COWANSVILLE — Karns City has been a District 9 power in football, boys and girls soccer and girls basketball.

---- Add competitive cheerleading to the list.

In only the program's fourth year of existence, the Gremlins claimed their first District 9 championship in the Medium Division. They topped a field of 11 teams at the district competition earlier this season in DuBois.

Karns City's first-year co-coaches this year are former junior high cheerleading coach Heather Strohmyer and former Butler competitive cheerleader Tracy Garing.

“We only had two seniors on the team last year. This year, we have eight,” Strohmyer said. “That additional leadership has made a difference.”

The squad's seniors include Alyssa Weibel, Brooke Moore, Madison Garing, Anna Sinz, Sydney Turner, Leah Hesidence, Claudia Kamenski and Lyndsey Deusphol.

KC is headed to Hershey this weekend and will compete in the PIAA State Competitive Spirit Championships Friday. The top six teams in District 9 qualify for the state event, a weekend of competition where teams are selected to advance from one round to the next.

“We've gone out there before, but have never gotten past the first day,” Strohmyer said.

So the Gremlins upped the ante this year. They entered a few more competitions than usual and hosted a Universal Cheerleading Association camp, where a UCA coach comes in and works with the girls.

One of those extra competitions this year was the Allegheny Regional at Slippery Rock University, where Karns City qualified for UCA Nationals in Orlando, Fla.

Due to lack of funding and available time, the Gremlins won't be making that trip — making the PIAA Championships their marquee event of the season.