The Auburn Mountainview cheer squad doesn’t believe in doing things halfway.

Whether it’s their stunts and routines or the team goals they set, the Lions believe in going big.

The 2013-14 squad has its sights set on one thing, the 2014 National High School Cheerleading Championships Feb. 8-9 at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla.

“The goal is nationals in Orlando. Mountainview has never done that before,” coach Shana Biggs said.

The team recently got a taste of what could be, with its Universal Cheerleaders Association Cheer Camp at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma on June 21-24.

The team finished first in cheer and second in the extreme routine and home pom categories.

Additionally, Auburn Mountainview was honored with the Top Banana award for best spirit in camp and the Leadership Award, voted on by all of the teams attending the camp.

“It was awesome. It really grew us together as a family, more than just a team,” senior Matthew Madison said. “It was a great learning experience and set us up for what we’re going to do this season. After camp I definitely think we’re going to have a good chance to make it to nationals and place.”

“It was a great bonding experience, especially for our new girls. We’ve got a couple of new freshman,” senior Deicoh Florentine added. “I feel like we’ve bonded so much as a team. Coach Shana has been pushing us, and we really appreciate her for that. We had all the skills we needed and the mindset to do well.”

The 26-member Auburn Mountainview squad is enjoying its summer break. But come the end of July, the team will be back in the gym, preparing for competition and its cheer obligations at the school’s sporting events.

“They do everything. They do sideline and competition,” Biggs said. “There is 26 on the varsity squad, and about 18 of them will do the competition stuff. They also do football and basketball sideline cheer and attend as many of the other sports they can.

“For the summer, we practice twice a week for four hours as a whole,” Biggs said. “Some of it is competition routine, some is sideline. A lot of the stunting is the same for both though. As the competition season ramps up, we practice two to three times a week, whenever we can fit it in. A lot of the kids are involved in other things, like Young Life.”

According to Biggs, the competition season begins in November, with regional competitions leading up to the Washington State Interscholastic Activities Association championships, which are typically held in January. Teams vie for the high scores at regional competitions to qualify for state.

For the national competitions in Orlando, the judges select the team.

“There are regional qualifying competitions, but the nearest one is in Utah,” Biggs said. “So we have to send a video to get selected.”

Florentine said she was confident that the squad has what it takes to earn a shot at a national berth.

“I definitely think we can do it if everyone comes in with the right mindset and dedication,” she said.

Regardless of the outcome of the team’s quest for a national berth, Biggs said she’s just pleased with the performance she’s seen from the team already this year.

“They’re pretty amazing. They are such hard working kids,” Biggs said. “They have such good character. They’re good to other teams and themselves. They’re just dedicated and motivate each other. The seniors – we have eight of them – set the tone and lead without having to be vocal. They set an example.”