Clarion Area Bobcat Feature Twirler MacKenzie DiTullio To Be Feature Twirler At Division I Saint Francis, Years Of Hard Work And Sacrifice Help Realize A Dream (06/18 /18)
After dazzling the fans at halftime of Clarion Area Bobcat Football games for the last several years, the Bobcats’ Feature Twirler MacKenzie DiTullio is about to realize a major dream. This incredibly gifted athlete is poised to take on the responsibility and honor as the Feature Twirler, for the Division I Saint Francis Marching Band in Loretto.
(Seated) MacKenzie Ditullio flanked by her parents Scott and Joyce, (Standing L-R) brother Noah, also a member of the band, Clarion Area Band Director Chris Curry and Clarion Area High School Principal John Kimmel
The Saint Francis Band, under the direction of Dr. Daniel Atwood, is part of the Athletic Department. With being chosen Feature Twirler of the Red Flash Marching Band at Saint Francis, MacKenzie was awarded a scholarship.
In additional to Marching Band, she will be a part of the Athletic Pep Band during both Men’s and Women’s Basketball games. At that time she will be playing trumpet.
MacKenzie has been perfecting her craft since the age of four, practicing twirling year-round. She hasn’t even taken time off during softball season, where she was a four year member of Coach Dan Shofestall’s Lady Cats.
MacKenzie is the daughter of A-C Valley Marching Band Director Scott and Clarion Area Assistant Marching Band Director Joyce DiTullio, who works with the Band Front. She has traveled twice a week to Sharon, with her mother for the past fourteen years, to train both as an individual and with her team, the Twirling Angels Baton Corps, under the direction of Melissa (Missy) Colbert.
(Photo by Joyce DiTullio)MacKenzie with Coach Missy Colbert
Competing under both the National Baton Twirling Association (NBTA) and Twirling Unlimited (TU) organizations, MacKenzie has competed at the State, Regional, National and International levels. Her competitive twirling has allowed her to perform at venues such as Penn State University, Geneva College, Canton (OH) Civic Center and the University of Notre Dame.
MacKenzie has had expert training from both Missy and Brianna Colbert.
Missy, a former Miss Teenage Majorette of Pennsylvania, has local ties having been Clarion University’s Golden Girl. She is also a judge for both the NBTA and TU organizations.
About her protege, Missy said, “Being able to watch MacKenzie continue her collegiate career in this sport is so special for me because she has been a part of our Twirling Angel family for her whole twirling career. She is a beautiful twirler and person, inside and out, and I’m honored to be a part of her journey,” Missy said about her protege.
Brianna, an eight time World Open Three Baton Champion, was a member of the Penn State Touch of Blue Majorettes. She is also is involved in judging competitions. Brianna was the inspiration that motivated the young MacKenzie to pursue a hobby to last a lifetime. Mackenzie said, “The day that I first saw Brianna twirl and looked at my mom and said, ‘mommy I want to be just like her’ I will remember forever.”
And MacKenzie’s “inspiration” is very impressed with her longtime student. “Getting to watch MacKenzie start as a young twirler until now, has shown that having a great attitude and determination will guide you to your goals.”
(Photo by Joyce DiTullio) MacKenzie with Coach Brianna Colbert
In addition to studying under Missy and Brianna, MacKenzie is also a teaching assistant for teams & teaches private lessons. She had this to say about the benefits of the pastime she loves, “This sport has taught me to never give up and how to stay organized and healthy while maintaining my busy schedule.”
Her competitive twirling teams have had some great success on the national scene. “I have had the wonderful opportunity to be part of a team that was in the top 5 in the country and another team that has been top 10 in the country for the past two years.” MacKenzie had success, in individual competition as well. Last year, she was the North Atlantic Regional Solo Champion in her division. She placed in the top 10 in solo, strut, show twirl, and flag baton at Nationals.
MacKenzie has fond memories of her time with the Clarion Area Bobcat Band, under the direction of Mr. Chris Curry. She mentioned that Friday nights at football games, as Feature Twirler for five years are some of the best memories she will have of Clarion. MacKenzie said, “There is no better feeling than cheering on the team during third downs and twirling during halftime.”
One of the things that has thrilled Bobcat fans at halftime is MacKenzie twirling fire. She said, “The first time I twirled fire, I didn’t want to toss it because I was afraid of what would happen if I didn’t catch it the right way. You can’t hesitate when you twirl fire. You have to be ready for anything.”
(Photo by Matti Thornton – MJ Studios)
MacKenzie during a fire routine with the Clarion Area Marching Band
MacKenzie also got to share her skills with one of the Bobcat Football players. “Turning Tom Wurster into a ‘fire breather’ was a pretty cool thing to do, judging that most of the guys never saw what I actually do during halftime.”
Mr. Curry had this to say, “MacKenzie has been a consistent, dedicated member of the Band program here at Clarion. She was our John Philip Sousa Award winner this year. I look forward to seeing her at the college level, continuing to share her talents.
“(The John Philip Sousa Award) is a scholarship as the most dedicated band member to the program each year. It goes to an outstanding musician, who is also very dedicated.”
(Photo by Matti Thornton – MJ Studios) MacKenzie displaying her athleticism during the routine
When asked to share about MacKenzie, Clarion Area High School Principal John Kimmel added, “Absolutely. MacKenzie has always been a high performer within our school. I think most memorably, she’s done our morning announcements for student council. Her voice is recognized, I think by the rest of the school, as being a positive person within the building on a regular basis.
It is fantastic. And I think Mr. Curry said it very well, that we look forward to seeing what she does with her future. And I’m sure it is very bright.”
It was a long and painstaking process to complete the audition for Feature Twirler at St. Francis. MacKenzie had to submit a three minute video of her twirling to her choice of music to Dr. Atwood and Majorette/Twirling Coach Danyelle Roberts.
Sounds “simple enough.” Sounds… simple. Over Christmas break, MacKenzie and Coach Brianna Colbert choreographed the routine. Then after three months of intense practice to perfect the routine, the video, along with information about her twirling both individually and with her teams, was produced and submitted.
Then, on April 27th, MacKenzie received an email. It was from Dr. Atwood. All MacKenzie’s years of hard work, her parents, and coaches hard work had resulted in a dream come true. Dr. Atwood’s correspondence was to inform her that she had been selected as the Feature Twirler for the Red Flash.
(Photo by Joyce Ditullio) MacKenzie practicing with her teammates at Sharon
Dr. Atwood had glowing praise for his new Feature Twirler, saying, “I am very excited to welcome MacKenzie into our SFU band family. We have been fortunate to have very talented young women in our feature spot, and MacKenzie is no exception. She has large shoes to fill, but I have no doubt that she will excel in our program here at SFU.”
What does she bring to the table? Dr. Atwood continued, “MacKenzie brings a great deal of experience as a twirler, and that experience was evident in her audition for us. She demonstrates a lot of control, has very solid technique, and has the potential to reach into the audience and command their attention. Even more importantly than all of that, MacKenzie is a fantastic young lady, and I look forward to watching her grow and develop over the next four years.”
Coach Roberts also had praise for her new charge, “McKenzie is a talented individual who is very dedicated to the sport of baton twirling. She is very ambitious and can captivate the audience with her performance. I look forward to working with her over the next few years!”
And there is nowhere MacKenzie would rather be than SFU. She mentioned that she knew that after visiting St. Francis in the fall of her junior year, that she wanted to call Loretto her second home.
(Photo by Joyce DiTullio) MecKenzie and her teammates. Long hard hours and many years of practice helps these young ladies fulfill dreams.
While there, MacKenzie will be majoring in Occupational Therapy while carrying a double minor in Psychology and American Sign Language.
There are a number of similarities in MacKenzie’s journey and the one her mother took. Mrs. DiTullio, the former Joyce Yeany, started twirling at age four also. She twirled through high school at Clarion Area and then went on to be a majorette at Clarion University and was the Head Majorette her junior and senior years.
Mrs. DiTullio said this about her daughter’s hard work and a number of accomplishments, which have been relatively unseen by the local population, “She has flown under the radar. People here in town have seen what she does and how she can perform, but no one knows the endless hours she has spent over the last fourteen years perfecting this skill.
“No one here has ever had the opportunity to see her compete individually and with her teams but it’s incredible! She is one determined, hard-working young woman.
“She makes her Momma proud!
“She has worked so hard and trained endless hours at the gym and at home working to perfect her skill. All the hard work and dedication has paid off in watching her achieve her dream of being a Collegiate Twirler. She has worked so hard and earned this.
(Photo by Bri Nellis – Bri Nellis Photography) another photo of MacKenzie doing a fire routine
“We are so very proud of her! I have been blessed to be her Mom and even more blessed that she fell in love with the sport of baton twirling as I did when I was young. Together we have been able to share this passion. What more can a Momma ask for?
“We are Proud of her, as you can imagine, for a million reasons – but her humility and kindness is what I am most proud of. She’s a wonderful young woman.”
Proud Father Scott DiTullio added, “As a Dad – I’m very excited for MacKenzie to have the opportunity to take her sport to the next level, into collegiate athletics. She has worked extremely hard the last fourteen years, to become better each and every day at baton twirling. MacKenzie has competed at several levels throughout the Tri-State area and is ranked nationally.
“Her dedication to the sport of baton twirling has been amazing to watch and see her grow as a student athlete and to see her go to the next level. We are looking forward to watching MacKenzie as she continues her academic journey at St. Francis University as the Feature Twirler for the SFU Red Flash Marching Band.”
MacKenzie also is thankful for her family’s support. “My parents have and always will be supportive of my twirling. My mom is another coach because she twirled when she was younger, so it’s nice to get her input on all of my routines. I’m grateful that both of them have already committed to going to every one of my SFU football games.
(Photo submitted by SFU)
2017-18 Saint Francis University Marching Band. MacKenzie will be performing with the SFU Band this fall.
“My brother Noah (also a member of the Clarion Area Marching Band) has definitely been my biggest fan throughout the years, and he’s pushed me to always do my best.”
Yes, MacKenzie thrilled us at halftime. But to those untrained and uneducated in the sport of Competitive Twirling, like myself, who ever realized that our Bobcat Feature Twirler was a National caliber athlete in the sport? Well, we do now.
MacKenzie is proof that dreams do come true, but some are not achieved without very hard work. She has achieved a dream, a dream for which she has worked tirelessly, for more than three-quarters of her young life.
Congratulations, MacKenzie, Scott and Joyce, to all the coaches and band directors who have helped MacKenzie along the way, and to Dr. Atwood, Coach Roberts and the St. Francis Band on the prize Feature Twirler you are receiving!!!!
MacKenzie, dazzle Loretto the way you have Clarion these past few years!!!!
Folks, let’s all congratulate MacKenzie, on her accomplishments so far and thank her and her fellow Clarion Area Band members for the spectacular halftime presentations they have presented for us!!!!
(Thanks to Mattie Thornton – MJ Studios, Bri Nellis – Bri Nellis Photography, Joyce DiTullio and Saint Francis University for providing photos for this article.)