Members of the Mercer Island Cheer Squad performed on Jan. 1 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla. The team won the honor to dance in the Citrus Bowl’s Pregame Show by placing first in several categories at the Universal Cheerleading Association’s summer cheer camp.

“I could not be prouder of these girls,” coach Alex Schwenke said. “They are an incredibly talented group and deserve every opportunity offered to them.”

Eight of the MIHS cheerleaders took advantage of the invitation and spent four days rehearsing and performing in Orlando. They also mixed in daily trips to Disney World.

“It was a great experience to have shared with the MIHS cheer team,” sophomore co-captain Julia Chorak said.

“We got to bond as a team as well as with other cheerleaders from around the U.S.,” freshman co-captain Carys Ciobanu said. “We hope this trip remains a tradition for the MIHS cheerleaders.”