McDowell High School’s varsity cheer squad received a special honor Friday after winning a national title at their competition in Orlando last month.

The McDowell Coed Cheer team travelled to Disney in Orlando, Florida for the 2023 National Cheer Competition and returned home as national champions.

The team received citations from Representative Ryan Bizzarro’s office. He presented the student-athletes and coaches with the awards.

“It’s a lot of fun. It makes everybody a lot closer. We had an overnight competition this year. It was a lot of fun traveling with them, being on the bus ride with them, experiencing all the feelings with them. It makes us a lot more close,” said Emma Teeo, a senior on the McDowell Cheer Squad.

The team took first place in the Medium Coed Varsity Gameday category, they also placed sixth in the Medium Varsity Coed traditional competition.