When Butler's competitive cheerleading team placed third at the UCA High School National Championships in 2004, seniors KayLeigh Vodenichar and Missy Fogel figured that was their greatest achievement in the sport.

They figured incorrectly.

Now senior cheerleaders at Florida State and Penn State University, respectively, Vodenichar and Fogel are captains of their squads.

Vodenichar is a tri-captain of the Florida State women's cheerleading team. Fogel is female captain of Penn State's coed squad.

"It's nice in the sense that you're considered a leader and respected that way,"Vodenichar said. "I appreciate the responsibility.

"It's up to the captains here to call the girls with information (coach Staci Sutton)gives to us. And the girls call us with any questions or concerns."

Named a tri-captain just before the fall sports season, Vodenichar said she's already had five girls call her about different situations.

"It could be a uniform situation, somebody's running late, maybe there's a conflict on the team with another girl. ... Our coach counts on us to alleviate those problems," she said.

The Florida State's women's cheerleading squad consists of 24 members, including four alternates. Up to 12 travel to Seminoles football road games, including all three captains.

Penn State's coed cheerleading squad has 22 members. While Vodenichar was a senior co-captain at Butler, Fogel was not.

"Our high school team had so much talent," Fogel said. "I tried to get captain, but we had plenty of girls more than capable. Now that I've done it in college, I love it.

"It's a complete honor and I appreciate it so much."

Fogel starts warm-ups for the unit, sets up the lineup and serves as a squad leader. She'll be cheering in Penn State road games at Indiana and Michigan, as well as Nittany Lions home games.

"People come to me before they go to the coach,"she said. "It's nice having people look up to me. Sometimes our coach asks my opinion on things, too."

Vodenichar and Fogel no longer do competitive cheerleading, but both are happy they chose to stay with the sport through college.

"The first year was pretty time consuming," Fogel said. "But we've gone to two bowl games so far and you keep meeting new people. It's bolstered my college experience like I never could have imagined."

Vodenichar agreed.

"Cheerleading has helped me appreciate my school and enabled me to be involved with the university," she said. "We're not competing, but we're still doing the pyramids and stunts.

"We practice twice a week for two to four hours. Florida State is based on tradition, so we do a lot of crowd leading with the war chant, the chop — it's a blast."

Vodenichar is majoring in international affairs. Fogel is majoring in science, with a minor in nutrition, and has applied to eight different dental schools.

Though one cheers for a northern school while the other cheers down south — and they cheered on the sidelines of opposing teams at the Orange Bowl in 2006 — Vodenichar and Fogel admire each other.

"I'm not at all surprised she's a captain,"Vodenichar said. "Missy is so talented and involved. She's a natural leader."

"I consider KayLeigh my best friend," Fogel said. "She'll be in my wedding someday. Our cheerleading days will end, but we'll stay friends forever."