Grand Valley Magazine Summer 2014 - (Page 13)
AT H L E T I C S
Baton twirls Muscaro
into bright future
by Michele Coffill
Pardon the cliché
but senior Moriah
Muscaro is ready to
pass the baton.
Literally.
Muscaro is a third-generation baton
twirler who many Laker fans will
recognize from her performances as
the featured twirler during football or
basketball games. Others may have
passed by one of her regular two-hour
practice sessions in the Recreation
Center. A few lucky people may have
watched her compete at national baton
twirling events.
The upcoming football and basketball
seasons will be the last for Muscaro, an
honors college student who plans to go
to medical school, and she expects the
year to be full of bittersweet emotions.
"It will definitely be very emotional
because baton has given me so
much," said Muscaro, who is majoring
in biomedical sciences. "I've had the
opportunity to travel and - because
you have to interview for judges at
competitions - I've learned so many life
skills and now have the confidence to
handle medical school interviews."
Muscaro and Laker Marching Band
director John Martin are searching for
another new featured twirler for 2015.
Martin said he suspects the search will
be tough.
"Her performance standards have
raised the bar for everyone, including
myself," said Martin, assistant professor
of music and director of athletic bands.
"There are very few individuals in the
country like Moriah who consistently
perform with technical precision and
artistic grace."
While twirling a baton (or multiple
batons) has been part of Muscaro's life
since she was 5, she said
she's ready for someone
else to be in the spotlight.
"It will be hard to be
done with baton when
this year is over," she said.
"I'm so glad I can keep
teaching others to bring
up the next person. It's
time for the next person
to succeed."
Muscaro is the current
College Miss Majorette of
Michigan and the Great
Lakes. She won seven
national championships
last summer, and defended
those titles in July at the
University of Notre Dame,
site of the National Baton
Twirling Association
championships.
The summer nationals
cap an intense baton
season. Muscaro, who
works with six coaches
to perfect her routines
(including one with batons on fire),
travels nearly every weekend during
the late winter and spring.
Her mother, Rhonda Muscaro,
introduced her to baton twirling.
Rhonda was a baton twirler at the
University of Mount Union in Ohio.
Both of Muscaro's grandmothers
were twirlers as were three aunts,
one a featured twirler at the
University of Cincinnati.
Despite the family history, Muscaro
laughed when she recalled her entry
to the sport. "I didn't like it at first, my
mom was giving me lessons. Then she
recruited a bunch of my friends for group
lessons and I tried it again," she said.
Rhonda now directs the Twirl-M's (for
Moriah), a group of twirlers ages 4-20
who are often seen at Oakland County
parades and other community functions.
Muscaro estimated that her mother
and other Twirl-M's staff members have
taught baton lessons to about 800 kids.
Moriah Muscaro leads the color
guard and Laker Marching Band
into Lubbers Stadium.
courtesy photo
In high school Muscaro was on the
majorette line for Walled Lake Northern.
She auditioned for Martin on the same
day she had to interview and complete
an essay for a Meijer Honors College
scholarship.
"That was a really big Grand Valley
day," she said.
Muscaro said growing up in the
sport of baton twirling has taught her
an excellent work ethic. "School has
always been my No. 1 priority. Since high
school, my parents have pushed me to
work ahead and use every moment of
my time," she said.
Her method works: Muscaro will carry
a 4.0 GPA into her senior year.
13
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Grand Valley Magazine Summer 2014
Table of Contents
Campus News
Fall Arts Celebration
Athletics
Donor Impact
Sustainability
Research
Q&A Karen Gipson
A seat at the table
Students dig program
Deployment to enrollment
Seeing double
Off the path
Arts
Alumni News
Grand Valley Magazine Summer 2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/GVMagazineSpring2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/GVMagazineWinter2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/GVMagazineFall2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/GVMagazineSummer2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/GVMagazineSpring2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/Spring2016GVMagazine
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/Winter2016GVMagazine
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/2015FallGVMagazine
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/Summer2015GVMagazine
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/GVMSpring2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/GVMwinter2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/Grandvalley/GVMFall2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/Grandvalley/grandvalleymagazine
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/spring2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/winter2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/fall_2013
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