Close wasn't good enough for Macey Buzanoski.

The Butler seventh grader finished fourth in the junior cheer solo competition at the American Cheer and Dance Championships in Columbus, Ohio, last year.

"That was my third year of competing solo, and my goal was to win," Buzanoski said.

A member of the Cheer-On Hawks all-star cheerleading squad in Gibsonia, Buzanoski returned to the national competition earlier this month in Ocean City, Md.

And this time she won.

"I was thrilled," she said.

Buzanoski had to perform a 90-second routine of cheering, dancing, jumping and tumbling in front of about 1,000 spectators.

She put her routine together with the help of Cheer-On Cheer and Dance Academy coach Toni West.

"Her routine was unique," West said. "Macey is so spunky and energetic. She's a little fireball, and we played to that.

"Her facial expressions are tremendous while she performs. A lot of kids her age - any age - can't perform in the spotlight like that. Macey flourishes in it. It brings out the best in her."

Buzanoski's winning routine focused on dancing and tumbling.

"It wasn't the 'rah-rah, go team' stuff you normally see for that age," West said. "And she did it flawlessly."

Buzanoski topped a field of 12 girls in the solo competition. She began cheerleading five years ago after reading an article about the Butler High School squad in the Butler Eagle.

"It looked like fun and I wanted to try it," she said. "I liked it right away."

Despite being in seventh grade, Buzanoski insists she has her career goals in place.

"I want to cheer on the high school team, go to Miami (of Florida) University because they have an exceptional cheerleading program, then open up a cheerleading academy with a friend of mine," she said.

West doesn't scoff at those thoughts at all.

"Macey has her mind focused on what she wants to do and how she's going to get there," West said.

"She has the type of ability and potential that lands cheerleading scholarships. And I know she's going to work on her skills," she added.

Buzanoski is also a cheerleader for Butler Junior High and the Meridian Raiders Youth Football senior cheerleading squad.

She also works with the Meridian junior cheerleaders.