Chalk up another baton-twirling championship for Palmetto Senior High’s Jennifer Marcus.

The 15-year-old honors student just returned from the National and World Championships — both atypically held this year at the same location in Daytona Beach — where she won the Grand National Three-Baton competition, copped a similar title in Open International competition against the best twirlers from 13 other nations, then teamed with her older sister to capture the bronze medal in the pairs competition of the World Championships.

"This means that she is the best twirler of three batons simultaneously in the United States and the world," said her very proud mother, Lori Marcus. "It’s the result of a lot of very hard work."

Winning baton-twirling titles is becoming almost a matter-of-fact to the talented Ms. Marcus, a featured performer with the Palmetto Senior High band and captain of the Chatonnettes. She has been national solo champion in her age division since she was 7 years old, missing out only in 1993 when she said the ravages of Hurricane Andrew (in 1992) cut short her rigorous practice schedule.

"I practice a lot, at least three hours every day and three-and-a-half hours a day when a competition is coming up," said Marcus, who is entering her junior year at Palmetto.

Baton competition has taken the young woman all over the United States and throughout the world. She has competed in the World Championships for the last four years in Italy, France, Hawaii and this year in Daytona Beach.

When she’s not practicing or competing, Marcus enjoys the normal, everyday things that most teenage girls like, such as listening to the music of *nSync, chatting on-line on AOL, going to movies, eating Chinese food at PF Changs and hanging out with friends at Bennigan’s after a football game.

Marcus, who lives in West Kendall’s Country Walk, said her interest in the baton was sparked by her sister, Melissa, who is the featured twirler at Florida State University and also attended Palmetto High. In fact, Jennifer and Melissa are roundly known as the Marcus Sisters, famous for their performances with the baton and were the featured twirlers at Palmetto two years ago.