The Summer Creek cheer team will compete at Nationals at Disney World on Feb. 10 after making history when they advanced to the final round of the UIL State Spirit Championship in January.

The cheerleaders began preparing for UIL in September by spending six hours in the gym on a Saturday with a UIL choreographer. The team also competed in Galveston and competed in a district showcase.

“Advancing to the final round was our goal,” Coach Crystal Livingston said. “It felt amazing to achieve that. We were so thrilled when our name was announced. I was ecstatic and relieved at the same time. It is an awesome feeling when the hard work pays off. We are so proud of our team.”

The Spirit Championship takes place annually at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Only 20 teams are invited to compete.

“I was so excited when our name was called,” junior Brooke Louise said. “All that was going through my mind when I was performing was to keep smiling and to put on the show that I have worked so hard on. The feeling of going to the championship is like no other.”