Pittsburg State University
09/24/2024 | Press release | Archived content
A tale of two twirlers
Jordan Haworth was terrible at contact sports as a kid. But she loved to be physical and loved to be creative.
She discovered twirling. And it stole her heart.
"It's where I could perform, could compete, and could be successful," she said.
She worked hard at it, earned accolades, and set a goal: to twirl in college.
As a freshman at Pitt State, she achieved that goal.
For three years she was the featured twirler in Gorilla Walk, the community pep rally, and the on-field pre-game and halftime shows with the Pride of the Plains Marching Band.
This year, her senior year, has been the icing on the cake and it's just getting started.
This summer, Haworth, from Spring Hill, won the title of College Miss Majorette of Kansas, adding to a growing list that includes Junior Miss Majorette in 2019 and medals in Junior Olympics in 2018 and 2019.
And she gained a fellow twirler, freshman Jenna Sperling from Salina.
In a world in which young women compete against each other for the gold, Haworth sees the spotlight being divided among the two of them as a great thing.
In fact, she actively recruited Sperling.
"After three years of being by myself, this is way more fun," Haworth said. "We share a hug before we go on, we share a joke, and there's someone there to give a nod on the field to. I think it makes each of us stronger, having each other."
"The place I wanted to be"
Sperling also grew up "unable to kick a ball or make a basket," but she has twirled since age 8 and been very successful at it.
She came to Pitt State because of Haworth and the ability to twirl.
"I came to the games and talked with Jordan as early as my sophomore year in high school, and I kept coming back. I could see through her and through those experiences that was the place I wanted to be."
Sperling has her own list of impressive achievements: she is ranked fifth nationally in three-baton twirling and last year won gold for the U.S. at the World Twirling Championships in England.
"People think we're divas, but twirling is very disciplined, it takes a lot of perseverance, blood, sweat, and tears," Sperling said.
They train individually and together, and practice from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during marching band class time.
In return, they have gained strength, a financial stipend, and a strong connection to the university and the community.
"We've been out there in 95-degree heat, and we've been out there in the cold rain when our mascara is running and we are freezing, and we've been out there in 30-mile-per-hour winds," Haworth said. "But we absolutely love it."
Why?
"We're so proud to be here, so proud to be part of the Pitt State tradition," Haworth said. "On Game Day, children come up to us and want to take photos with us. We feel honored. It's really special for the both of us that we can be role models and inspire people to follow their passions, to go 'all in' for something."
"We look up to the stands and see friends in the student section cheering and yelling for us, supporting us before we go on, and that feels really good. We want to represent Pitt State doing what we love."
The support they feel as students, they say, extends far beyond the student section on Game Day.
"I saw from Day 1 of coming here that it is a very welcoming place and has a very kind atmosphere," Haworth said. "That's what was most important to me."
She was astounded when faculty and staff told her they'd be watching for her on Game Day or in the Homecoming parade. Sperling agreed.
"There is a great support system here," she said.
Beyond both being award-winning twirlers, the two have something else in common: a passion for their future careers as a marine biologist and a nurse.
"More than what you see"
Haworth's makeup, hair, and costume may be flawless on Game Day, but you can find her on other days wearing muck boots and smelling like fish as a Biology (Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences) major.
"My plan is to move to Florida to pursue a career in marine biology and estuary species," she said.
Real-world experiences as a student have helped her prepare in valuable ways.
"I got to participate in a sea turtle project at South Padre on Spring Break, and I have worked summer internships with Kansas Wildlife & Parks doing stream surveys," she said.
Like twirling, it was something she grew up wanting to do.
"Mom took me on river clean-ups, and I helped with animal rescue, and then I learned that Southeast Kansas is one of the most diverse in terms of aquatic species," she said.
Haworth is advised by Associate Professor James Whitney, who guides grant-funded research projects across the state.
She also is minoring in Spanish and Dance, both "solid options at Pitt State," she said, to further her career possibilities: she plans to give dance lessons in Florida as an added income.
Sperling, too, has a career plan and she knew Pitt State, home to the Irene Ransom Bradley School of Nursing and simulation hospital, was the place to be for it.
"I want to be a nurse, probably in long-term or assisted living care," she said. "I took CNA classes when I was younger, and it sparked something."
Inspired by those who helped her great-grandmother during dementia, she wants to help the elderly.
"I have worked at four nursing homes in my hometown," she said. "I have worn scrubs and dealt with bodily fluids - definitely not what you'd expect looking at us on the field."
Sperling said she takes pride that she and Haworth are well-rounded.
"A lot of collegiate twirlers actually are," she said. "We love twirling, but we're about more than you see on the field."
Coming up
See Haworth and Sperling in upcoming scheduled performances on Oct. 5 (Hall of Fame Game), Oct. 19 (Homecoming Parade and Game), Nov. 2 (Operation Game Day / Military Appreciation), and the Christmas Parade (Dec. 2).
Learn more
Learn more about these co-curricular activities at Pitt State: