Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - Mississippi State University Feature Twirlers

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

We just love that College Football is back in full swing and has included some awesome field twirling. We loved getting to follow along with these Twirlers through her Instastory Takeover, 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 is on the Mississippi State University Feature Twirlers!

Mississippi State University, also known as MSU, is located in Starkville, MS, and is the home of the Bulldogs, and lots of cowbells! “Mississippi State is the only school that is permitted to use artificial noisemakers, which are our beloved cowbells!” It is also home to the three Mississippi State University Feature Twirlers, Gracie Lane, Emmersyn Baxter, & Morgan Hewes!

Being an MSU Feature Twirler has not always been an option. “The Feature Twirler position at Mississippi State University has adjusted over time. MSU originally had a majorette line, and over time it has shifted to Feature Twirlers.” In order to earn these positions, they participated in a virtual audition. “More information regarding the audition process is posted on the FMB page for anyone interested!

We wanted to know why they chose MSU, and to all three of the twirlers it just felt right. As Gracie shared, “when I was a Senior in high school, I had the opportunity to visit multiple universities. Throughout this time, there was only one school that truly felt like home.”

Coming from Texas, California, and Alabama, all three of these twirlers had to make the choice to go out of state. There were many reasons that even though they wouldn’t be close to home, they felt MSU was the right way to go. “I chose to go out of state because Mississippi State offered an atmosphere and opportunities like no other school I visited. I knew from the very first football game I attended that it was meant to be my home. The traditions, community, and spirit of Mississippi State made the decision easy.”

With so many traditions and community spirit, we had to know what the best thing about attending MSU was! “My favorite thing about my school is the Famous Maroon Band. Being a member of the band has been an experience that I will be forever grateful for. The incredible opportunities, unforgettable memories, and lasting bonds that I have created through the band have truly shaped my college experience.” 

Did someone say cowbells? Well if they didn’t say it, you can definitely hear it! “The best tradition at Mississippi State is the cowbells. The gameday atmosphere is like no other. While performing with the band on gamedays, there are moments when you cannot even hear the band member playing right beside you because of the intensity and excitement created by thousands of fans ringing their cowbells.”

Finally, we wanted to know what they were looking forward to the most this season, and it was actually getting to share their first gameday of the season in Davis Wade Stadium with all of us! 

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

Grace Lane, Graduate Student                              
Grace is a First Year Graduate Student from Henderson, Texas, that is earning her grad degree in Professional Geology with a focus in ocean sciences and a minor in GIS. She has been twirling for 11 years, and is a member of the Mickey’s Majorettes, where she is coached by Patti Mickey and Kayli Mickey, as well as Paige Keitt. Her favorite twirling tricks are  Toss Leap Front Walkovers and Elbow Pops. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by Danielle Hull. After grad school, she hopes to pursue work in ocean sciences while incorporating community engagement. 

Favorites! 

• Favorite Color – Light Pink and Blue
• Favorite Show/Movie/Book – Modern Family, Couples Retreat, and The Hunger Games

Must have Game Day Snack and/or Drink…
“Halftime Hotdog!”

Favorite Quote or the Life Motto…
“When I am afraid I will trust in him.” Psalms 56:3

When she is not twirling, she loves to… 
“Spend time with my family/friends, take my dog on walks, hiking, fossil hunting, board games, and movie nights!” 

Something people might not know about her… 
“I have been skydiving, and I hope to one day be a skydiving instructor!”

The best life skill she has gained from baton twirling is… 
“Progress not Perfection!”

The most memorable advice from her coach… 
“Although this is not an exact quote, the most memorable moments with my coaches have been the hours of dedication. There have been hours of privates spent crying on the floor discussing life's problems, in which all of my coaches have always chosen to listen and support. I will always attempt to come close to the level of compassion, generosity, and kindness my coaches have shown me.”

Advice to future Collegiate twirlers… 
“Twirling in college is an absolute dream! Make sure to enjoy every moment!! 

Her funniest memory as a baton twirler… 
“Halloween FMB contest my Freshman year of college! We decided to dress up as the presidents of Mount Rushmore, and then having the opportunity to see us twirl in full presidential outfits created quite a memory.”

What will she miss the most when football/field season ends…
“When this football season ends I will miss everything from the late night practices to the early gamedays!”

Emmersyn Baxter, Freshman
Emmersyn is a freshman from Menifee, California, and is majoring in Secondary Education. She has been twirling for 14 years, and is a member of the Fantasia Baton Twirlers where she is coached by Debbie Salem and Melissa Baxter. The competition title she is the proudest of winning was when she earned the gold medal in pairs at the 2022 World Championships in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, and her favorite twirling trick is a toss leap ground roll. In baton twirling, she has been the most inspired by Rebecca Lantz and Laney Puhalla. After College she hopes to become a middle school history teacher as well as start coaching baton. 

Favorites!

• Favorite color: Blue 
• Favorite movies/books: Harry Potter 

Must have snack/drink for game-day…
“Gatorade and sour airhead strips.”

Favorite quote…
“Win with grace, lose with grace.” 

When she is not twirling, she loves to…
“Play pickleball and tennis.” 

Something people might not know about her is…
“That I know how to sew.” 

The best life skill she has gained from baton twirling is…
“How to think on her feet and respond professionally and gracefully.”

The most memorable advice from her coach is…
“To ‘have fun’ no matter what!” 

Advice she has to future collegiate twirlers…
“Reach for what you think you can’t achieve because you never know what God may have in store for you.”

Her funniest memory as a baton twirler is…
“Chasing after batons so they wouldn’t roll underneath the bleachers during practice.”

What she will miss the most when football season is over…
“The connections within the band and the cowbells ringing in Davis Wade Stadium.”

Morgan Hewes, Freshman
Morgan is a Freshman from Daphne, Alabama, who is majoring in Secondary Education Math and Chemistry. She has been twirling for 12 years and her favorite twirling trick is four batons. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by Annetta Lucero. After college, she hopes to become a high school math or chemistry teacher!

Favorites!

• Favorite Color – Pink
• Favorite TV Show, Movie, & Book – The Office, Gone With the Wind (movie and book)

Must have Game Day Snack and/or Drink…
“Biolyte and White cheddar Cheetos.”

Favorite Quote or the Life Motto…
“Great is His faithfulness!” I don’t think there’s any better phrase to describe my twirling career. Through practices, performances, and tryouts, the Lord has been so faithful to me, and I continue to remind myself of this as I head into my first college performance!”

When she is not twirling, she loves to… 
“Read, quilt, and go antique shopping!”

Something people might not know about her…
“My favorite trip I’ve ever taken was to Washington D.C.”

The best life skill she has gained from baton twirling is…
“Perseverance through both physical and mental challenges.”

The most memorable advice from her coach… 
“Practice the way you want to perform!”

Advice to future Collegiate twirlers…
“Be yourself! Don’t let comparison shape the way you twirl and perform and never stop having fun!”

Her funniest memory as a baton twirler…
“I was twirling fire batons in a Mardi Gras parade and as I did a high kick, my foot slipped leaving me on the ground with two fire batons in my hand! Me and my Dad were laughing for the rest of the parade, and I still wish we had a video!”

What will she miss the most when football/field season ends…
“Definitely the band practices every day! There's just something so special about practicing pregame and halftime with the full band that I know I’m going to miss so much!”


We want to thank Gracie, Emmersyn, and Morgan for sharing their Game Day with us, and we are so excited to follow them this season! Hail State!

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.