Knicely Done: Another World Championship berth for Ryan

Ryan Yetts has been twirling a baton for sixteen years in spite of the fact he's only nineteen years old.

"I started when I was three so it's been quite a long time," he said in an interview with WOWT 6 News. "I mean you got to put in a lot of hours in practice and stay determined. Once you find out you're on the world team you kind of bring it to a new level. You have to work a little harder because you're going to represent you're country now."

Ryan qualified recently for the 2020 World Federation of National Baton Twirling World Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands, He will take the floor with team USA next April and it will actually be his third World Championship appearance.

"My first was in 2015 and I finished 6th," he said. "So I think that's going to help me a lot. I know what it takes to go forward and hopefully get a medal while I'm there. The work ethic it's going to take, so I think that's going to calm my nerves because the first time was new and like a whole new eye opening experience."

Ryan competes in two baton and his routine must include three basics along with new tricks and skills that will help score points.

"I started here in Omaha with the Stepperettes program and also picked up some coaching in Pennsylvania, California and Kansas. You have to spend a lot of time on your toes to help you spin faster and make a great catch."

Ryan is a sophomore at the University of Nebraska Lincoln and his twin sister Ranay attends college in South Dakota. It's the first time the two of them have been apart. They have twirled together and Ranay will also travel to the Netherlands to compete in poms.

"I'm pretty impressed by him," she said. "When we were little he could do three turns while I was doing one. I've hit him in the head a couple of times so he has to be nice to me or I'll do that again."

Knicely Done!