When the Iowa football team takes the field for the final time in 2024 during the Music City Bowl, they won’t be the only Hawkeyes performing for the last time in black and gold.
Ella McDaniel leads the Hawkeye Marching Band as its Golden Girl, the main featured twirler. She’s finishing her fourth and final season leading HMB.
She grew up dreaming of doing this, starting twirling after seeing a group of twirlers at a dance recital at four years old.
“I saw the twirlers and I was obviously just so amazing at what they were doing,” said McDaniel. “I had no idea what was happening, but I knew I wanted to do it, and spend my life doing it.”
She explored different campuses in high school, but fell in love with Kinnick Stadium and the University of Iowa.
“When I was a junior, I came to a football game and I loved the band. I loved all the performances,” said McDaniel. ”The energy in stadium is like none other. It is amazing.”
McDaniel is one of the best feature twirlers in the country. She’s won multiple national and international competitions, including Miss Majorette of America in three different age divisions.
“Ella McDaniel is one of the greatest athletes and greatest people that you can ever know, a wonderful ambassador for the University of Iowa and the Hawkeye Marching Band,” said Hawkeye Marching Band Director Eric Busch. ”She works hard. She rolls up her sleeves. She’s always carrying a ladder, rolling some equipment out, I mean she’s just a really good person.”
McDaniel, who grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, Candia, says there’s nothing like looking up at 70,000 fans before her pregame performance at Kinnick Stadium. But it’s not her favorite part of the gig.
“My favorite part is definitely the impact,” said McDaniel, who constantly interacts with Hawkeye fans throughout Fall Saturdays.
“It’s such a special experience when I get to give a little girl a high five whenever we’re marching to the stadium and it just makes her day,” said McDaniel. “I think I’ve helped to inspire someone to pick up twirling or continue twirling I know there’s girls that come to every performance and I see them every single week.”
“(I say) oh are you going to come here? It’s the best school in the world! Come be a future Hawkeye
Leave a Reply