Heads To France For Championships
A Glendale girl is “going for the gold” as part of the American team competing at the World Baton Twirling Championships currently taking place in France.
Trina Catterson, 11, is the youngest member of Team USA in what is considered to be the batontwirling equivalent of the Olympics, now underway in Villebon surYvette, a suburb of Paris.
More than 400 athletes from 20 countries across the globe are competing for gold, silver and bronze medals in the sport of baton twirling. Catterson and her pairs partner- Toni Ann Cox, 15, of Deer Park, L.I.-are entered in the Junior Pairs Division.
At the U.S. National Baton Twirling Championship held in Fairborn, Ohio last month, Catterson won the Juvenile Solo, Two Baton, Strut and Dance Twirl titles.
“I am so happy to achieve one of my goals by being a part of Team USA,” Catterson said in a statement issued prior to the event. “It is such an honor to represent the U.S. with my pairs partner, Toni Ann. This is one of my dreams. I can’t wait to see Paris and meet athletes from around the world.”
“Trina represents the future of our sport,” said Mark Nash, president of the U.S. Twirling Association, which sponsors the National Championships and selects the athletes to represent the U.S. at the World Championships. “Even at a very young age, her natural talent, dedication and commitment are obvious. It is great to have her as a member of Team USA.”
Catterson and Cox are coached by Alaine Robbins, director of the Dynamic Twirling Organization in Smithtown, L.I. Catterson is a sixth grade honor roll student at P.S./I.S. 113 in Glendale.
For more information about the sport of baton twirling or the U.S. Twirling Association (USTA), visit www.ustwirling.com. For more information about the World Baton Twirling Championships, which are sponsored by the World Baton Twirling Federation (WBTF), visit www.wbtf.org.
