07.25.08
Final Twirling Results
First, I had to have an emergency change of blogging platforms. While I was gone my other platform was upgraded automatically and it destroyed everything. So, I’m going to just use this one temporarily and I will make it my own.
We returned home last night from a very very long vacation and I finally got some videos and pictures uploaded. I’m also starting to wade through the massive backlog on Google Reader.
Okay, so for the final stats of Prissy’s first National competition. A bit of an explanation. There are several different individual events in the USTA baton world.
- Foundation events (which includes marching and presentation – which is a 30 second solo). This is usually the first thing a twirler does. Prissy did a military march for Nationals and a presentation.
- Strut – this is a routine done where the twirler is constantly moving. Each step to beat and moving feet left/right/left/right. Prissy did not do this event this year.
- Two and Three baton – it speaks for itself. Twirler twirls 2 and three batons. Prissy did not do this event this year but really wants to do 2 baton next year.
- Dance Twirl – this is a routine that is mostly dance with baton.
- Solo – this is a routine that is mostly about twirling. The twirler stays mostly in the same spot and has to complete several different things – with tosses, fingers, a flat section and a roll section.
Each area has beginning, intermediate, and advanced. After 5 wins, a twirler can no longer do beginning, after 10 wins, a twirler can no longer do intermediate. At nationals, for everything except the foundation events – the advanced is the “national” catagory and it’s done by age. The top two twirlers from each age move on to the Divisional Finals. So, the Juvenile finals are for 9-12 year olds (the winners in this area are the top elite twirling atheletes in the nation).
To give you an idea of how many twirlers there were I took this picture at the retreat (which is all the groups):
With that lengthy explanation out of the way, here is how Prissy did at her first National competition:
- Beginning Military Marching: 1st place
- Intermediate Military Marching: 2nd place
- Advanced Military Marching: 3rd place
- Advanced Presentation: 5th place
- Beginning Dance Twirl: 2nd place
- Intermediate Dance Twirl: 1st place
- National 9 year old Dance Twirl: 3rd place
- Intermediate Solo: 1st place
- National 9 year old Solo: 2nd place (since she placed in the top two – she went on)
- National Juvenile Solo Finals: 8th place (this was absolutely incredible for her first year)
So, Prissy won 3 first places in all. And went on to the Solo finals. She did absolutely awesome. I’m having a hard time fathoming that I have a nationally ranked daughter. Pretty impressive if you ask me.
Here is her podium picture – how exciting:
Click here for her Intermediate Dance Twirl that she won first place. She had a weird drop – her two spin went wonky.
Here is the podium picture:
Click here for her solo for finals (it’s a bit different from intermediate – it’s 30 seconds longer) – she had a silly drop, but all in all she held her own. At least it’s from the front.
Here is the podium (she got a $50 bond for this win):
And a picture of Prissy with some of her awards and her biggest fan:
And here is a picture of her actual National awards:
