Kelli Montgomery flips a strand of bangs out of her face. As herred-and-blue sequined outfit sparkles, she nonchalantly spins hermetal baton between her fingers.

“I guess it’s just luck that I’m here atSMU,” she says. The Mustang Band and SMU Spirit Squads arethe ones that should feel lucky though. Montgomery, a first-yearpre-communications major is the top twirler in the nation, not tomention ranked third in the entire world after competitions thispast summer in Marseille, France.

“Twirlers, a traditional position in the Mustang Band, arethe only visual aspect of our performance, seeing that we have nocolor guard,” said Mustang Band Director David Kehler.

Kehler has been interested in Montgomery joining the band sincehe received a tape of her twirling during her sophomore year inhigh school.

Kehler offered her the same partial scholarship that the bandreceives. He was especially excited to have her join after the bandwas without a twirler for the first time in Mustang history.

“We have room for up to three [twirlers],” Kehlersaid. “But they would definitely have to be at Kelli’slevel.”

Montgomery, a San Antonio native, has been competing twirlingbatons since she was 8 years old.

Perhaps twirling is in her genes. Her mother was a twirlingmajorette in high school and is currently a twirling teacher.

But while Montgomery and her mother do confer about twirling,her mother has never been her coach.

“I just wanted to have a mother/daughter relationship withmy mom, not just have her as a coach.” Instead Montgomery hasa personal twirling coach.

Twirling isn’t just something she does because her motherdid it. Montgomery does it because of how it makes her feel.

“Twirling is not something everybody does. It makes mefeel unique, like there’s something special about me,”Montgomery said.

The newest member of SMU Spirit will have to face even biggercrowds in college.

“Even when I get nervous on the field, I go through withit anyway, and that’s what’s exciting.”

Learning the SMU fight songs was her first challenge when shegot to SMU. Montgomery arrived at school early to participate inband “two-a-days.”

While the band practiced on the field, Montgomery was in MoodyColiseum working with her coach on choreography for songs like”Pony Battle Cry.” Soon she was out on the field withthe band.

Montgomery is sure that her experience at SMU will help her inother endeavors.

“A lot of people told me to go to UT, but I didn’twant to. I like the smaller atmosphere here at SMU and theconnections locally in Dallas are great,” she said.

Montgomery’s first SMU game experience will come on theroad this Saturday when Mustang football travels to Lubbock to faceTexas Tech.