8-17-2026 10:48pm

Saline Twirlettes National Team Strong at Notre Dame Nationals

The Saline Twirlettes National Team competed at the National Baton Twirling Association (NBTA) National Competition July 13–18 at the University of Notre Dame. The team delivered a strong showing, welcoming nine new members who experienced nationals for the first time.

The “Snow White” team, featuring eight first-time national competitors, earned a fourth-place finish in the Beginner Large Youth Dance Twirl division. The athletes performed impressively in their debut on the national floor.

In individual competition, Cooper Sipotz stood out as one of the week’s top performers. (See attached article.)

Pictured above: Snow White Team. Front: Bethany Beleski Middle row: Tessa O’Donnell, Maya Bynum, Audrey Lang, Olive O’Donnell. Back row: Mattie Behnke, Angela Phillips, Skylar Swafford, Charlotte Floyd, Emory O’Donnell, and Everly Diedrich

In the advanced division, Leilani Chyo placed 10th in Open Strut and finished in the top 20 in the Teenage Miss Majorette of America pageant—her first time competing at this level. This fall, Chyo will twirl with the University of Michigan and aims to compete in the collegiate division next year.

College twirlers also represented their universities with distinction. Elly LeCursi and Molly Rogers competed for the University of Kentucky, while Erin Huetteman represented Michigan State University.

Rogers finished 11th overall in the College Miss Majorette of America pageant (14th in twirling, 9th in strutting, and 14th in modeling). She also placed 10th in Open Strut (age 17) and 13th in the Down-the-Field event, the routine college feature twirlers perform during football halftime with the marching band.

Huetteman, MSU Feature Twirler, placed 17th overall in the college pageant, with a sixth-place finish in pageant strutting and fourth in Age 19 Open Strut. She and two other feature twirlers earned third place in the Small Team Pregame & Tradition division. Huetteman will return to the field at Spartan Stadium this fall as a junior Feature Twirler.

LeCursi and Rogers competed with the University of Kentucky Sweetheart Majorettes, who captured the College Pregame & Tradition national title. It marked the first time in more than 30 years that the Wildcats had competed in the college division. LeCursi will serve as captain of the Sweetheart Majorettes this fall, while Rogers enters her second year as Feature Twirler.

The Twirlettes are proud of these college athletes who continued practicing and competing at the highest level of the sport.

Twirlettes supporting college twirling day. Pictured with Elly LeCursi, UK Sweetheart Majorette.

Additional Individual Results

Grass Lake sophomore Emma Herrell placed 10th in Intermediate Solo, sixth in Strut, and fifth in Two-Baton.
Kaitlin McKenzie earned 10th in Solo, seventh in Strut, fifth in Beginner Three-Baton, and seventh in Show Routine.
Saline senior Kristina Diss placed 10th in Intermediate Solo.
Saline eighth-grader Madelyn Beleski won her Beginner Solo and Novice Strut divisions. She also placed third in Duet with partner Audrey Lang.
Audrey Lang finished fifth overall in the Beginner Preteen National Pageant (10th in Solo, second in Strut). She also earned third in Open Solo and second in Novice Two-Baton. Lang qualified at the state level to compete in the national pageant.
Saline fifth-grader Bethany Beleski placed fifth overall in the Beginner Juvenile Pageant (10th in Solo, seventh in Strut, and 10th in Modeling). She also finished seventh in Open Solo and third in Intermediate Strut. Beleski qualified through the state pageant.
Hartland third-grader Mattie Behnke is the Age 7 Show Twirl national champion. She also placed 10th in Beginner Solo and second in Novice Strut.
Grass Lake junior Aubrie Reynolds, competing in her first nationals, placed 15th in Strut and Solo, ninth in Novice Two-Baton, and fifth in Show Twirl.
Saline eighth-grader Emory O’Donnell placed 11th in Novice Strut.
Maya Bynum (East Arbor Charter Academy, Ypsilanti) placed ninth in Solo and fifth in Strut in the Novice Age 7 division.
Skylar Swafford (East Arbor Charter Academy) placed eighth in Solo and ninth in Strut.

Duets and Team Honors
Reynolds and Diss placed third in their duet division, as did Lang and Beleski. Audrey Lang was named Preteen Team Member of the Year and performed in the big show. Bethany Beleski finished second in Juvenile Team Member of the Year.

Overall Success
The Twirlettes returned home with a Nations Cup qualifier for the World Championships, four national titles, and 38 top-ten medals. Competing against large, highly competitive fields at the national level is demanding; the athletes’ dedication and summer training made these results possible.

Join the Twirlettes
The Twirlettes are accepting new students for the fall season and will offer a four-week introductory class through Saline Community Education. Baton twirling uniquely combines art and athleticism, performance opportunities that build confidence, friendships across age groups, a positive team culture, and character development that lasts a lifetime.

The organization looks forward to its 58th season in Saline under Director Susan Usher and assistants Liesl Topy and Ella Dennis.