After competing in the South Padre Island Classic Dance Competition on Feb. 11– 14, the Celebrities brought back 11 awards and were named Grand Champions of the Overall Medium Team division.

“They aced it,” Drill Team Assistant Priscilla Nixon said. “I was a little nervous for them but they did really well.”

Nixon said the girls exhibited teamwork and supported each other during practice.

“The girls who aren’t in the dance will yell out encouraging (words),” she said.

The Celebrities have been practicing for the competition since last summer.

“We started to focus on it more after football season ended,” sophomore Lilly Capetillo said.

The team received a medal for winning the WOW Factor award, which is given to the team with the best overall performance in any category.

“The Celebs got it for their Hip-Hop performance,” Head Coach Ekena Wilkins said. “It’s very rare to win the award with this type of dance.”

Despite the many practices, Capetillo said she found herself on edge.

“I was nervous when we went out there to do our pom (dance routine),” she said. “Every time we practiced that routine, I always seemed to mess up.”

Sophomore Victoria Galvez said she also felt pressured.

“The hardest dance to perfect was the pom routine,” she said.

The Celebrities swept the competition, Capetillo said.

“It was relieving, when I heard our name (announced),” she said. “All of our hard, long practices paid off. I was proud of all of us.”