Purdue News
Purdue News
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August 2000 Ohio native named 21st Purdue Golden GirlWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Possessing the poise, the flashy twirling tricks and the charismatic smile the judges were looking for, Abby Moore, a sophomore psychology and pre-medicine major from Kettering, Ohio, bested seven competitors to become Purdue University's 21st Golden Girl.
David Leppla, director of Purdue Bands, announced the name of the Purdue "All-American" Marching Band's solo twirlers Aug. 18 following a long afternoon of competition that included field tryouts and personal interviews. Nicole Ferree, a senior elementary education major from York, Penn., returns as the Girl in Black. Wendy King, a senior from Sidney, Ohio, and Erin Buescher, a senior from Jackson, Ohio, also return as the Silver Twins. This marks the third year the duo, who both major in speech pathology, have appeared with the Purdue "All-American" Marching Band as the Silver Twins. The graduation of four-year Golden Girl Ann Loppnow opened up the competition for the top spot. The new Golden Girl said one of the attractions of obtaining her education at Purdue was the opportunities for twirlers. "In twirling circles you just know about the Golden Girl. Purdue is known for its twirlers," Moore said. "Entertainment is what I can contribute to the 'All-American' Marching Band. Any one of us could go out there and do tricks, but I want to 'wow' the crowd with showmanship and style." Eleven women tried out for the four twirling positions. By tradition, the seven not named to solo spots will appear at all marching band performances as the "All-American" twirling line. Over the years Purdue's Golden Girl has enjoyed a national reputation as one of the top twirlers in the United States. Former band director Al Wright began the tradition in 1954 when quarterback Lenny Dawson was referred to by the press as Purdue's "Golden Boy." Wright put gold sequins on twirler Juanita Carpenter's costume and named her the "Golden Girl." After Dawson graduated his nickname faded, but the Golden Girl has continued as a strong Purdue tradition. Source: Kathy Matter, Purdue Bands, (765) 496-6785; kcmatter@purdue.edu Writer: Jeanine Smith, (765) 496-3133; jsmith@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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