The twirlers competed at Bullard High School at the UIL Twirler Solo and Ensemble competition on November 11. All seven twirlers will advance to state in their ensemble and four of them are advancing to state in their solos. 

“We had two ensembles that both performed a one baton dance twirl to ‘Johnny B. Goode,’” twirler director Abigail Banko said. “Each twirler performed a different solo and their solos are individualized to their specific skill set.”

The solos that earned a 1st division are Stefanie Bellar, Sarah Woodworth, Kayleigh Tew, and Juliana McKinney. Both ensembles earned first divisions. The ensembles included Stefanie Bellar, Juliana Mckinney, Grace Perkins, Trinity Boaz, Kayleigh Tew, Rebecca Duke, and Sarah Woodworth. 

“After making ones on both my solo and ensemble it felt rewarding,” senior Bellar said. “We worked so hard to make our ensemble look as good as possible and that just gave us the best feeling of accomplishment.”

The twirlers started in June preparing solos. They attended two group practices each week and each had their own private lesson to practice solos to perfect their routines. 

“I’m so proud of every single one of the girls [because] they never gave up on themselves and have grown so much in the last few months,” Bellar said. “I just feel so proud and excited that I get to twirl with these girls, and they are so dedicated and hard-working.”