Butler's varsity cheerleaders are back in Florida, facing the biggest challenge in the program's history.

The squad flew to Orlando Wednesday night for the annual Universal Cheerleading Association National High School Championships. Butler placed third out of 60 teams in the small division (12-member squads or fewer) last year.

Butler's previous-best finish at nationals was fourth in 1989-90, when current competitive cheerleading coach Randi Stoner was on the squad.

"I felt good about last year's squad and I feel good about this one," Stoner said. "I do think there's pressure on them, but the pressure is good.

"People will see Butler down there and remember us from last year - even two years ago when we were 11th - and the expectations will be there. But we've got a good routine and a good group. These girls can handle it," she added.

The preliminary round is Saturday at MGM Studios. Two 27-team brackets will compete with the top two from each drawing a bye in the finals, slated for 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

Another eight to 10 teams from each bracket will advance to the semifinals Sunday morning. About 15 teams will compete in the finals.

Ashley McGee and Tara Maxwell, the Golden Tornado's senior co-captains, are in their third year with the squad. Maxwell didn't compete last year because of an ankle injury suffered a week before nationals.

Senior Brittany Scott injured her knee three weeks ago and won't be competing.

"We almost always seem to have somebody hurt leading into this," Stoner said. "What's weird is that most of our injuries have happened outside of actual cheerleading, usually at gymnastics.

"They take gymnastics to get ready for cheerleading, though. The long season contributes to a lot of the injuries. Cheerleaders only get March and April off."

The competitive routine at nationals lasts 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Butler begins preparing for it in June and the squad practices six days a week, two hours per day, in the three weeks leading up to nationals.

Five current cheerleaders, McGee, Ashley Sklar, Haley Spinneweber, Emily Wingfield and Emily Ashcraft, competed in Florida last year.

"We just performed everything well last year," McGee said. "We practice so much - it's more skill than luck to succeed down there."

While McGee has been in cheerleading for eight years, Maxwell has been involved only since seventh grade.

"I was in gymnastics all my life," Maxwell said. "Since there is no high school gymnastics team, I moved over to cheerleading to use my skills.

"We've got the skill. A lot of how we do will depend on how we handle our nerves," she added.

Stoner said the semifinal round helps because it's held at Wide World of Sports, the same venue for the finals, which has nearly 5,000 onlookers.

"I'd prefer the bye if we get it because through the years, our best performance has been the second one," she said. "But if we get the bye, I'll take the girls to watch the semifinal round so they can see the atmosphere.

"A big part of this is how well your squad gets the crowd into its performance through use of signs, megaphones and stunting."

Because Stoner had a baby during the past year, she could no longer commit totally to running the cheeerleading squad. Stacey Carothers guided the unit at football and basketball games.

"That enabled me to just coach the competitive team," Stoner said. "I couldn't have done it without her."

Stoner said Butler's mascot, Tuffy the Tornado, is an advantage to her team at nationals.

"He's such a unique mascot and people like our Tuffy signs," she said. "It was Butler's cheerleaders who designed Tuffy the Tornado years ago."

The captains' goals this weekend? Just hit the routine.

"Perform like we can," McGee said.

"Hit a solid routine and just do our best," Maxwell said. "It's in the judges' hands from there."