For most of her life, Kent State junior visual communication design major Jasmine McCulley, has built her identity around community, the arts and competition, whether through The Touch of Gold Twirlers in the Marching Golden Flashes, her sorority Delta Zeta or the sport that has shaped her since childhood: baton twirling. Sixteen years after she first picked up a baton, she will represent Team USA this August in Paris, competing both with the Nations Cup Level A Team and individually in the World Senior Rhythmic Women’s Twirling category at the IBTF World Competition.
McCulley grew up in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, where staying busy wasn’t just a preference; it was her rhythm. Her family enrolled her in dance at a local studio as an outlet for her constant energy. After a year, her aunt suggested she try baton, a sport she herself once loved.
The studio offered dance, gymnastics and baton twirling, and McCulley quickly found herself drawn to the latter. She began competing almost immediately and describes her younger self as energetic and constantly in motion, the kind of kid who needed an outlet.
“I was definitely very much off the rocker,” McCulley told Kent State Today. “I was crazy, and my family wanted to make sure that I was doing things that kept me entertained or focused on something else.”
Finding the Right Place to Grow
Her early years in the sport weren’t always easy. McCulley spent much of her childhood in a studio environment she now describes as discouraging and emotionally draining.
“It was a very toxic environment,” she said. “I was being constantly dragged down and told that I wasn’t good enough."
It wasn’t until she left that space and joined the Show Twirlers, a competitive program with athletes from across the country, that she began to understand her potential.
The Show Twirlers offered something different: coaches who believed in her, teammates who shared similar experiences and a culture built on support rather than fear.
She and her teammates often joke that they’re “the broken toys” who found each other after difficult experiences in the sport. But for McCulley, that shared history is part of what makes these moments so meaningful.
Her coaches, PJ Maierhofer Burkin and Jon Burkin, quickly became foundational figures in her life. They guided her through training, competitions and the emotional weight of pursuing a high-level athletic dream.
“They are definitely my rock, and they are always there to support me,” McCulley said.
Rhythmic twirling, the event in which McCulley qualifies, blends dance, musicality and baton technique. Unlike freestyle twirling, it prohibits gymnastics and emphasizes artistic expression.
Her routine this year is built around the concept of time, with sharp movements and clock-like rhythms.
“My whole music sound is literally just a clock,” she said. “My costume has a clock on it and my hairpiece is like the hands from the clock.”
The U.S. Trials That Changed Everything
McCulley entered this year’s U.S. Trials in South Carolina in March with modest expectations. She had already qualified for Team USA with her Nations Cup Level A Team, and rhythmic was meant to be a bonus, a chance to try something new at a high-stakes competition.
Then, the prelims went wrong.
“I dropped my baton twice, and I fell. And I was like, ‘Are we for real?’” she said. “I’m not going to finals.”
But her score told a different story. Despite the mistakes, she was sitting in second place with a score of 245.
She returned the next day with a calm she hadn’t felt all season, tucked away in a hallway by her coach so she wouldn’t psych herself out watching other competitors.
“He was like, ‘You deserve this, you have worked so hard ... now just go perform,’” McCulley said.
This season also carried emotional weight beyond competition. Earlier in the year, a former coach, one of the few positive influences from McCulley’s old studio, passed away.
“I was like, ‘All right, Miss Marcia, this one’s for you,’” she said.
Her finals routine was clean, no drops, no stumbles, just the strongest performance she had delivered all year. Then, her score flashed on the screen.
“They said, ‘You scored a 271,’ and I was like, 'What does that mean?’” she said.
Her coach’s reaction made it clear; she had earned a qualifying score. She finished second overall, securing her place on Team USA.
“I ran over, gave my coach a hug, and he started crying, and then I started crying,” she said.
Overwhelmed, she stepped outside the venue to process what had just happened.
“Whenever I get nervous at a competition, I watch the traffic go by because it reminds me that they don’t care,” she said. “They’re driving to work. They’re driving to school. They’re driving home. They’re just living their life, and honestly, they don’t care what’s going on in this gym. Then the realization hit, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to Worlds, this is insane.’”
Looking Toward Paris
The 2026 World Championships will be held in France. For McCulley, the chance to compete internationally, and do so alongside her teammates, feels surreal.
“The French love baton twirling,” she said. “Everyone will be there. The gym is filled with so many different people.”
Her team plans to visit Disneyland Paris before the competition, a promise their coach made if they qualified. She’s also preparing for the responsibilities that come with being a Team USA athlete, including a sponsorship with Rebel Athletics and special performances at Nationals.
“It will be exciting to walk around as a Team USA athlete and see all the younger kids look up to me,” McCulley said. “I was in your shoes too.”