Caitlyn Fowler of El Dorado, competed with the North Branch YMCA dance company in team competition, earning themselves a national ranking.

The team has also been to two Regional competitions in Kansas City, where they earned a place at the Stage One Nationals in Arlington, Texas July 9 through 12.

In Arlington, the girls performed three dances.

“It was a little different because at the Regionals we don’t have a shootout,” Fowler said.

Two of their dances received first place and the team had a third overall rating. One other dance received a first place score, with second overall. Two of the dances qualified them to go on to the shootout round. Overall, one of the dances placed first nationally and another placed sixth.

Fowler enjoyed the experience.

“I like just being up there and dancing in front of the judges because it’s really fun,” she said. “I liked the shootout in Nationals and the finale. Everybody was screaming for us and that was fun.”

This is only the second year the team has been competing.

“We were really excited and our dance teacher, she was crying for us because it was our first time going to Nationals,” Fowler said.

Their teacher is Leticia Sanchez.

Folwer, the daughter of Bob and Jennifer Lane and Travis Fowler, started dancing when she was 9 and has now been dancing four years. She began with hip hop.

“I just started doing hip hop on my own,” the said. “When I was 10, I started doing company. I started just wanting to do company because my mom said it would be cool to compete.”

And she agreed.

Fowler is a student at El Dorado Middle School.