Baton twirling group stuns with dazzling performances 

MayaZier

A senior, a sophomore and a freshman walk into a gym. What are they holding? Batons! 

Senior Claire Hillebrandt, sophomore Lauren Lazure and freshman Brooklyn Frankenfield are the baton twirlers of Marian. You might have seen them performing at halftime shows or pep rallies, but what you haven’t seen is how much dedication these girls have.

Lazure and Frankenfield started baton twirling when they were 7 and 8 years old. Lazure’s step-mom first introduced her to the art of twirling. “I learned all about baton twirling and thought it was such a unique, interesting sport. Until I could start taking lessons, I begged my stepmom to teach me different types of twirls. Once I started taking lessons, I knew that baton twirling was the perfect sport for me,” Lazure said. 

Frankenfield was introduced to the sport by a few friends. “I have grown my love for twirling over the years, and I still twirl with the girls who I started with. The more I did it, the more it became a part of me.” 

Hillebrandt got started a little later. “Normally, you would start when you are like 5 to 9 years old, but I started when I was 13,” Hillebrandt said.  

Baton twirling is extremely challenging and these girls make it look easy. “For every trick, the height of a toss, the revolution of the baton, and the trick must all be coordinated just right to be able to catch the trick,” Lazure said. A regular baton weighs about ½ pound and costs as low as $20. 

For Hillebrandt, the hardest part is determination. “When you are learning a new trick, all you want to do is catch it. But it takes time. You have to be determined to catch the trick. Many times, you want to give up after so long, but you can’t.”

 These girls all met through their baton twirling team, Sue’s Stepper-ettes. “We used to be in separate groups when we were younger, so I did not really know Claire and Lauren then. Over the years, our teams merged, and I have gotten closer with them,” Frankenfield said. 

These girls practice 8-10 hours per week, both alone and with each other. They compete outside of Marian, too. Hillebrandt said, “We go to nationals every year in South Bend, Indiana at the University of Notre Dame.” 

Over the summer, Lazure designed their costumes and sent them to a seamstress. They were handcrafted and finished within months and now they get to show them off whenever they perform at Marian. 

Hillebrandt, Frankenfield and Lazure are happy the Marian community allows them to showcase their talents. “We were so appreciative of the opportunity and were so glad when we were able to schedule times to twirl again this year,” Lazure said. 

“Baton twirling is such a unique sport, and I am glad that Claire, Brooklyn and I are able to share it with Marian! I hope to continue to twirl in college and share the sport with others,” Lazure said.