ELYRIA — With a twirl, twist and toss, the Deputies Baton, Flag and Drum Corp has wowed local parade audiences for years with its high-octane baton twirling and acrobatics.

The team has traveled around the country making people smile, and it’s always been about putting on a good show. But this weekend, the group of 3- to 18-year-old girls will see if it has what it takes at a national competition at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

CARL SULLENBERGER / CHRONICLE

The Deputies Baton, Flag and Drum Corp poses after practice Saturday at the Elyria Salvation Army building. Front row, Kayla Kilgore; second row, Katrina Board and Kassandra Board; third row, Mackenzie Marks, Desiree Jones, Tori Rogers and Alisha Hicks; and back row, Jenna Lane, Lexi Kilgore, Tasha Howard, Haylie Birth and Katisza Newton.

The group normally doesn’t do indoor competitions, said Linda Jones, the corps’ director. But Walt Disney World is the place where dreams come true, so anything’s possible.

“We are so excited,” said Jones, of Elyria, who started the group 26 years ago. “We have been practicing almost non-stop for two months, and now we are ready to take on TwirlMania. TwirlMania is the ultimate baton twirling competition, where dozens of groups from across the country compete on every level.

“The last time we did an indoor competition was like 15, maybe 20, years ago. But when we learned the weekend also came with the opportunity to march in the Walt Disney World parade, we figured, why not?” Jones said. “This is going to be like nothing we have ever experienced before.”

Jones is taking about half of the group’s 100 girls to TwirlMania. They will leave Thursday and return Monday, hopefully with a championship trophy.

“I’m excited,” said 18-year-old Brittany Adams, of Elyria. “We’ve been to other states and competitions, but this is major because this is national. We auditioned, got a spot and now are ready to show everyone what hard work can accomplish.”

Adams hopes the judges will especially like her high toss-cartwheel-somersault in which she flings her baton high into the air and performs a cartwheel and somersault before catching it. The move is as hard as it sounds, she said.

“It took me a whole summer to perfect that particular move,” she said.

Adams joined the Deputies 11 years ago after seeing the group perform in a Memorial Day parade. Watching all the cool tricks and happy baton twirlers was enough to make her want to give it a try. Now she helps the group’s youngest members find that same passion.

“We show them all the cool things they can learn when they keep practicing,” she said.

Keeping the momentum up with such a grueling practice schedule is not easy, said 9-year-old Desiree Jones, Linda’s daughter.

“We practice a lot, but I think we are good,” Desiree said. “Going to Disney World makes me want to practice. It is fun and we get to do tricks.”

When asked why the group has endured so long, Linda Jones said nothing about trophies or competitions.

“I have the best bunch of parents. They want us to be successful — that doesn’t happen with a lot of groups.”

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