Strawberry Crest cheer team wins school's first national championship

DOVER, Fla. - The varsity cheer squad at Strawberry Crest High School has a lot to celebrate. The team just won the school's first cheerleading national championship.

The co-ed team's coach, Loveny Savarino, says the squad's hard work was behind their success.

"Every time we came to practice, they worked extremely hard and they just believed in themselves and in being that team that could make history for the school," Coach Savarino said.

Seniors have watched the team build to this moment for the past four years.

"Our model for this year: execution is our victory," said senior Diamond Burgos, who has been cheering for 14 years. "We always know that if we executed and do our best that we would do well."

Senior Mikenzie Shiflett said the team was overcome with pride the moment they were announced as the winners.

"When they said our name, we were all in shock. We were so proud of ourselves," she said.

Coach Savarino says hard work and determination was the key to their victory.

"I knew that it was going to take a very special team, a hard-working team, a team that works extremely hard no matter what the circumstance is and they did it," she said.