The TwirlTasTix Baton Twirling Team of Bel Air earned its first national championship title at the National Baton Twirling Association Championships in South Bend, Indiana last month. Here are the details provided by the team:
TwirlTasTix Baton Twirling Wins First National Team Championship
Bel Air, Maryland — The TwirlTasTix Baton Twirling Team of Bel Air returned home from the National Baton Twirling Association (NBTA) Championships with a historic accomplishment: the team’s first national championship title.
Competing against some of the nation’s top baton twirlers, the TwirlTasTix Beginner Junior Twirl Team captured first place in its division during America’s Youth on Parade (AYOP), the annual NBTA national championships held at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
AYOP has been held for 55 years and has brought together more than 1,500 young athletes from across the country to compete for national titles in the sport of baton twirling.
This year, 15 members of the TwirlTasTix Baton Twirling Teams, part of the new Chesapeake Academy of Performing Arts, traveled to South Bend to compete in nearly 100 individual events and six team events.
The national championship team consisted of Kaylee Hulka, feature twirler from Fallston High School; Portia Diamond of Coatesville High School; Cali Kleintz of Avon Grove Charter School; and Ava Albidress and Aubree Wagner of Southampton Middle School.
“We have had several twirlers win first place in individual events previously, but this was our first team win,” said TwirlTasTix founder and head coach Christine Zoll. “It was an incredible feeling to see our placement. We competed in one of the largest fields of teams, so I knew this was a big win for us.”
The TwirlTasTix competed against 12 other teams in the Beginner Junior Twirl Team division, making the championship particularly meaningful for the young athletes.
The team also enjoyed a strong showing across its other team events, earning four additional top-10 finishes. Highlights included seventh place in Advanced Senior Twirl Team, ninth place in Advanced Senior Dance Twirl, 6th in Beginner Junior Dance Twirl among 22 teams, and fourth place in Beginner Primary Twirl Team.
The TwirlTasTix Advanced Senior team included Meghan Zoll, captain of the Purdue University All American Twirlers; Leika Kimbrough, feature twirler at New Haven University; Anna Smith, Tiger Twirler at Towson University; Cameron Houck, Scarlet Girl feature twirler at Rutgers University; along with Kaylee Hulka, Portia Diamond and Cali Kleintz.
The Primary Twirl Team included Emily, Kayleigh, Alice, Rose and Laura.
The team’s success continued in individual competition. Anna Smith, a Tiger Twirler at Towson University, won first place in the Intermediate World Open X-Strut event.
“When I saw that I won my X-Strut, I was stunned,” Smith said. “I was against some amazing twirlers, and even now I still feel so blessed to have won. The hard work I put in definitely paid off!”
In Show Twirl, an event that combines baton twirling with additional props and choreography inspired by the music, Kristen Griffiths earned first place. Griffiths also twirls for Lebanon Valley College.
TwirlTasTix senior team member Meghan Zoll added to the team’s accomplishments by winning the Collegiate National Halftime Championship and two WOW events with her college team, the Purdue University All American Twirlers.
Overall, TwirlTasTix athletes earned 46 top-10 finishes in nearly 100 individual events, including 18 top-five placements.
“This was an incredible week for our athletes,” Zoll said. “They worked hard all season, supported one another and represented our team and community with pride. Seeing their dedication rewarded on the national stage was incredibly special.” Coach Tess Grove, a former TwirlTasTix twirler herself, and Coach Dawn Amos were also at the memorable national event.
Coach Christine Zoll founded the TwirlTasTix Baton Twirling Teams in 2003. The team is now part of the newly established Chesapeake Academy of Performing Arts, which offers classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, acro, baton twirling and other performing arts disciplines.
Registration for upcoming fall classes is now open.
For more information, contact info@chesapeakeperformingarts.com or visit www.chesapeakeacademyofperformingarts.com.
