ORLANDO, Florida — The dance team at Bearden High School is used to cheering on their teams from the sidelines. But these athletes were front and center at the 2019 National Dance Team Championships at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World.
The squad completed routines to perfection and became national champions in the process.
"It's cool for our athletes to be able to represent their school and show off their school spirit." head coach Hannah Keathley tells 10News. "Being able to come in first place was really awesome."
The Bearden High School Dance Team took home the top prize in the Pom category on Sunday, just a day after making history and taking first in the brand new Game Day division on Saturday.
The "Game Day" division lets athletes show off their traditions and represent their school.
"It's not like other competitions where you do a separate routine," Coach Keathley said. "This is actual stuff we do on the sidelines."
This win is also special because other divisions like Pom or Jazz won't necessarily let you utilize everyone on your squad. In "Game Day" though, the talents of every athlete is on display.
That means this national championship was a true team effort. Coach Keathley credits the team's camaraderie and perseverance throughout the season.
"They're on cloud nine," she said. "The chemistry plays into it a lot because it's all about how our spirit is showing through us. So if one person is smiling and another person is not that affects us."
The athletes will remain in Orlando and have two more competitions coming up.