Purdue’s national champion twirlers to perform Saturday with marching band in End-of-Camp show

The Purdue twirlers with their team national championship trophy. (Photo provided) Download image

Purdue’s twirling program, fresh off winning national championships and continuing its tradition of excellence, will perform Saturday (Aug. 17) with the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band.

The twirlers won team and individual events during the last week of July at the 2019 USA Twirling Championships at the University of Notre Dame.

With their space-themed show honoring the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, the Purdue twirlers were named 2019 Grand National Collegiate Halftime Show Team Champions. The team featured a combination of the All-American Twirling Team and all five Purdue solo twirlers — the Golden Girl, Girl-in-Black, Miss Boilerette and the Silver Twins.

Kaitlyn Schleis, Purdue’s Golden Girl, with her individual national championship trophy. (Photo provided) Download image

In addition to the team’s success, Golden Girl Kaitlyn Schleis was named the 2019 Grand National Collegiate Solo Champion. Kaitlyn competed against more than 100 collegiate participants from all across the country. Her performance featured twirling to Purdue’s fight songs and some of the crowd-favorite tunes played by the “All-American” Marching Band in Ross-Ade Stadium every football season. She received the $2,500 Susan Dailey Orr Scholarship in conjunction with her national title.

Fans can watch the national champion twirlers with the “All-American” Marching Band at its End-of-Camp performance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Hull Field, which is along Third Street just west of the fire station and east of the intramural fields. The event is also the first public performance of newly selected AAMB members.

The USA Twirling Championships, also known as American Youth on Parade, were hosted by the National Baton Twirling Association.