When the lights dim at Doak Campbell Stadium, fans know what’s coming: fire batons slicing through the night sky. Florida State’s Feature Twirlers, Kylee Saltsman and Mikayla Schuller, are back to ignite another season.
As part of the world-renowned Marching Chiefs, the two Feature Twirlers, who have ambitious academic and career goals, carry on a tradition that has made FSU one of the most recognized programs in college twirling.
“Lighting that fire and hearing the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the audience is amazing,” Saltsman said. “It’s so much fun being able to represent FSU.”
David Plack, director of athletic bands, said the pair embody FSU’s proud legacy.
“Among college marching bands and in the twirling community, FSU has a reputation for world-class Feature Twirlers,” Plack said. “Mikayla and Kylee continue that tradition with professionalism and pride. They’re outstanding ambassadors for the Marching Chiefs and Florida State.”
Kylee Saltsman: A historic first
Saltsman, a junior double-major in marketing and sport management from Niceville, Fla., made history this summer as the first FSU twirler to win the United States Twirling Association National Collegiate Twirling Championship.
“Being able to represent my school at that national level and show off the Seminoles to people who might not know our story — it’s so much fun,” she said.
Saltsman started twirling at age 4, inspired by her mother’s twirling group. Her passion for baton and for Florida State never wavered.
“Even the day I got accepted into FSU was a dream come true,” she said. “Taking the field with the Marching Chiefs is something I’ve looked forward to my entire life.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to stay connected to athletics through a career in sports marketing, ideally with a college or professional team.
Mikayla Schuller: Engineering precision meets performance
Fifth-year mechanical engineering student Mikayla Schuller brings both technical precision and artistic flair to the field. Originally from Cleveland, she tried a twirling class at her dance studio and never looked back.
Her path to Tallahassee was sealed by her coach’s connection to FSU. From her first game-day performance, she was hooked.
“I remember stepping out onto the field that first game, and the crowd was just electric,” she said. “It’s always nice when someone recognizes me as the one who twirls fire and says, ‘I love watching you at the games.’”
Away from the field, Schuller has interned at an Air Force base and plans to pursue a career in defense aviation. She says the balancing act between Chiefs rehearsals and engineering coursework has sharpened her time management skills.
“Having that community over at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering campus is great,” she said. “I’ve met so many friends that I will have for the rest of my life.”
A duo built on trust
Saltsman and Schuller have trained and competed together for years, and that shows on the field.
“Since we’ve been twirling together for so long, being able to take the field and have fun together is really cool,” Schuller said.
“I’ve looked up to her as a person and a twirler,” Saltsman said of Schuller. “She’s an amazing Feature Twirler and an even better person.”
The preparation behind those dazzling moments is grueling. During preseason, practices run from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. When football season ends, training shifts to competitions.
Behind the flames
Each year, the Feature Twirlers design unique costumes for their halftime performances. On game days, their batons soak for hours in a gasoline-kerosene mix to keep the flames alive. One time, they even convinced FSU kicker Ryan Fitzgerald to give fire twirling a try.
Along the way, the role brings once-in-a-lifetime moments: meeting Seminole Tribe representatives, rubbing shoulders with athletic leaders and representing Florida State on a national stage.
By the time the fire and crowd noise fades, Saltsman and Schuller are already looking ahead to the next routine, the next competition, the next big dream. And when the torches spark again at Doak, they’ll be ready to bring the fire back to Florida State.
