The varsity girls cheerleading competition team took third place in the state over the weekend in Hershey.

The Highlanders went up against five other teams in the finals, including two national championship teams that took first and second.

“Our mat team did the best and as a whole we performed to our best since the beginning of this season in competitions,” junior Kaitlyn Joyce said.

The team accomplished its goal this year by placing higher than last year’s fourth place in Hershey.

“Our captain, Leah Stock, kept us focused, and overall we felt more confident in our performance,” Joyce said.

The team is optimistic and excited for their final competition at Disney in February.