After four close-but-no-cigar efforts, the local Large Senior squad reigned supreme at the recent Alliance National Championships at Mississauga's Hershey Centre -- finishing first in an 11-team Level 4 division.

On the strength of a perfectly-executed routine on day one, the 31-member team eclipsed Ottawa's Black Widow -- a perennial contender who'd upstaged them at December's Cheer for the Cure -- by a tenth of a point to finally reclaim national gold.

This highlighted an overall superb showing for the Scorpions, who have clubs based in Stoney Creek and Niagara Falls as well as in town.

"I literally started crying... it was our biggest victory in years," said owner and head coach Andy Cecchini. "This is what we'd been working toward since last June, and everybody was just so ecstatic."

With the majority of the senior contingent back this year, hopes for upgrading last spring's national silver were fairly strong -- although Cecchini knew there was one shortcoming that needed to be addressed.

He explained, "The girls have always had the skill, but we'd been lacking in the performance end of things. Their showmanship and personality hadn't come across enough."

Determined to rectify this, Cecchini took the seniors to a California meet just a few weeks before nationals. The trip -- he recalled -- served as a great learning experience, and subsequent catalyst for the triumph that was to come.

"That's (California) a hotbed for our sport and the meet was really beneficial. The girls were like sponges and just soaked up everything about what it takes to really wow the judges."

That was evident at the Hershey Centre, where just a week after capturing the provincial title Super Cheer completed their gold-medal run.

Led by veteran leaders like Tara Nova, Christina Chimonides, Carissa Lawther and Emily Goncz -- who placed 10th in individual competition -- the Scorpions came through with a season-best delivery that featured some of their most fundamentally-sound tumbling and pyramids to date.

Their razor-thin lead held up on day two, as both Milton and Black Widow suffered minor glitches that essentially canceled each other out.

"They were just flawless on that first day, just amazing," noted Cecchini, who runs Super Cheer with wife and fellow coach Melissa. "I was really confident in our chances (of winning) after that. They really ramped it up a notch."

Making the national victory all the more impressive was the fact that team member Salome Holland was battling illness at the time and late replacement Emily Denham was filling in for regular Jessica Wallace (away on missionary work) -- and did a credible job in the process.

Also tasting national victory was the Junior Stunt squad, comprised of Darby Wood, Kylie Nichols, Nicole Lachappelle, Kennedy Senra and Alanna DeSouza.

Led by coach Natasha Brancier, the local five topped a field of roughly 30 teams with a stellar performance that was highlighted with a double cupie pyramid (two girls held up by three), which very few teams even attempted -- much less nailed.

Milton's Super Cheer Small Junior entry took third place in Level 2, while the Small Senior Level 3 squad finished sixth. Finding itself all alone in the Level 5 Open Co-ed ranks, the Scorpions gave an impressive showing on the way to their automatic win.