"and 2nd place goes to...team #40, the palatine panthers!! " Hearing the announcers' voice echoing around the stadium, I screamed so loud id thought my voice would go at any given moment. "oh/my/gosh!, we did it, we actually did it!"

Standing in our squad line, we were ready to perform our routine for the last time ever. Amanda was in back of me and Maddy in front, Amanda was whispering to me as we were impatiently waiting to be led out onto the cheer floor. When we walked out all of us immedietly shut up, smiled and stared at the humongous stadium overflowing with people. The eight judges...wait no i will repeat that. The eight INTIMIDATING judges were staring us down ready to take off points for all our flaws.(things like lost smiles, non pointed toes,etc) Sprinting through my mind were the words. " Dont mess up, whatever you do, DON'T MESS UP."

As we started the routine everything was going perfectly. I saw my mother and all the other panther fans standing in the stands cheering us on. Oh boy, our tumbling sequence was coming to an end and that meant our time on the floor was coming to an end. My smile was from ear to ear and i hadn't messed up at all!! (: MY golly. But just then the song "when i grow up" came on ( the last song of the competition routine) and i was so psyched!
and...just like that, my thoughts went down the drain. The person in front of me had made a visible mistake, and my heart went beating a million miles per hour and that didn't help at all! I mean this was state finals! Me and the other girls can be part of the best 7th grade squad in ALL of Illinois! Hopefully the judges wouldnt notice! Oh and BAM. it was over. While walking out with my head held high i had been chit chatting with my friend, she told me that someone else had made another mistake. "lord" was all i could get out of my mouth in a humble fashion. We might as well get last place, i had watched other squads perform and they were AH-mazing! Now all there was left to do is wait four hours until the awards ceremony.

Tapping my foot against the concrete, I watched as the other teams entered. But my eyes were glued on the big trophies. Just as the last team entered, i could here the noise of a microphone being picked up. SHEESH, now all eyes and ears were on her! This was nerve-wrecking, i remember everybody asking Mrs. M over and over and over again if it was our section, if it would be our places to be called. Then like a spark of fire hitting a piece of dry timber our section was called. " 3rd place goes toooo....." Not us...YES!!" " 2nd place goes to... team #40 the palatine panthers!" "AHHHH!!" my whole squad started screaming. I couldn't believe it. Not only did we get 2nd place, we made pafa history!! (: Our squad was the first pafa squad..EVER..to make it to state.

When i think back to that moment, i get so excited. That was the best feeling in the world, being team #40 was way worth it, because you know, we are always going to be 2nd best!