PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The King's Academy cheer team has cemented its place among Florida's elite, securing second place at the state level and earning a top 10 national ranking this season.
The school near West Palm Beach has built a reputation as a competitive cheerleading powerhouse, with many of its athletes starting the sport at a young age and dedicating years to perfecting their craft.
WATCH BELOW: The King's Academy cheer team takes second place in state
"I've been doing cheer since I was in the fifth grade," said junior cheerleader Claire Crews.
"I started cheer when I was two years old. My mom put me in it because I wasn't great at dance," fellow junior, Sophia Sanchez, said.
Cheering since they were kids, it's safe to say it's in their blood.
While they may have started at different places, the world of cheer landed them all at The King's Academy.
"There definitely is a decent amount of pressure with wanting to be successful and continuing the legacy left by the alumni," Crews said.
The legacy left by the alums is impressive: they have won six state championships since 2010 and several national championships as well.
So, it's no surprise that this year they were, as always, among the best in the state.
"This year we made it to Regionals, and by the grace of God, we made it to finals," said Sanchez.
"At Regionals, we were pretty nervous because we were in a new division this year, so we didn't know what it would be like. We really just wanted to score the highest we could," junior Sydney Fischer said.
They scored a 75.70, winning the regional competition and landing them a spot in the State Finals.
"States we obviously did really well, and I think that's going to be something that brings a lot of these girls back next year," said Emarie Thibaut, a junior cheerleader.
The girls finished at the state competition with a 79.40 final score, just 2.4 points shy of capturing the state crown.
"It was a great accomplishment for us, especially having a lot of new people on our team," Thibaut said.
New faces or not in their first year in a new division, the girls finished the season in the top two in the state and one of the top spots nationally.
