For the 12 competitors on the Barnegat High School cheer squad, the Universal Cheerleaders Association National Championships has been on the radar since last season.

“We were really motivated this year because we didn’t get to the finals last year,” said senior Reannah Cooper. “We had been used to going to the finals so not getting there last year was a little bit of a low for us.”

The Bengals not only reached the Small Varsity Game Day championship round on Feb.