At the University of Kentucky, the tradition of the Sweetheart Majorette is built on continuity. Few embody that continuity more fully than Donna Daniel (nee Brittain).

A former UK Sweetheart herself, Daniel is now part of the next generation of leadership guiding the program, working directly with collegiate majorettes and feature twirlers as they prepare for auditions and performance at the highest level.

Her presence represents a familiar arc in baton twirling: athlete to mentor, performer to coach.

The UK Sweetheart Majorettes and Feature Twirlers program has long held a distinct place within Southeastern Conference pageantry, blending technical baton work with the visual precision of game-day performance. Alumni returning to lead these programs are not uncommon, but those who remain actively involved in training and selection help preserve the stylistic identity of the team across decades.

Daniel’s current role includes working with prospective and current twirlers, supporting audition preparation and helping maintain the standard expected of UK’s auxiliary units.

She is also connected to ongoing recruitment and program visibility efforts tied to the Sweetheart Majorettes and Feature Twirlers, continuing the cycle that once brought her to the field herself. Her direct experience in the role is strengthened not only by technical knowledge, but an understanding of performance expectations, crowd enagement and the cultural weight of the position.

For programs like Kentucky’s, that continuity is the tradition.

And for Donna, it is also the throughline of passion and sacrifice still closely tied to the field.

Before social media and digital reels took over, college football fans got their preseason fix from glossy magazines. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Athlon Sports’ SEC Football Magazine was the gold standard for Southern fans.

But if you flip through those vintage issues, you’ll find a section that hasn’t aged quite like the team previews: the “SEC Honeys.”

What exactly were the “Honeys”?

This wasn’t a deep dive into stats or player profiles. It was a recurring photo essays of female students, mostly cheerleaders and baton twirlers, celebrated as the “spirit” of the conference. You’d usually see:

• Full-page photo features

• Basic captions (just a name and a school).

• A focus on “campus beauty”

A Hidden Archive for Twirlers

While the section might seem like a relic of old-school marketing, it holds surprising value for anyone interested in baton twirling history and lore. 

Because twirling rarely got its own editorial space (absolutely nothing has changed), these pages inadvertently became a visual record. For historians, the Honeys profiles are actually a time capsule for:

Uniform Evolution: Seeing how sequins, cuts, and fabrics changed year over year.

Style Trends: A perfect look at the hair, makeup, and “body line” expected of performers in the 1980s.

Regional Flair: How a feature twirler at Florida differed from one at Ole Miss.

A Product of the Era

The Athlon features highlighted elite-level performers. Although they were often framed through their appearance rather than their technical skill, twirlers usually regarded inclusion in the issue as an honor. 

By the mid-to-late 1980s, the feature started to vanish. As Title IX progress took hold and media standards shifted toward recognizing women’s athletic talent, glossy pin-up sections felt increasingly out of place. In addition, male twirlers were not included in the featured lineups. 

Unfiltered Look at the Sideline

The SEC Honeys archive offers a rare, unfiltered look at the sideline. Twirlers were photographed in their element, on the field, and in uniform. They represent a specific slice of college football culture that, for better or worse, helped define the era of Southern pageantry.