>>MerrieBeth Cox: Right now I am currently Miss Majorette
of America.
When you win nationals, you go to contests
and you host contests and you also get the opportunity
to give back to young girls
and to encourage them to twirl as well.
>>Jorden Workman: She's really amazing, I wish I could twirl
like her but, I don't know, I just really like watching her
because she does all the cool tricks and stuff.
>>MerrieBeth Cox: I've been twirling
since I've been three years old and when I was,
through my elementary school days I put in probably
about five hours a day.
>>Michelle Ferro: The performance she brings
to the table is just really good and her tricks are awesome.
>>MerrieBeth Cox: You can't give up, if a trick,
you are dropping this trick over and over it's hitting you
in the head, you can't just walk away from it,
you have to be able to accomplish it
and I think all the dedication that I've put
in is also a key to my success.
>>Alisha Kuckartz: MerrieBeth is very good, she's very talented
in a variety of ways, she incorporates gymnastics
and dance and cheerleading into her performance
so it offers a lot of versatility
which is very entertaining for an audience.
What I love about Mary Beth is that she actually thrives
on a live audience, she picks up her game so to speak
when she's in front of a crowd.
>>MerrieBeth Cox: You have to have that personality you have
to have that showmanship because no one wants to watch a twirler
if she's frowning all the time.
So, those go hand and hand.
>>Briana Davis: I've been doing it like eleven years
so I've seen a lot of people that are really, really good
and MerrieBeth is one of the best to watch.
She's really entertaining.
>>MerrieBeth Cox: Purdue respects their twirlers more
than any college out there and you are a part of the band,
the band does anything for you, you have wonderful instructors,
you have all these people always behind you rooting
for you 110% regardless of the situation.
>>Alisha Kuckartz: Here at Purdue, it's not just
about the baton twirling, it's about being an ambassador
for the University, it's about being able
to communicate effectively, relating to young children
who might one day aspire to be in the shoes of Mary Beth.
>>Melissa Freiser: She's pretty much the best!
She's amazing!
I saw her at nationals and I see her
out here doing illusions and, you know, force spins
and everything, it's just amazing,
I want to be her some day.
>>MerrieBeth Cox: I love to encourage them how,
you know what, if you had to drop the solo,
who cares you did a great job and you had fun and I love
to just tell them that, you know what, baton twirling is fun
and you're suppose to have fun doing
and I think I do a great job of representing
that because I've a really bubbly out there personality.
