SAXONBURG — Twin champions — again.

For the second successive season, the Senior Young Americans Dance Twirl team — based out of Gwen's School of Champions in Saxonburg — has won the USA National Beginner Senior Small and Large Dance Twirl championships at the University of Notre Dame.

“We had 33 girls and five teams at nationals,” coach Natalie Watt said. “All five of our teams placed among the top 12 in their divisions, including the two championships.”

Knoch graduate Libby Casey and Evangel Heights graduate Bethany Jones combined to win the USA National Beginner Senior Duet Championship in their first-ever duet competition.

“They are both 18 and in their final season together,” Watt said. “This is something they wanted to try before they were done.”

Casey and Jones have been twirling batons together since age 5.

“We've been best friends for years,” Casey said. “We decided to put together a duet routine and do it for fun. It was the last routine on the last day of the competition. It was a great way for us to go out.”

The duet consisted of synchronized twirling along with one twirler doing specific tricks, then passing the baton to her partner for a similar performance. All of the routines at nationals lasted two minutes and 30 seconds.

Jones is also a co-captain of the Young Americans, along with Haleigh Perrucci of Hampton. The Young Americans also had a twirler from Karns City and Freeport. The rest of the squad attended Knoch High School.

Other members of the championship team are Kendall Vettori, Lurena Stewart, Kyleigh Fleeger, Madison Zellhart, Elizabeth Priester, Kayla Travis, Makenzie Blystone and Brenna Tristani.

“Libby and I got to know each other through twirling,” Jones said. “That duet was so much fun for us. We never expected to win it, so that was pretty exciting.”

Casey and Jones competed against more than 20 other duets in winning the championship.

The team competition included synchronized and individual twirling, along with dancing.

And the Young Americans team practiced long and hard to defend its titles.

“Most of the season, we only practice once a week for an hour,” Jones said. “The week leading up to nationals, we practiced for five hours every day.

“We had a lunch break, but it was definitely tiring. We'd shuffle between routines, too, so it was pretty crazy.”

But well worth it.

“It was hard, but what made it easy was we were doing it with all of our friends,” Casey said. “Everything meshed at practice and that carried over to nationals.

“The fact it was our last time (competing) made us appreciate it a lot more.”

Perrucci said she became interested in twirling after watching them in a parade as a young girl. She's been with the Young Americans for five years.

“All of those girls became my family,” she said. “We all worked hard for one goal. A lot goes into this. There are solo tricks. Half the team uses two batons. A lot of things have to come together.”

Of the 11 girls who competed on the winning teams, six were on the national title squad from last year.

Five girls competed at nationals for the first time.

“Going back out (to Notre Dame), we weren't sure we were going to win again. We knew we had the talent and it was a possibility,” Jones said. “I give credit to the new girls. They had never won a national championship and there was pressure on them coming up.

“They really came through for all of us.”

While the other girls on the team went to public high schools, Jones' school (Evangel Heights) had only 120 students.

She had no Friday night football games or marching band to perform with.

“That's why I loved every second of my time with the Young Americans,” she said. “They fed my passion.”

While Perrucci is going on to twirl at Florida State University, Jones and Casey are done.

“I'll miss it,” Casey said. “You never run out of things to do with twirling. You never reach your full potential, but I definitely finished in a good place.”