeks, especially at summer boot camp, I focused only on my nationals routines. But as soon as nationals was over, I had one day off to travel home, then I practiced my rhythmic for almost 4 hours a day plus multiple zoom lessons with Mrs. Kathy and Mrs. Catherine, up until the day we left for worlds!"

Just like all twirlers, Nationals had its ups and downs for Collyn, but she kept focus on her goals.

"Going into nationals I knew that I had to keep realistic expectations for myself throughout the week as one of the youngest in my age division. I knew I had prepared enough to do well. Even though my pageant solo didn’t go as planned, Mrs. Catherine reminded me that solo was only one part of the pageant and that I still had a whole week of twirling ahead of me. She also told me that I had to not let that solo get to me in order to do my best for the rest of the week. Heading into awards I didn’t really have time to be nervous because I only had about 20 minutes to change into my dress and curl my hair from event finals! (When awards started), I was very happy find out that I tied for 1st in modeling, because one week prior I had spent basically my whole week on zoom with Mrs. Lori working on modeling! It was torture to me as I don’t like modeling at all!! But I knew that all that work for modeling had paid off as it is my weakest event!! Realizing I had won was one thing, but hearing my name being called out and “From Texas!” was truly the best part!! In that moment, I was so glad to have been standing next to my friend and fellow Team Texas member, Lily. For a minute, all I heard was her cheering for me and we actually got a picture of it which was the funniest thing ever!"

With so many outstanding moments happening for Collyn at Nationals, she had to have lots of favorites, but we wanted to know which moment at Nationals was her very favorite. 

"My favorite moment at nationals was hearing my name being called out as Pre-Teen Grand National Twirling Champion!! It was a goal of mine this past season after getting second for two years in a row, so getting the opportunity to win that title as well as Pre-Teen Miss Majorette of America was just so amazing!!

Earning the title of Miss Majorette of America or Grand National Champion is a huge deal in the twirling world and leads to many wonderful experiences and memories during their year with the title. We asked Collyn what she was looking forward to the most over the next year during her reign.

"One thing I am most looking forward to as Pre-Teen MMOA and Grand National Twirling Champion is attending Northeast Regionals in the spring!! Northeast Regionals is such a fun competition to host and compete at, and I also love to participate in the Boston Bean Pot Twirl Off!! I also love signing autographs at the autograph table that they have there. I love meeting new twirlers to become friends with!!"

These titles also come with a lot of responsibility. We asked Collyn to share a little more about that...

"A lot of people may not know this, but with winning these positions, comes a lot of responsibility to be a good representative of our sport, and a good role model to other twirlers that I know and meet. This involves so much more than twirling, but also being involved with my community and other activities so that people come to know who I am and appreciate the positive impact that twirling has on my life."

Once Nationals was over, it was a quick turnaround to Worlds! With all the excitement, it had to be a challenging to shift her focus back to competition, but she knew it would be worth the work!

"When practicing for both Nationals and Worlds, as they were so close together, I spent 4-5 hours a day practicing both my nationals routines and my rhythmic routine for worlds. Thankfully though, I live less than 5 minutes away from our school gym, so access to practice space was never a problem. I am so grateful to be able to practice in that facility with so much space to work with. It’s a true blessing! When I got to summer boot camp at the end of of June, I mostly practiced my nationals routines and only ran my rhythmic about once a day. When we were in South Bend for nationals for a week, I didn’t practice my rhythmic at all! But as soon as nationals was over, I had one traveling day to recover, and then I got back to the grind the day we got home to practice for worlds. Then I spent a very long time each day working on rhythmic up until we left for worlds. My goal was to do 75 no drops before we left for worlds which gave me 11 days to accomplish this tiny challenge I gave myself. The very quick turnaround was very hard and brutal, but in the end, it really paid off!"

 

This year's IBTF World Rhythmic & Freestyle Championship was held in Sweden! This allowed Collyn and her family to not only get in a great twirling experience, but also see a new country!

"My adventures in Sweden were really fun!!! My favorite thing that I did in Sweden was ride the electric scooters and play in the little soccer field in the backyard of our rental house!! I also enjoyed walking around the small city looking at all the shops around our hotel! After we adventured in Sweden, we went to Copenhagen to see Rosenborg Castle and the Palace that the King of Denmark lives in!! That was the most amazing experience of our adventures! One thing I didn’t expect though is that when you order any beverage, they don’t give you ice with it. It is so funny because they usually look at you weirdly if you ask for ice!! One thing I would want to see again is the Tivoli Gardens amusement park!! It was so fun to go there and ride all of the fun roller coasters with my family!!"

 

In between the sightseeing and excitement, it was time for Collyn to focus on her Worlds performances. This was a new level of competition for her, and anytime you are on the World stage, there is a lot of pressure. We wanted to know how Collyn kept her composure throughout.

"Worlds was very fun but also nerve wracking. I mentally prepared myself to go into worlds with a positive attitude as I was the youngest competitor. I told myself that this was just something to do for fun and do my best with. The first day I was very nervous, but I got through it by staying very focused and making little goals for myself to accomplish throughout the day and week. These goals were tiny ones such as to do a no drop, or to twirl confidently, something that I can challenge myself with to distract my nerves. When I’m at big competitions like that, I’ll tell my mom something I’ve been wanting from Amazon or something like that and make it my focus - accomplish my little goals so she’ll buy me that one thing! It normally works. After the first day, I wasn’t as nervous and did the same tactics as the first day. Doing all of these things definitely mentally prepared and helped me throughout the week and mentally made me stronger."

Collyn went into round one like she had been there before, earning third place in the prelims! This moved her into the semifinals, where she had another fantastic performance, placing her in 4th and moving her into finals! With only the Top 6 earning a spot in finals, this was a huge deal and understandably her favorite thing about competing at Worlds.

"My favorite part of competing at worlds was making finals. I went into worlds with a goal to make semifinals, so once I realized I had made finals I was so excited that I had exceeded my goal and had the opportunity to represent the USA one more time at my first worlds!!! One moment I would want to relive is my perfect no drop in finals!!!! I was so happy that I had done my personal best for finals and would want to relive that no drop moment over and over again."

While the twiring experiences are why she was there, it is the non-twirling experiences that make some of the best memories when the competition is over. We wanted to know what Collyn's favorite non-twirling moment at Worlds was, and she said it had to be the Athletes Party!

"My favorite non-twirling part of worlds was the athlete's party!!!! It was nothing I expected and was so fun to dance to music and have fun with my fellow USA teammates, as well as make friends from other countries!!!! Being at worlds and going anywhere with your teammates is almost as if it is a team sport. Everyone cheers on everyone no matter what we are doing and even though some of us competed against each other, we still got to support each and every USA member. It made me feel so special and I also loved being with everyone!!! At every event we went to, I got assigned an older person to partner up with since I am only 11. This made even more special friendships that I will cherish forever, especially my friend, Deborah. We were glued at the hip all of worlds and loved being together!!! It was so fun to be able to spend worlds with her as she was one of my special friendships that I had come upon."

With such an outstanding summer, we know Collyn brough home many life lessons with her. We wanted to know what her best advice was to any other twirler chasing their goals.

"My advice for all twirlers is to practice, practice, practice, and to enjoy every moment. Practice is what makes you better, and whatever you do in the gym is what you are going to do on the floor. It is so important to stay motivated and practice as hard as you can each and every day. This will always pay off, even though it might not seem like it sometimes. Make practice fun and challenging by setting little goals throughout your week of practice or something like that to stay motivated (make an Amazon wish list lol). You also need to enjoy every moment because time flies!!! During worlds it seemed like the fastest trip ever!!! But I got to cherish every moment with my USA teammates and all of my accomplishments at Worlds and Nationals, which made it all worth it!!!! I know that my year as Preteen MMOA and Grand National Solo Champion will fly by way too fast."

To wrap things up, we asked Collyn is she had any final thoughts to close out her season to remember.

"Last season was full of ups and downs, but I am so proud of all my accomplishments. I cannot wait for the upcoming season to begin!! I look forward to seeing everyone soon!!!"

We know all of #TeamTexas sends a huge congrats to Collyn for representing the Lone Star State in the biggest ways possible on the biggest stage we have, and we hope she enjoys the upcoming year!

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 - Westlake High School

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

It was another wonderful week with those Friday Night Lights, and a great way to kick off September! 

Each season this blog likes to get to know many of our awesome Texas twirlers a little better by learning about their experiences. We will be meeting many High School twirlers throughout the season with the Friday Night Lights Features and discovering more about our Texas Collegians with the Collegiate Twirler Spotlights. We will also have many of our High School and Collegiate twirlers take over our Social Media Story for their Game Days! Make sure to follow us on Insta @twirlingiscatchingtx or at facebook.com/twirlingiscatchingtx so you don't miss a thing!

Our next Friday Night Lights Feature is the Westlake High School Twirler!

Westlake High School, located in Austin, Texas, is a football powerhouse, and the home of the Chaparrals. It is also the home of the amazing Westlake Chap Band and their Feature Twirler, Emma Regalado!

A fun fact about twirling at Westlake is that Emma is the first WHS Twirler in more than three decades! This made the audition process a little unusual. “Since I’m the first twirler in over thirty years there wasn’t an audition process in place. I got in contact with my head band director right before my freshman year and asked about twirling. Thankfully he said he would love to have a twirler! During May music camp I performed a quick routine with 1,2, and 3 baton, to just show him what I can do. Then I was accepted on the spot as the feature twirler!”

Another interesting fact is that not only does Emma twirl, she also plays Mellophone in the marching band, and french horn during concert band. During Game Days she starts halftime with a featured twirling routine as the band marches out onto the field. Then, while the dance team performs, she transitions to her instrument and returns to the field to play mello in the competition show. 

As a school known for high achievement, we wanted to know what the best advantage to being a WHS student is, and she told us it is all the programs. “Due to Westlake being such a big school there are so many different programs and clubs that are offered! There is pretty much a program or club for everything and anything people are interested in!”

With Westlake also being such a legendary school for athletics, there has to be some great traditions, and Emma assured us there were many, but the one she is most looking forward to are the Senior Girls Decorations. “At the beginning of each year the Senior Girls all get together and decorate the commons for the first day of school with streamers, balloons, and confetti. It’s just such a staple that adds more fun to the first day. I can’t wait to get to do it next year with all my friends!”

For Emma though, being a part of the band is something she treasures. Each year she has two events that she is especially looking forward to attending with her fellow Chap Band Members. “The best events are either our rival game against Lake Travis or the BOA San Antonio competition! Our game against Lake Travis, which is also known as “Battle of the Lakes”, is such a fun one because the stands get totally packed on both sides! BOA San Antonio is also really fun because performing in the Alamodome is such a unique experience!”
 
Now that we have learned more about being a Chaparral, let’s learn more about Emma!

Emma Regalado, Junior
Competition Level: Intermediate
Emma has been twirling for 8 years. She is a member of Twirl ATX where she is coached by Ashley Wood as well as Whitney Coons. The competition title she is the proudest of earning was the 2024 Junior Beginner Texas State Solo Winner. “Strut is normally my stronger event, so I was so proud to win my state solo this year!” Her favorite competition trick is an illusion one spin, and her favorite field trick is a toss kick-back head kick-catch on my shoulder. In baton twirling, she has always looked up to former Miss Texas/UT & Baylor Feature Twirler, Caroline Carothers, in addition to her Twirl ATX teammate, and NC State Feature Twirler, Amber Sorenson! After High School she plans to attend college, and hopefully twirl, but right now she is just excited about visiting different universities and seeing which campus feels the most like home! 

Fun Facts!
• Favorite Color – Pink
• Favorite TV Show or Movie – Beauty and the Beast
• Favorite Book – The Inheritance Games

Favorite Quote or Life Motto…
“Life is like a camera. Focus on what's important. Capture the good times. And if things don't work out, just take another shot.”

Must have Game Day Snack…
“Twizzlers!! I always have twizzlers with me on the bus!”

When she is not twirling, she loves to… 
“Hang out with friends or with my family!”

Something people might not know about her…
“I used to dance! I danced from age 4-14! Unfortunately I became too busy when I got to high school and had to stop, but it’s helped me become the twirler I am today.”
 
The best non twirling life skill she has gained from baton twirling is… 
“Self confidence!! Thanks to twirling I’ve gained a lot of self confidence!”

The most memorable advice from her coach…
“‘Toss your baton straight!’ It’s such a pretty obvious fact, but it always makes me laugh.”

Advice to future high school twirlers… 
“Have fun! I used to worry so much about drops and how clean I was, but then I remembered at the end of the day drops don’t matter! It’s just all about having fun!”

Funniest memory as a baton twirler… 
“At one of my team practices when I went to throw a big trick, it got stuck in the volleyball net that was on the ceiling. Then my teammate threw one of hers up to try to get it down and got hers stuck. Then we tried another and got it stuck. After that we decided to ask the gym staff to bring the net down and we were finally able to get them out. We were all cracking up though because it was so funny that we got three different batons stuck.”

Favorite thing about marching season… 
“I love almost everything about marching season! I truly think my favorite thing is performing! Whether it’s when I twirl or play mello it’s so fun!! There really is no feeling like it!”

Best traditions within the band program…
“One of my favorite traditions is where the trombones do side to side swings with their trombone slide where they have to turn or bend forward at just the right time so they don’t hit each other while playing. At our senior night all of the seniors perform this together. The seniors learn them the week leading up to the game and even have to pass them off to the trombone section leaders. It is always so funny to watch. Another fun tradition is that we get to bop the fight song if our football team scores over 50 points (and thanks so having a great football team, we get to bop a lot!)”

What she will miss the most when marching season is over… 
“I will definitely miss the feeling and all the vibes during marching season!! During marching season I love how much of a family the band becomes! Everyone gets super close and the environment is just so fun! That’s always what I miss when we transition to the spring semester!”


Thanks, Emma, for sharing your awesome game day takeover. It was so much fun to see a Westlake W and follow the amazing Chap Band. We wish Emma a fantastic rest of the season, and Go Chaps!

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 - Columbia High School

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

We have returned and those Friday Night Lights are back to brighten up our weeks! We could not be happier to see twirlers all over Texas back on the field, and we can’t wait to see many more amazing moments as football season continues. As those Friday Night Lights turn on each week, we hope to see everyone continue to enjoy the sights and sounds of football teams, marching bands, and our favorite, lots of talented Texas baton twirlers! 

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

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

Columbia High School, located in West Columbia, Texas, is a small town about an hour south of Houston, but it is a town with a big tradition of baton twirlers! In addition to West Columbia being the first capital of the Republic of Texas, it is also the home of the CHS Roughnecks. Friday evening, we got to follow along for a Game Day at CHS through the Instastory Takeover. Today we get to learn more about being a Roughneck with the Columbia High School Twirlers: Feature Twirler - Natalee Stephenson, and Line Twirlers - Harper Thornbrugh, Bailey Bower, and Elyssa Wachtel.

In order to become a CHS Twirler, they had to participate in an audition that showed fundamentals, a learned group routine, and a solo routine. Once they have designated the Feature and Line Members, they get to start the process of preparing for the new season and doing their favorite school activities, which includes the many traditions they have together. 

Some of their best traditions are the Daddy/Daughter twirl game night, the Midnight Madness football scrimmage, and protecting the field as seniors from their rival school. Add these traditions to events like Homecoming, the start of football, October Pink out games, and competing at the Brazoria County Fair, being a Roughneck Twirler keeps them all busy!

Now that we have heard more about CHS, let’s learn more about the twirlers!

Senior & Feature Twirler Natalee Stephenson

Sophomore Harper Thornbrugh

Freshman Bailey Bower

Freshman Elyssa Wachtel

Fun Facts! 

• Natalee – “I am a competitive shooter on a shooting team.”
• Harper – “I am a dancer.”
• Bailey – “I swim the 500 meter.”
• Elyssa – “I run the 300 meter hurdles.”

Favorite Color…

• Natalee – Pink
• Harper – Purple 
• Bailey – Maroon 
• Elyssa – Teal

Favorite TV Show or Movie…

• Natalee – “Reba” 
• Harper – “High School Musical” 
• Bailey – “Outer Banks” 
• Elyssa – “Brooklyn 99”

Must Have Game Day Snacks… 

• Natalee – “Kit Kats and an unsweet tea.”
• Harper – “Goldfish and Dr. Pepper.”
• Bailey – “Coconut Dr. Pepper and sour punch straws.”
• Elyssa – “Bacon Cheez Its and Dr. Pepper.”

Favorite Quote or Life Motto…

• Natalee – “We ride at dawn!”
• Harper – “One more time is always a lie.”
• Bailey – “Don’t practice until you get it right. Practice until you can’t get it wrong.”
• Elyssa – “Find someone who grows flowers in the darkest part of you.”

Current or former baton twirler that they look up to the most…

• Natalee – Former CHS Twirler, and current Texas Tech Twirler, Taryn Fojtik
• Harper – Former CHS Twirler & Texas State Feature Twirler, Megan Lazrine Pate
• Bailey – 2024 PreTeen Miss Majorette of America, Collyn Lambeck
• Elyssa – Elyssa’s Mom, Dana Matula Wachtel

Future Plans after High School…

• Natalee – “Going to A&M for accounting.”
• Harper – “Becoming a teacher.”
• Bailey – “Going to UT for Business Law.”
• Elyssa – “Going to SHSU for Forensic Science.”

Something people may not know about them…

• Natalee – “I get very nervous before a performance or pageant.”
• Harper – “I have major anxiety!”
• Bailey – “I will be having a brain surgery In November.”
• Elyssa – “I am extremely hard on myself.”

Their favorite twirling memories…

• Natalee – “Twirling in the rain at a game last year.”
• Harper – “Thursday band and twirl practice in a rain shower.”
• Bailey – “Getting hit on the head by Elyssa with a loose baton.”
• Elyssa – “When (former CHS Twirler) Taryn and Natalee helped me with my 2 baton.”

Their favorite Game Day memories… 

• Natalee – “The bus rides.”
• Harper – “Twirling with friends.”
• Bailey – “The school dress up days.”
• Elyssa – “Twirling on the sidelines.”

 

We want to say thank the Columbia Twirlers for sharing their game day with us. Good luck to them on the rest of their season and we hope that they make lots of fun new memories together this year. Go Roughnecks! Ride for the C!

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.