BUTLER TWP — Butler's varsity competitive cheerleading squad is swimming in un-chartered waters.

And it wants out.

The Golden Tornado are coming off a season in which they failed to get out of the preliminary round of the Universal Cheerleading Association National Championships in Orlando, Fla.

“That just doesn't happen to us,” senior Jenna Hinkle said. “Our team always gets to the finals.”

“We need to redeem the Butler name,” fellow senior Paige Allen insisted.

They've been working hard to do so.

Butler recently won the UCA Allegheny Regional for the first time since 2007. The Tornado also entered the Steel City Classic at Shaler for the first time ever, winning their division and being named grand champion overall.

“We entered that event more for experience than anything else,” cheerleading coach Nicole Nea said. “We have some new members on the squad and I want to get them as much experience as possible performing in front of a crowd.”

Butler's competitive team consists of 17 cheerleaders, 12 of whom will compete in the small varsity division Feb. 7-12 in Orlando.

“Twelve compete, but we're a team of 17 and everybody has to be ready to go,” Nea emphasized. “You never know who might have to fill in where under what circumstances.”

The four senior leaders of the team are Hinkle, Allen, Jewel Erkman and Makenna Haervey.

Hinkle has been on Butler's competitive team all four years of her high school career. Butler placed seventh nationally her freshman year and 12th the following year.

“Not getting to finals last year was hard because my sister, Jordan, was a senior on that team and I feel like I let her down,” Hinkle said.

“It was disappointing for our seniors,” Erkman allowed. “We want to go back down there and make amends for them as much as ourselves.”

While the Butler squad may feel more pressure to succeed this time around, the girls aren't at all intimidated by it.

“We're more motivated now,” Harvey said. “Doing so well in those competitions this year has made us more confident and we're definitely focused.”

They are also busy. Varsity cheerleaders on the competitive squad get Mondays off and that's all. Otherwise, they are busy at practice, cheering at basketball games or doing gymnastics.

“We do one day of gymnastics a week, except for during basketball season,” Nea said. “The competitive routine is two minutes and 30 seconds — a minute and 30 seconds to music, a minute cheering — and you can't go a second over.

“It's a precise, intense competition.”

Juniors on the Butler team are Alexis Frenchak, Brianna Facemire, Jade Bowers and Jordan Mazzanti.

Sophomores are Haylee Winters, Haley Stariat, Taylor Stovert, Emily Huber, Saxon Hartman, Brooke Carr and Kayla Donaldson. Alex Slomers and Annie Codispot are freshmen on the team.

Nichole Moore joins Nea in coaching the squad.

“You never know what's going to happen down there (at nationals), but this is a pretty determined group,” Nea said.

“We're fueled by what happened last year,” Allen said. “We needed a wake-up call and we got one. Now we have to answer it.”