Pictured is Clemson University’s featured baton twirler with her parents (Angela and Keith) after a recent Tigers football game. Lutz is The Easley Progress Athlete of the Week.
Courtesy photo
CLEMSON — Sophia Lutz grew up in Columbia, Pennsylvania and her mom (Angela) was a baton twirler for the Penn State University majorette line.
“I grew up going to Penn State football games and my favorite football player is Saquon Barkley,” said Sophia, shortly after Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in the Super Bowl. “We had season tickets (at Penn State) when he was playing there.”
Sophia grew up in a big family – four sisters (Haley, Adrianna, Teagan and Simone) and one brother (Tate). Her mom was a full-time nurse and led the way as that supportive mom.
“Being one of six kids, it’s really easy to see the nurturing side of it,” Sophia said. “I feel like I saw that every day growing up and she inspired me. She was so supportive of me and has made everything happen for me and my siblings. A lot of times she would pick us up from school and we’d go right to practice. She’d pack us lunches and go above and beyond to get us all the extra practice – all the dance lessons, gymnastics and cross-training. She just did everything for us.”
Sophia grew up twirling under the instruction of Paula McAdoo at Paula’s School of Baton in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. It is the same person that her mom (Angela) learned from. Sophia won several national titles, including one at age 16 that helped jump-start her career.
“College twirling was always kind of a thought in the back of my mind,” said Lutz. “It is so different from competing. I just didn’t know if it was something I wanted to do. But after I won that title (at 16), my role became representing my organization and I did that by hosting contests and performing at them. I said – wait – I really love performing. Then, I was way more interested in college twirling.”
And it’s paid off.
Sophia, 20, is now in her sophomore year at Clemson University and is the “featured twirler” for the Tigers football and men’s basketball games. She’s got a 3.73 grade points average, too, and has been on the Dean’s List.
Sophia performed at all of the home football games at Clemson last year and this year, along with the home Tiger men’s basketball games.
The 5-foot-5 Lutz likes how different it is performing at the two venues – in front of 81,500 football fans at Death Valley and in front of 9,000 basketball fans at Littlejohn Coliseum.
“The environment is so different,” said Sophia. “The basketball games are a little more nerve-racking because you can see everyone’s face. Performing at basketball games is fun because I get to choreograph that myself, picking out the music and the costumes that I’ll wear.
At Death Valley (football games), you can’t see everyone’s face. There are thousands of people, but you don’t think about that.
“I try to have fun on game days. I put a lot of pressure on myself and tend to not give myself a break. Getting injured this fall, I had to teach myself to take a rest.
In the classroom, Lutz is on course to become a nurse like her mom. She is hoping to be a pediatric nurse, too.
“I was really drawn to Clemson for their nursing program,” Lutz said. “They have an amazing nursing program. When I stepped onto the campus, I said I’m going here for sure. I just loved it as soon as I saw it.”
She continued, “Straight out of school (at Clemson), I’ll be a registered nurse with a bachelor’s degree. I’ll graduate in 3 1/2 years with the Clemson Accelerated Nursing Program. I will be able to get a job straight out of school working as a nurse.”
Reach Jeff Holt at 864-855-0355.