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Monrovia High Student to Compete in Baton Nationals
Monrovia Weekly Jul 13, 2012
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By Susan Motander
Marissa Atwater will be heading back to the University of Notre Dame next week for America’s Youth on Parade, the national finals for baton twirlers. By placing first in the California State competition she qualified to compete for the National Title, Miss Majorette of America in her age group.
The competition will be conducted from July 16th through the 20th and is sponsored by the National Baton Twirler Association. Atwater will be competing not only for the Miss Majorette title, but will also compete in several specialty awards as well. These will include competitions with Single and Double Baton as well as Flag and Solo Rifle.
According to her mother, Kaye Atwater, Marissa has been twirling since she in the third grade. The young woman will be entering her junior year at MHS in the fall.
Also according to her mother she has been working since she won the state competition to raise the funds to pay for her trip to the National competition. While she had come close to raising the $5000 necessary for the trip, she had not quite reached her goal.
According to Bruce Staller, it was at the point that the Monrovia Schools Foundation stepped in. Staller said that while this expenditure was not within the normal parameters of those funded by the Foundation which usually supports programs in the schools, “a special need was seen here.”
“I started calling former song girls, yell leaders and majorettes and asking them for help,” Staller said. “We were able to raise $1600 to help her go to the competition.”
To obtain the final results after July 20th, check the groups’ website: www.batontwirling.com and clicking on AYOP.
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