BUFFALO TWP— They keep getting better, but they're still not the best.

Until they are, the FCA Diamonds won't rest.

Sounds like a cheer, but it's a fact for the Diamonds competitive cheerleading squad, part of the FCA Gems organization based in Sarver.

The 37-member team, featuring girls ages 11 to 18 from 17 school districts, placed fourth in the Large All-Girl Division at the recent All-Star Cheerleading Worlds competition at Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

This marked the third straight year the Diamonds qualified for world competition.

"Our goal last year was to finish among the top 10 teams and we finished ninth," said coach Jennifer Watterson, a former Butler High cheerleader. "This year's goal was to finish among the top five and we did that.

"We push our girls really hard and we lay down some lofty goals — but they are always goals within reach."

There were 32 countries represented at the All-Star Worlds event.

Of the 37 girls on the Diamonds squad, 11 are from Butler. Freeport, Knoch and Mars have girls on the team as well.

The FCAGems organization, in its eighth year, consists of seven cheer teams ranging in age from 8-and-under to the Diamonds.

"A lot of the members on the Diamonds have come from other programs because our program isn't that old,"said Beth Dittmer, Watterson's sister, fellow coach and a former Butler cheerleader as well. "We're just now starting to get girls onto the Diamonds who have been with us all along."

This year alone, the FCA Gems teams combined to win 25 national championships, four grand championships, six state titles and several choreography and program awards.

More than 200 girls comprise the FCA Gems program and Watterson coaches all seven teams.

"That's what is unique about our organization,"Dittmer said. "Most other competitive cheerleading coaches only run the most experienced team in their group. They delegate other coaches to work with the younger girls.

"Jennifer cares deeply about our entire system. She takes the time to coach every one of our girls."

She cares so much, in fact, that she traveled to worlds to be with her Diamonds squad despite being nearly nine months pregnant.

"That was tough,"Watterson admitted. "But I had to be there for them. These girls are so dedicated. We practice twice a week for 2Z\x hours and they never miss practice."

This upcoming season, which already has started, Watterson is working the Diamonds three times a week. She said the team is on the doorstep of a world championship.

The Diamonds defeated two of the teams that finished ahead of them at worlds — second-place Cheer Extreme of Raleigh, N.C., and the third-place Maryland Twisters — earlier in the season.

The Diamonds have 10 new faces on their squad for next season.

"That's the usual turnover rate,"Dittmer said. "We had eight seniors move on and two others didn't make the team this year.

"Practice during the summer months is the worst. They're not competing until fall, so they don't see the fruits of their labor until then."

Based on the 2006-07 competition season, the FCAGems are the seventh-ranked all-star program in the country. They trail Cheer Athletics in Dallas, Texas, Stingray All-Stars in Marietta, Ga., World Cup in Freehold, N.J., Gym Tyme in Louisville, Ky., the aforementioned Cheer Extreme and Spirit of Texas in Arlington.

The Gems also were selected as Squad of the Month by American Cheerleader Magazine at this time last year.

"We've been going up against gyms that have been around 18 to 20 years, but we're closing the gap,"Watterson said. "I'm going to see us through to the top."

• <B>Butler: </B>Keriann Napora, Sasha Harvey, Macey Buzanoski, Allison Thompson, Rebekah DiMartino, Jocelyn Nulph, Jaimi Titus, Jordan Titus, Nicole Kirkwood, Joelle Houston, Courtney Cashdollar• <B>Apollo: </B>Taylor Guthrie, Ariel Shumaker• <B>Penn Hills: </B>Ashley Chavez• <B>Deer Lakes: </B>Karlie Cetti, Eileen Irvinem, Kaitlin Krenn• <B>Highlands: </B>Laura McCall, Mackenzie Mason, Emily Signorella• <B>Freeport: </B>Carly Chiado• <B>Shaler: </B>Mindy Willis, Morgan Meeder, Sammi Willis• <B>New Kensington-Arnold: </B>Chelsea Stankiewicz, Sheree Simpson• <B>Plum: </B>Taylor Schrecengost, Ambur Bowen, Lauren Funari• <B>Burrell: </B>Candace Gartley• <B>Knoch: </B>Cayce Fox• <B>Peters Township: </B>Ariana James• <B>North Allegheny: </B>Alex Slivka• <B>Kiski Area: </B>Kajsda Siewczak• <B>Allegheny Valley: </B>Kody O'Shaughnessy• <B>Penn-Trafford: </B>Jennifer Antill• <B>Mars: </B>Ashley Krause