The Westmont High School flag team edged out their rival Frankfort High School to take first place Saturday at the state championship in Champaign.

It was a sweet victory for the tall flag team, which has flip-flopped between first and second place for the last three years with Frankfort High, last year landing on the bottom side.

“We were going crazy,” said freshman Katie Martin. “When they announced Frankfort, we couldn’t contain ourselves. We started screaming.”

Team sponsor Bonnie Wanner said the team was “ecstatic.”

 “We really weren’t sure how we were going to place. They were surprised and extremely happy,” she said.

The victory was two-fold for departing senior and team co-captain Sarah Casey, who also won a $500 scholarship from the Illinois Drill Team Association. Sarah and her co-captain Lauren Wanner said choreographing the dance was an exercise in trial-and-error and recycling old moves.

“We try to incorporate the musicality,” Sarah said. “Basically, we listen to the music over and over again, trying a billion different things until something works out the way we’d like it to.”

Freshman newcomer Emily Hayden said the hours poured into practice were worth the effort.

“We’ve spent a really long time, but we have fun with it,” she said.

Coached by Megan Sible, the 11-member team typically performs with the marching band or in competitions.

Now that the season has finished, the team will get a short break before tryouts commence in April. Practices will start in June, and band camp will take place in July, Wanner said.

Wanner said a “wonderful” parent and fan showing at Saturday’s state finals was appreciated by the team.

“It was nice for them to hear cheering in the crowd for them,” Wanner said.