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Illinois Feature Twirler Says Final Trip to Chicago 'Pinnacle of My Career'

By Justin Breen | November 20, 2015 6:05am | Updated on November 24, 2015 10:23am
 University of Illinois feature twirler Amelia Mugavero will be performing for the Illini at Soldier Field during Illinois' football game against Northwestern.
Amelia Mugavero
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CHICAGO — Amelia Mugavero is capping her season at the University of Illinois' feature twirler with a bang.

Sunday, the senior leaves with the rest of the 350-member Marching Illini band for New York City to perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Mugavero and the band then will head to Chicago for Nov. 28's Illini-Northwestern football game at Soldier Field.

"For me, this is the pinnacle of my career," said Mugavero, 21, who will graduate in December 2016. "I'll treat this as my grand finale, and what a finale it is because I really don't want to top it. Coming to Chicago, to perform on an NFL field is something I never thought I would be able to do."

Mugavero actually has twirled her batons four previous times at Soldier Field, thrice for Bears home openers and once for a Illinois-NU game. The Dallas native never gets tired of visiting Chicago.

"It's such a beautiful city," she said.

Mugavero has been twirling since she was 4 years old. Her mother, Angelia, also twirls and wanted her daughter to learn the craft. Mugavero honed her skills at several facilities and with multiple coaches, earning United States Twirling Association awards and medals with an eventual goal of becoming a collegiate twirler.

Mugavero originally attended the University of Oklahoma, and unsuccessfully auditioned for the feature twirler role there. She was about to give up on her dream of twirling in college when her mom saw a Facebook post from U of I Marching Illini director Barry Houser seeking a twirler. The school hadn't had a twirler in its band for 10 years.

Mugavero auditioned, was accepted into Illinois and was named the school's twirler.

"She was given a standing ovation when she was introduced and called telling me she was finally home," Angelia Mugavero said.

Houser described Mugavero as a "natural performer and an amazing ambassador for the Marching Illini." Mugavero can twirl as many as four batons, throwing each of them about 30 feet high. When the batons, which are metal with rubber coverings at each end, are in the air, Mugavero completes spins, cartwheels and other gymnastics maneuvers. Sometimes the batons are lit on fire as well, but Mugavero isn't sure whether she'll be able to do that for the upcoming game at Soldier Field.

"She is a very graceful and energetic twirler," Houser said. "You will see a great deal of variety from her from multiple batons to a number of tosses."

Mugavero is also the reigning Miss Central Illinois and after college she wants to be a television news broadcaster — eventually in Chicago, she said.

And while her twirling days are nearly over, she's helping the next generation with individual tutoring.

"I've used twirling as a platform, as a way to show other kids how they can be comfortable with yourself and love yourself," she said. "With any talent, you can inspire people and really make an impact."

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