Friday Night Lights Feature - Veterans Memorial High School Twirler

Hello Texas Twirl Fans! Ready for another edition of our Friday Night Lights Feature? We were enjoying our time on the beaches of Corpus Christi so much, we decided to stay here for this week’s interview.

Today we venture down the road to the bright lights at the brand new Veterans Memorial High School to meet the very first Feature Twirler in school history, Victoria Contreras!

Victoria tells us “My high school just opened last year, so we contacted the band director, Mr. Shawn Athey, and asked if he would consider a feature twirler in the marching band. I tried out and he welcomed me to the Screaming Eagle Band!” Don’t you just love a good story about receptive band directors? We need more band directors like Mr. Athey who are willing to give baton twirlers a chance to showcase our sport. Below is Victoria (supporting Twirling for the Cure during her school's Pink Out day!) pictured with Mr. Athey. We know the Screaming Eagle band has a great future with such a supportive leader at the wheel.

Since Veterans Memorial High School is still new, they are just beginning to create school traditions. Victoria’s favorite so far is when at football games VMHS has a different U.S. Military Veteran run out on the field with the football players waving the American flag. “It is very moving for me because my dad is a Veteran. He served 21.5 years in the United States Coast Guard”. What an amazing way for this new school to really live up to its name!

Now it is time to learn a little more about this Screaming Eagle Twirler when she is not making history!

Victoria Contreras, Sophomore, Competition Level: Intermediate
Victoria has been twirling for 9 years as a part of the Nancy Eisenhauer School of Baton Twirling where she is coached by Keely Davis, Kim Berger, and Nancy Eisenhauer. She says the title she is most proud of winning was the 2015 Junior Intermediate Miss Twirling Snowflake Pageant. She says “I had just moved up to Intermediate the contest before, so it was really cool to win that pageant”.

Victoria’s favorite competition trick is anything with a leap in it, and her favorite field trick is a toss cartwheel. When it comes to twirling inspiration Victoria says “I don't have a specific twirler that inspires me. Everyone that has helped me through my nine year twirling journey has motivated me to become a better twirler and person”. After High School Victoria hopes to attend UTSA and major in Art/Art History. She would also love the chance to be a part of the SOSA Sweethearts as a Feature Twirler.

Fun Facts!
Color: Black
Movie: “Forrest Gump”
Book: “This Is Where It Ends” by Marieke Nijkamp
Favorite Routine to Perform: her Show Twirl

You may not know that she… has a red headed sister who has Autism. “I don't mind talking about her to my friends... (talking about it) brings Autism awareness & educates”.

When she is not twirling, she loves to… “Create Art. Drawing, painting, sculpting, and writing...I just love art!”

Funniest twirling moment... “When I knocked out a dragonfly practicing my tosses”. Poor dragonfly!

Most memorable advice from her coach... “Practice like you are performing in front of the judge”.

Victoria’s Favorite Quote/Life Motto comes from her mother who tells her "Even when you think people are not watching, they are". Victoria says “that always motivates me to be at my best”. This motto has gone hand in hand with other lessons she has learned from baton twirling. “The life skills I've learned (from baton twirling) are how to motivate others and help keep a positive attitude”

When reflecting on her time so far as the Feature Twirler, Victoria wants to make sure future Features remember that “the band will be your second family throughout your high school years, so take in the laughs, the moments and cherish every bit of it”. While she still has a couple more years to enjoy her time at VMHS, this second family is a part of what she says she will miss most when she graduates… “The hilarious moments, the bonding, and the friendships that we created within the band. Those memories are what I will forever remember being (the first) Veteran's Memorial High School Feature Twirler”.

Congratulations to Victoria on spreading our sport into a new school and serving as a positive example of what baton twirlers can accomplish. "VMHS Band Hoo-rah!!" Blog Dismissed!

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

Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - Sydney Webster of Texas Tech University

Hello Texas Twirl Fans! I hope you all have been enjoying the weekly Friday Night Lights Feature. We know we have enjoyed reading the answers these lovely twirlers are giving. All that interview practice is paying off! If you have a High School twirler you would like to nominate, please email us at texastwirlcontact@gmail.com.

As a special treat, today we kick off our new weekly Collegiate Twirler Spotlight. We wanted to start off BIG so we went all the way up to Lubbock to introduce you to a fantastic young lady, Miss Sydney Webster. Sydney is not only the Texas Tech University Feature Twirler, but she was also Miss Lubbock and was awarded second runner up at the 2016 Miss Texas Pageant where she won both her prelim talent and fitness award.

Texas Tech University has a wonderful history of baton twirling, and the feature positon has always been filled by amazing Texas twirlers. In order to earn this title, the Tech Feature has to re-audition every year to make sure they stay competitive and keep their skill level up. As a senior, this was Sydney’s last year to audition and she will be graduating in the spring. With four awesome years to look back on, we asked what she will miss the most about being the Texas Tech Feature… “I will miss pre-game performances, because the energy is through the roof and the crowd is so supportive! You can feel the passion in the stadium; it is just an unforgettable feeling!”

With Sydney graduating, there will be an open Feature spot for the 2017-18 season. We asked Sydney why twirlers should consider auditioning for the vacancy. She says “Texas Tech is an amazing school with so many wonderful traditions that you get to be a part of. We have outstanding leadership (twirling coaches, band directors, etc.), so you will be in great hands, and The Goin’ Band is so supportive of its twirlers! Also, people are so passionate about football in Texas so there will NEVER be a dull moment”.

We had to hear, what is her FAVORITE of these great traditions? “Throwing tortillas on the field at kickoff…I don’t even know why Tech fans do that, but it’s hilarious every time!! It looks like it is raining tortillas”. She also says that the band has its own set of traditions and inside jokes. She is most fond of “when we march over to the stadium, the Goin’ Band has these chants that we say to fit the drum cadences. Nobody knows how they were created or even what they mean, but it’s so fun because everyone is so ready for the game! There is so much energy and we do it so often that fans walking by even chant along with us.”

If you think you want to be a part of the tortilla throwing and chanting next year, check out this blog post with more information about the opening. In the meantime, let’s take a minute to get to know more about this Red Raider off the field…

Sydney Webster, Senior, Competition Level: Advanced/Collegiate

Sydney is from Lubbock, Texas and is currently a senior at Texas Tech University where she is a Public Relations Major. Sydney is taught by Coach Bethany Tolley and has been twirling for 15 years. She says she is most proud of earning the title of College Miss Majorette of Texas. Her favorite competition trick is her front neck rolls, and her favorite field trick is a toss leap walkover (“The crowd loves it!!!”). Sydney says her biggest twirling inspiration is former Texas Tech Feature, Lee Bobbitt. After graduation, Sydney plans to move to the Metroplex area and get a job in the Public Relations field.

When asked what her favorite moment of twirling has been, she said it was becoming a coach herself. “It’s so important to teach younger generations about twirling so the sport can continue and become more popular”. We also wanted to know what she thought was the funniest moment she has experienced in twirling. She said “when I went to Peru in 2012, we learned an entire routine about 5 minutes before the performance…it was a disaster but we had so much fun and surprisingly the crowd thought it was great!!!”

Sydney says that the number one non-twirling life skill she has learned from baton twirling is to be confident and carry yourself with poise. “You never know who is watching!” So true! She also advises all future collegiate twirlers to make sure to “always be nice to band members… you will be with them for four years, so make as many friends as you can”.

Fun Facts!

Color – Green

Movie – “Me Before You”

Music – Country

Quote – “Be a pineapple… stand tall, wear a crown, and be sweet on the inside.

When she isn’t twirling she loves to – Read Books!

You may not know that she – skipped first grade! “I’m younger than everyone in my grade. I will graduate college before I even turn 21!”
Most Memorable Advice from her Coach: “Watch the baton into your hands and say CATCH every time.”

Since we had Sydney answering questions, we just had to hear about her experiences at the Miss Texas pageant! The whole twirling community was so proud to see her prelim wins and to watch her take 2^nd Runner Up in her very first attempt for the crown. Here we learn more about the pageant and her advice to twirlers considering the pageant route…

Q: What were you most proud of? 

A: I was most proud of my Lifestyle and Fitness award. I am definitely someone who likes sweets so I had to make a lifestyle change leading up to the pageant. I never knew I could be that self-disciplined!

Q: What surprised you the most? 

A: The girls competing surprised me the most, actually. I didn’t know they would be that funny behind the scenes. We had a blast together and I will never forget the memories we made!

Q: What would you go back and change? 

A: I don’t think I would change anything… I felt confident in each phase of my competition and I was extremely pleased with the outcome.

Q: Will we see you competing again for the Miss Texas title in 2017? 

A: As of the year 2017, I will not be competing since I am graduating from college and trying to find a “real-person job.” As for 2018 though, that is definitely a possibility!

Q: Many twirlers debate if they want to go the pageant route. What would you tell them to help them decide?

A: Pageants do require a lot of time and dedication, but if you compete you will already be SO prepared! As a twirler, we already have a talent, practice with interview, we know how to walk in a gown, and twirling keeps us physically fit. Basically, if you are a twirler you have been preparing for pageants the whole time without even knowing it!! Miss Texas was a wonderful experience and I firmly believe it helped me become a better field/competitive twirler, as well. If you are on the fence about pageants, try it once and I promise you will be successful with it!

What wonderful, insightful advice from a great role model. We were so honored to be able to share this great interview with all of you, and hope you enjoyed learning more about Sydney. Until next time Texas Twirl Fans… and don’t forget… GUNS UP! WRECK EM TECH!

Have a favorite High School or Collegiate Twirler that you would like to see interviewed? Please contact us at texastwirlcontact@gmail.com with their name and email address so that we can reach out to them!

Friday Night Lights Feature - Flour Bluff High School Twirlers

Hello Texas Twirl Fans! Welcome to week three of our Friday Night Lights Features.

This week we travel way down south to Corpus Chrisi, Texas, to learn about the Flour Bluff High School twirlers – Cayla Watson, Alexis Tanner, and Piper Vegh. The three twirlers are members of the Stingerettes twirling team and are coached by Nancy Eisenhauer, Kim Berger, and Keely Davis from the Eisenhauer School of Twirling.  

To earn their spots as the Flour Bluff twirlers, each year they have to try out with a routine in front of the band directors. This year five twirlers auditioned, but only these three were selected. As the Flour Bluff twirlers, they get to experience a lot of great moments including having a no drop half time performance, playing other schools with twirlers, and  most notably when they went to an away game, and the student section of the opposing school was cheering super loudly for them.  

At Flour Bluff, they have a lot of great inside jokes and traditions. They start each football game with a kick line before kickoff, and end it with hitting the gate of the football field entrance with their batons for luck. Besides yelling “MOVEMENT FOUR” (which must mean something hilarious), they love when their band does Senior Speeches. “On the day of the last home game, before we leave, all the seniors are given the opportunity to give a speech about their time in the band and their experiences”.  

While they may have a few years until they give their senior speeches, they already know what they will miss the most when they leave band. “The memories made at band camp, practice, games, pep-rallies, and before/after school rehearsals” as well as “all of the friends I have made over the years. I will also miss being part of such a close band, because everyone is very friendly and nice to each other”.

When summing up their experiences as twirlers, they have learned a lot. They feel that twirling has given them a lot of confidence and has given them the ability to always think positive. “When you drop on the field or during a competition you should always smile even bigger and keep going. It really helps you realize that even when things get tough, think positively and keep smiling!” They also have some important advice to pass on to future High School Twirlers including (1) Learn your spots!!! (2) Never stop practicing- and that means full out practicing (3) Know the routines and (4) of course, have fun!

 Now let’s learn a little more about these three Hornet Twirlers…

Cayla Watson, Freshman, Competition Level: Advanced

Cayla has been twirling for 12 years. She is most proud of winning the title of 2016 Advanced Junior Texas State Solo, Strut, and 2 Baton Champion. Her favorite tricks during their marching band show are her double illusion and their group exchange in movement four. Cayla’s most memorable twirling moment was when she got to compete in the Strut Offs at AYOP Nationals. After High School she wants to twirl for a major University.

Alexis Tanner, Junior, Competition Level: Intermediate

Alexis has been twirling for 10 years. She is most proud of the title of 2009 Beginner Miss Majorette of Texas. Her favorite competition trick is a toss double illusion, and her favorite field trick is a toss cartwheel. After High School, Alexis plans to attend college and twirl for her University, while also running track and working on her major of sports medicine. She says her favorite twirling moment would be when “I won a sportsmanship award from Mrs. Patti Mickey for continuing my routine through to the end even though I was covered in blood since I had hit myself in the face and given myself a nose bleed”. 

Piper Vegh, Sophomore, Competition Level: Intermediate

Piper has been twirling for 11 years. She is most proud of earning the title 2014 National Flag Baton Champion. Her favorite competition twirling trick is elbow pops and her favorite field trick is a toss leap.  Her favorite competition each year is AYOP and she loves doing her solo. After college Piper plans to work with the elderly.

Who are they most inspired by?

     *Cayla – Savannah Miller

     *Piper – Elisabeth Lawson

     *Alexis – Shane Downey “He was so uplifting and had a positive outlook on everything”. 

Fun Facts!

Color: Glurple/“Glittery Purple” (Cayla), Blue (Alexis & Piper)

Movie: Soul Surfer (Cayla), Aladdin (Alexis), Titanic (Piper)

Music: Pop (Cayla), anything that pumps you up (Alexis), Drake (Piper)

When they are not twirling, they love to…

      *Cayla – RUN! I'm in cross country and track

      *Alexis – RUN!! I love running on varsity track for my school

      *Piper – Sleep

Something you might not know about these girls:

      *Cayla – I love tacos.

      *Alexis – During concert season I play the bassoon.

      *Piper – I have a pet squirrel, goat, and pig.

Best Advice ever given by their coach:

      *Cayla – Practice like you're in last, Perform like you've already won.

      *Alexis – Just keep smiling, and if you mess up, smile bigger! 

      *Piper – You can do it!!

Favorite Quote/Life Motto:

      *Cayla – "When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you'll be successful." 

      *Alexis – “Fake it till you make it!”

      *Piper – "Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor."

Funniest Moment Twirling Together:

It is a tie, with both stories revolving around Alexis. It was either when she broke her baton in half right before they went on to the field for a halftime performance, or when Alexis was practicing during band camp and ended up getting the tip of her baton stuck in a container of coconut oil. We don’t even want to know how either of those happened! Way to go Alexis!

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

 

Friday Night Lights Feature - Steele High School Twirlers

Hello Texas Twirl Fans! Welcome to the second round of our Friday Night Lights Features.

This week we travel to the bright lights in Cibolo, Texas, to learn about the Steele High School twirlers – Abby Neuman, Julie Griffee, and Melinda Branson. The three SHS Sparklers are members of the Twirling Sweet Sensations twirling team and are coached by Michele Pangrac, Mary Ann Srulowitz, and Lori Michelle.  

In order to earn their spots, they had to learn an ensemble routine and perform it for the band directors and judges. These three very much value their twirling experience and say that “baton twirling, especially on a line, has taught us a lot about confidence and teamwork”. From this they have developed their best advice to future High School twirlers, which is, “don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Twirling in high school requires motivation in order to see the results you've dreamed of”.

Having this unity and the confidence they have built together they achieved their favorite moment of field twirling, which was when they had a no-drop during their first half-time performance of the year. With two of these ladies graduating this spring, they begin to think of what they will miss the most. They say “what we will miss the most is being able to see each other almost every day. We were once just teammates, but now we are sisters”. If that doesn’t give you the feels, I don’t know what will!

Now let’s learn a little more about our three Steele Knights!

 Abby Neuman, Senior, Competition Level: Intermediate

Abby has been twirling for 10 years. She is most proud of winning the title of 2016 Senior Intermediate Texas State Pageant Winner. Her favorite competition trick is her horizontal release across the back, left to right, with a one spin to the right, catch in splits, and her favorite field trick is fishtails (she says the crowd loves it!). After high school she wants to be a twirler in college and graduate with a degree in sociology and theology so she can be a youth minister.

 Julie Griffee, Senior, Competition Level: Beginner

Julie has been twirling for 7 years. She is most proud of winning the title of 2016 Senior Beginner Texas State Pageant Winner. Her favorite competition trick is a toss catch in a scorpion, and her favorite field movements are leaps and illusions. After high school, Julie plans on going to go to college and eventually becoming a Veterinarian.

Melinda Branson, Junior, Competition Level: Beginner

Melinda has been twirling for 4 years. She is most proud of winning the title of Basic Skills Pageant Winner. Her favorite competition trick is her 3 spin, and her favorite field movement is doing the splits with her teammates. After High School, Melinda plans to go to college and become a veterinarian or a band director.

Who are they most inspired by? Abby says “My coach, Michele Pangrac. (She) has always inspired me because of her excellence and success in twirling as well as the constant love she shows all her students”. Melinda & Julie both say they are most inspired by Miss Texas, Caroline Carothers. Julie says “not only is she an amazing twirler and is very successful, but she also works with twirling for the cure and really cares about helping others” and Melinda says “she is kind to all of her teammates but makes twirling look fluid and easy”. Such high praise!

Fun Facts!

Color: Purple (Abby & Julie), Blue (Melinda)

Movie: Harry Potter (Julie & Melinda), Zootopia (Abby)

What do they like to do when they are not twirling?

      *Abby – I love singing for my church's teen band

      *Julie – I write, read, and take pictures of sunsets and sunrises 

      *Melinda – I love to read

Something you might not know about these girls:

      *Abby – I've been singing in choir since first grade

      *Julie – By the end of this year I will have 72 college credit hours

      *Melinda – I march tuba in the band 

Best advice ever given by their coach?

• Abby: “You know how good you are and that's enough... the judge doesn't see your work in the gym." 
• Julie: “’Watch the baton’. This sounds obvious, but if you think ahead and worry about what's coming up, you can forgot to really watch and focus on the moment”
• Melinda: “Relax and make the motions fluid”

Favorite Quote:

• Abby: “When you do something beautiful and nobody notices, do not be sad. For the sun every morning is a beautiful spectacle and yet most of the audience still sleeps”. -John Lennon
  
• Julie: "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." - Leo Buscaglia (Julie says “This quote shows my motto because I always make it a point to talk to somebody who seems nervous or lonely. If I see somebody wearing a nice shirt or has pretty eyes I tell them because I know how much one compliment can brighten somebody's day. The way I see it is that if you can make somebody happy so easily, then why would you not take advantage of that?”)
• Melinda: "Look for something positive in each day, even if some days you have to look a little harder" -anonymous

Favorite Individual Twirling Moments? Abby says “My favorite moment was winning second at state in x-strut when it was my first time competing advanced”. Both Julie & Melinda say it was competing at Nationals. Julie says “My favorite individual twirling moment was being able to compete at nationals and earn 7 medals”. Wow!  

Best School Tradition? “Everyone loves the football players, but no one appreciates the hard work band does. While the band exits the stadium, we give them elbow-bumps (since their hands are full) to show some appreciation.”

Best Band Tradition/Inside Joke? “Any time we are choreographing a routine and suggest a certain dance move, it is guaranteed that someone else will say, "Like this?" and go into the ugliest pose imaginable”. 

Funniest Twirl Moment? “The three of us once when shopping and found some toy batons (the little ones with water in the ends) and decided it would be a good idea to twirl them to our routine. We almost got the end of our mini-performance when one baton went flying and smashed into the ground. Water splashed everywhere and we couldn't help but break down in laughter”. They even had pictures to prove the sheer amount of laughter that followed. Nice job ladies! 

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

#TeamTexas Social Media Sites

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Did you know this blog has had over 9,600 page views in its almost 3 months history? That is not only exciting, but shows that the Texas Twirling Community has a lot of interest in coming together.

We wanted to take a quick moment to reach this audience to point out all the great social media sites available to the NBTA Texas Twirling Community. Every one of them has its own special purpose, so please check them all out, and invite your friends to follow them as well! The more people we have following the sites, the better the information we can share!

1) Do you love this blog? Follow us on Facebook at the Twirling is Catching TX Blog Fan Site to find out every time a new blog is posted. While I enjoy posting it on my personal page, this is a new site to allow for further access of this blog beyond my personal friends page.

2) While you are on Facebook, check out and join the NBTA Texas State Twirlers Facebook Community. This is a private community for sharing pictures and quick news about upcoming events. The moderators even do a FB event for all upcoming contests. It is a great resource!

3)  If you aren't on Facebook, you can go to Instagram and follow @nbtatexastwirlers there. This Instagram account is dedicated to posting photos of Texas Twirlers and includes Save the Dates!

4) We all try to keep track of contest results, but if you need to reference back you can visit http://texastwirlresults.tumblr.com/. This is a tumblr site where photos or files of posted contest results can be found. Please note, these results may not always be complete and are just photos of what was posted or announced.

5) Finally, the biggest resource is going to be found at www.texastwirl.com. This website has many sources of information that are valuable to NBTA Twirlers in Texas including:
   *A constantly updated list up upcoming contests - www.texastwirl.com/contests.html
   *A list of currently known HS & Collegiate twirlers - www.texastwirl.com/twirlers.html
   *Useful links and websites for contest & equipment - www.texastwirl.com/resources.html
   *A continually evolving list of NBTA Texas Coaches - www.texastwirl.com/coaches.html

For any questions, updates, or to provide information for any of these pages, you can email texastwirlcontact@gmail.com. While Texas Twirl doesn't moderate all of these sites, we can make sure your requests end up in the right hands. Thanks everyone!!!

UT Permian Basin Twirling & Endowment Update

Hello Texas Twirling Fans!

In supporting the growth of our sport, this blog loves to cover news of new twirling opportunities. Thanks to the dedication of the wonderful Marlene Torres, the 2016-17 Fall Season premiered the first baton twirlers ever at the University of Texas - Permian Basin! This is an exciting opportunity and welcomed three twirlers on to the line for their inaugural season. These three ladies include Emily-Ann Brito, Kaden Ellison, and Cristina Sanchez.

The band director at UTPB, Clayton Harris, has been very supportive of the program and has let Marlene know that ANY high school twirlers (or twirlers that might be in college somewhere else) that might be interested in visiting UTPB, can contact Marlene for assistance in getting complimentary tickets to an upcoming game to come for a visit! They could spend the day with the band, sit with the band, and enjoy a college football game for free. There are 5 more home games this year so please email babeswithbatons@aim.com for more information.

One of the most exciting parts of the new UTPB twirling line is the creation of an endowment fund. This endowment fun will help ensure that twirling continues at UTPB for the duration of the fund's existence. This is where they need your help! Please consider contributing to this endowment. Any amount will help set the future for this program.

Included here is the pledge form to donate money to support this program. You can also click here to get a printable version. If you have any questions or want more information on the endowment fund and how it works, please contact Marlene Torres, babeswithbatons@aim.com. We know she would be happy to hear from you.

Friday Night Lights Feature - The Woodlands High School Twirlers

Hello Texas Twirl Fans! To help get into the spirit of Football Season, this blog & the NBTA Texas State Twirlers FB Page will highlight some of the High School and Collegiate Twirlers from around the State!

Our first Friday Night Lights Feature is about The Woodlands High School Feature Twirlers - Rachel Hutchinson, Isabel Obias, and Jillian Romaguera. These lovely twirlers are all coached by Patti Mickey.

To maintain their Feature Twirler status, each year The Woodlands HS twirlers audition with a two minute show twirl-style routine to their choice of music in front of a panel of judges.

These three love showing their school pride. They say their favorite school tradition is when they hook pinkies with the football players, cheerleaders, and dance team and sing the school song at the end of every game and pep rally. In fact, they say pep rallies will be the part of HS Twirling they miss the most when they graduate! They will also miss being close to home & their coach.

What do they think is the most important thing that being a HS Twirler has given them? “Friendship, teamwork, and sportsmanship because we are with each other so much and become really close”. They also say they have a great relationship with the band and each other. “We laugh at almost everything hahaha”.

Now let's learn a little more about these three Highlander twirlers:

Rachel Hutchinson, Junior, Competition Level: Advanced 
Rachel has been twirling for only 6 years! In her words “I started older than some, which I think actually helped me to have a ton of dedication and work extremely hard”. She is the most proud of earning the titles Advanced Teenage All-Around Jr. Olympic Champion and Junior Miss Majorette of the Southwest. Her favorite competition trick is her elbow pops and roll combinations, and her favorite field trick is a leap walkover under a high toss. She says “I love field twirling and the best part is when the crowd gets involved!”. After High School Rachel is still exploring different majors but thinking about medical law with a minor in the Spanish language.

Isabel Obias, Senior, Competition Level: Advanced 
Isabel has been twirling for a decade! Her favorite competition trick is the back neck rolls in her 3 baton routine, and her favorite field trick is a Toss Leap Front Walkover Catch (She says “working on it, almost got it!”). She loves whenever she has a no drop routine and she also enjoys when she realizes that the opposing team crowd is really into their twirling. “The crowd will start clapping and yelling compliments. It's such a great feeling to be supported in that way". She is most proud of winning the title of Beginner Miss Twirl Mania 2011 (her first one!). After High School, Isabel plans to become a biomedical engineer and then hopefully work at NASA like her aunt.

Jillian Romaguera, Senior, Competition Level: Intermediate 
Jillian has been twirling for 6 years non-competitively and 3 years competitively. Her favorite competition trick is back neck rolls, and her favorite field trick is a forward roll under a high toss. She is most proud of winning the title of Magnolia Queen. After High School, Jillian plans to graduate college and major in nursing.






Who are they most inspired by? Isabel says she is most inspired by Hollie Neilson and some of the Japanese twirlers. Rachel & Jillian say they are most inspired by Miss Texas 2016, Caroline Carothers. Rachel says “she was so kind and welcoming to me when I was a new twirler and still to this day inspires me, as a twirler and also as a person. I bought a few of her costumes and they always become my lucky costumes!”

Fun Facts!
Favorite Colors = Sky Blue (Rachel) & Purple (Isabel and Jillian)
Favorite Movie = “RV” (Rachel), “Harry Potter & Marvel Movies” (Isabel)
Favorite TV Show = “Parks & Recreation” (Jillian)
Favorite Song = "Can't stop the feeling" by Justin Timberlake (Rachel)
Favorite Quote = "I will do today what others won't so that tomorrow I can do what others can't" (Rachel) Something you might not know about these girls:
         *Rachel = She does her homework in the middle splits.
         *Jillian = She has four older siblings.
         *Isabel = She enjoys going to Comicons.
Best advice ever given by their coach:
         *Isabel = “Batons before boys”
         *Rachel = "Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect”
What do they like to do when they are not twirling?
         *Rachel = Bike with family, walk her dog Lillly, or volunteer at the Animal Shelter.
         *Jillian = Ride her bike or paint her nails.
         *Isabel = Sleep! (we totally feel you there Isabel!)

Favorite/Funniest Twirling Moment:
Rachel: “Going to the iTwirl Conference in Maryland was an amazing experience. I saw so many great twirlers not only all over the country, but also some from other countries, like Canada and Japan. It's also so great when little kids watch and then say "I want to do that"! It means so much because we need to inspire more kids to try twirling and I love doing my best to help promote the sport.”

Isabel: “For my first National Majorette performance Kayli (Mickey) said "Make an entrance". When it was my turn I thought, "Be confident", so I pushed back the blue curtain (maybe a little too excitedly?) and the next thing I knew, it swallowed me up and I trying to free myself from it. I sure made an entrance

Jillian:  Every time she gets to meet lots of new friends!

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