CHICO, Calif. -- The Pleasant Valley cheer squad placed second in the Universal Cheerleaders Association Competition in the large varsity non-tumbling category in Orlando, FL.

Vikings Cheerleader Reagan Moss says, "A lot of teams aren't willing to put in the amount of hard work that we did this season and I think that really set us apart from the rest. We were willing to give up our weekends, we were willing to do those extra practices, and extra performances."

All that hard work led the Vikings to finish in second place out of 28 teams all over the country. A job well worth the effort.

"As soon as I get on the mat, I forget about everything except for the skills that we're going to hit. I don't remember the crowd and I just focus on the skill that we're throwing at the time," said Senior Alyssa Merrill.

Yet it was the people standing beside each other that mattered too. Merrill says, "it's really all about cheering each other on and being in each others heads like 'you got this, you can do it' and just really hyping each other up."

Not everything went according to plan. An injury forced the Vikings to switch up their routine at the last minute.

"I think a lot of it is us just trying to beat the odds especially because we've been competing for such a short amount of time, it's just kind of crazy how successful we've been," added Merrill.

No doubt. The Vikings are no stranger to top finishes. In just four short years of competition, they have always placed in the top three.

The seniors on the squad say they hope to leave a legacy and a base for younger Vikings to climb.