“Buckeye Twirl, Ohio State’s baton twirling team, performed at their Spring Showcase on Sunday
at the Adventure Recreation Center.” Credit: Rachel Harriman | Lantern Reporter

Beginning with a high-energy group routine set to the tune of “The Greatest Showman,” Buckeye Twirl, Ohio State’s baton twirling team, dazzled the crowd as members of the 13-person team danced, pirouetted and flipped batons through the air during their Spring Showcase.

The showcase continued with duets, trios and a solo from Andrew Ochman, a second-year in biochemistry and the only male member of the group. Buckeye Twirl also performed routines split up by class year to highlight each level’s individual talents, Amber Rice, president of the club and a third-year in psychology, said.

“This year’s theme was ‘Rolling with Buckeye Twirl,’ so we were kind of going for a road trip, travel type of vibe,” Amanda Micklo, treasurer of the club and a third-year in health sciences, said.

The showcase was at the Adventure Recreation Center on Sunday and drew a crowd of about 50 people. Following a guest jump-rope performance and a brief intermission, the group performed a few more routines and closed out the showcase with a lively final number set to “Proud Mary.”

“In general, we have a lot of routines that we’ve been working hard on all year,” Rice said. “And then we also have a finale, which is a way to say farewell to the seniors.”

Buckeye Twirl is split into three teams — beginner skills, club and competition — based on experience and skill level. Students with no baton-twirling experience can join the beginner skills team, while seasoned twirlers can join the competition team.

The club team, which is the largest of the three, is made up of students who have prior experience but is a smaller time commitment than the competition team, Micklo said.

However, Rice said no experience is necessary to join and that the team values a positive attitude more than having years of experience.

“We try to make the team as close as possible,” Rice said. “We have a lot of connections between us. We do big sister, little sister, that kind of thing, just to have other team members feel welcomed and accepted into our team.”

Micklo said Buckeye Twirl’s tryouts are in August, but that shouldn’t discourage potential new members from reaching out and asking about getting involved with the team at any time throughout the year.

“We have tryouts kind of all year round,” Micklo said. “If you’re interested at any point, we’re definitely willing to take you.”

Though they perform at numerous events throughout the year, including BuckeyeThon’s CarnOval, which took place April 11, Rice said the Spring Showcase was a culmination of the team’s hard work and growth throughout the year.

“It’s always a fun way to go out with a bang, and it’s really fun to showcase everyone’s talents,” Rice said. “All the hard work of learning all these routines and trying to get all these groups together pays off at the end because we get to have our friends and family watch us twirl.”