The Benton High Cheerleaders in Dallas.
Co-Captain Carley Glover came back from a knee injury to compete.
The National Champion Benton High School Cheerleaders.
From their practice facility in a Benton church, to the bright lights of the national championship competition, it's been a long road for the Benton High School cheerleaders.
"We started in summer and it's been a really long process, says Co-captain Carley Glover. "We watched national last year and we looked at what we liked and we spent a lot of time at the gym just working on it."
And the work included more than just learning the routine. There were laps to run, weights to lift, and the kind of hard work that molds a real team.
Coach Karen Hilborn says, "I've see this group of tenth eleventh and twelfth graders, for a long time I've know that we had a chance to do something special this particular year because all three classes are very talented, very competitive, very determined, very hard working."
And for those who think cheerleading is just a bunch of fancy dance moves, count the number of girls performing advanced gymnastics, something that attracted senior Livy Meadors to the sport. She started out as a gymnast.
Meadors say, "And whenever I decided that, you know those dreams started to fade, I was like, I want to do something that's more of a team. And that's definitely what cheerleading has to offer but is till use all that strength and all those skills."
On Christmas break it all came together.
At a competition in Dallas, Texas the Benton girls trailed by only fractions of a point.
They waited after their routine to hear who would be announced as the runner up.
Co-captain Laura Copper remembers, "We were all huddled together and as soon as they said Coppell, like I couldn't believe it at first. And then everything after that is just a blur."
Katie Mills adds, "I just heard so many people screaming and I just looked around and we all just like immediately started to cry.".
For the seniors on the 20 member team, their years of competition may be over
But cheerleading could still be in the future.
Mills says, "Hopefully. I'm going up to the University of Arkansas, and I'm planning to try out there. So I'd love to still cheer. And it's just I'm not ready to let go of it yet."
And if you're wondering what's more fun, months of conditioning and repetitive practice to learn and perform a complex routine, or cheering on the team in front of a big crowd?.
Laura Cooper says, "I love football games and I love it when the game is close. And it's really, really exciting to cheer for a team that wins. But it might be a little more exciting to be on a team that wins.
Especially if it's a National Championship.
To watch Benton's winning performance click on the link and type "Benton" in the search bar.