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Wearing white sneakers, black shorts and gray tank tops embroidered with "Duval's Cheer Tigers," 11 Duval High School cheerleaders poured their energy into their flips, jumps and stunts during practice Monday, as their coach watched with trained eyes.

"Now do the whole thing and a double toe-touch," Dorian Carter, the Duval High School cheerleading team's head coach, said to senior Giovanna Harbor, 17, of Lanham.

The Lanham school's cheerleading team spends more than 10 hours a week working to perfect the skills and stunts that make up a less-than-three-minute routine.

The 11 cheerleaders will perform the routine Saturday at a national competition in Virginia Beach, Va., on the heels of winning the Feb. 26 championship for Prince George's County schools' cheerleading teams for the second year in a row. The championship was first held in 2007.

The team placed first of the 18 teams who competed at the event, held at Dr. Henry A. Wise High School in Upper Marlboro.

Carter, the team's head coach for the past six years, said she is proud of her team.

"I'm extremely proud. [Other teams] try to beat us," said Carter, 27. "I think we're the hardest-working sport in the county — it's probably the most time-consuming sport, too."

Carter said cheerleading combines many sports — dance, track, gymnastics, basketball and weightlifting — into one.

"It's very physical — you definitely gotta be strong," Carter said.

The team practices Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for two-and-a-half hours per day, sometimes adding a day or two.

On Monday and Thursdays, the team attends an hour of tumbling class at on off-campus location after their regular practice, said Brittnee Crouell, 19, one of the team's two assistant coaches and a 2008 Duval High School graduate.

"We work out like everybody else, we get hurt like everybody else — we are [a] team," Crouell said. "It takes a lot to put someone in the air. They're exhausted at the end of practice. They're not just girls in skirts."

The team keeps a hectic schedule, cheering at football games in the fall, basketball games in the spring, pep rallies and weekend competitions, Crouell said. The team competes in as many as five competitions each year.

Giovanna Harbor, who has been on the team for three years, said she was excited about the back-to-back championship wins.

"It's great to advance each year and grow as a team," Giovanna said. "We've come a long way. People underestimate Duval High school and cheerleading."

Senior Shayla Clark, 17, of Bowie, who has been on the team for four years, said it means a lot that the cheerleaders have improved to become a winning team.

"We go all year long to better where we are. It's hard work," Shayla said.

Carter said the team gets a one-month break each year.

Principal Eric Harrison said he is proud of the cheerleading team, as he is of all the school's teams.

"Just to have them represent us in this fashion, it makes me very proud," Harrison said.

E-mail Liz Skalski eskalski@gazette.net.