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ShowTwirlers headed to nationals

The ShowTwirlers Competitive Team of Altoona is hoping to bring more national championship titles back to the city.

For the eighth straight year, more than 30 twirlers, plus coaches Pam Maierhofer, PJ Burkin, Jonathan Burkin, Julie Storm and assistant coach Kayla Irvin, are headed to America’s Youth on Parade at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

The annual weeklong event, which kicks off on July 26, is the national championships of the National Baton Twirling Association.

Hundreds of twirlers from the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean compete in individual and team events on the Notre Dame campus.

Since its inception in 2009, the ShowTwirlers Competitive Team has won eight national championship titles. Last year, the twirlers won three team events in the small beginner senior, large beginner senior, and large beginner junior categories.

Individually, the twirlers also showed off their skills in solo events by bringing home nearly 100 medals for placing in the “Top Ten.” In addition, more than a dozen members of the ShowTwirlers captured first place in their individual national events.

This year, a number of team members have qualified for special events at nationals, based on their placement at state and regional competitions.

Advanced twirlers Bower Sarra, Courtney Detwiler, Brittany Dancha and Jaylyn Resh qualified to compete in the Grand Nationals solo competition. Resh also qualified for the Juvenile Miss Majorette of America pageant.

Libby Sarra, Molly Sarra, Hailey Smith and Mackenzie Detwiler qualified for the intermediate pageant, while Maddie Atkinson, Rose McDaid, Lexi Starr and Mikala McCracken qualified for the beginner pageant.

Twirlers Emilee Starr and Micah Moore won their novice pageants this spring at the Miss Majorette of Pennsylvania competition.

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