Emilie Janicek: Tarleton’s Baton Twirler

BY PAYTON MARKS / Multimedia Journalist

Meet Emilie Janicek, baton twirler for Tarleton State University. 

Janicek is a sophomore and biomedical major and is also the only baton twirler at Tarleton. She has been a twirler since she was a child. 

“I technically started when I was four, that was when I got my first baton and I took a few lessons but stopped because I was four, but I started again when I was in the sixth grade because I just decided that I loved it again,” Janicek said. 

She did twirling in middle school and high school before starting her twirling journey at Tarleton.

“I was my middle school’s twirler for two years and then I did high school twirling, and I also started competing when I was in the seventh or eighth grade and I was like wow, I really want to do this in college,” Janicek said. 

While twirling has been a big part of her life for the last several years, twirling wasn’t a make-or-break decision when deciding to attend Tarleton. In fact, she fell in love with the university before she decided to take up twirling at Tarleton. 

“I actually decided to come here before I even got my twirling spot because I loved it so much and then when I got my twirling spot with The Sound and The Fury Marching Band it was like the cherry on top,” Janicek said. 

Janicek explained why she started twirling again in the sixth grade.

“Twirling is such a unique sport because you incorporate dance, gymnastics, and manipulating a metal stick,” she said. “There are elements of a whole bunch of other sports, and you have to have hand-eye coordination, but you also have to have balance, so it was just that mix of different elements that really drew me to it and made me love it a lot.”

Just like with any other sport, twirling is a lot of work and there’s a lot that goes into it. 

“Being the only twirler on campus I have a lot of freedom as to when I practice, I do like to practice in the mornings because my afternoons are busy with all the other clubs I do, “ Janicek said. “During football season I will practice every day, and five days a week once it gets past football season.”

Janicek also gave insight into learning and choreographing new routines. 

“It really depends on how long it is, so our fight song only took me maybe thirty minutes to come up with because I love choreographing. It’s always been something I’m really passionate about because of my coach,”Janicek said. “She would let me coach her younger students and help create routines for them, so I just love choreographing, but if it’s like a longer routine it might take me a few hours to come up with.” 

She also shared a story about collaborating with the twirler at Abilene Christian University.

Football games aren’t the only place where you can catch Janicek’s performance.

“I do football games, spring football such as the Purple and White game, basketball games as well as performing at different events with the band like I did a performance at the Presidential address, and basically whatever I am invited to do I will do,” Janicek said. 

Janicek also gave some insight into her relationship with the band. 

“The band is amazing, they’re so supportive. Dr. Westbrook is always willing to work with me on stuff and the color guard director Dr. Murr is so supportive of me, she likes to come up with my costume ideas with me. It’s just a really supportive environment even though I’m the only twirler I’ve never felt as if I didn’t belong,” Janicek said.

Janicek also offered some advice to people who may want to do twirling in college. 

“Love the university I’m the biggest advocate of if you cannot see yourself happy somewhere not being an athlete for your sport, don’t go there because if you don’t love the university for what it is twirling is not going to make you love the university,” Janicek said.

She also wanted to wrap up the interview by asking students to support the band. 

“If you see them at halftime or another event please stay and cheer we put in a lot of work, we love the university and want the university to show some love to us too,” Janicek said. 

Janicek said she loves Tarleton and twirling and said that she is so grateful for everything twirling at Tarleton has given her.