LITTLE RIVER, SC (WMBF) - Winning a state championship in anything is a major accomplishment, and once multiple titles are won the word dynasty starts to get thrown around, but winning 17 state championships in a row is just unheard of, until now.
"The coaches are awesome, the gym is awesome, it's a great atmosphere, the team is awesome," said gymnast Breanna Gawron.
Awesome is just the beginning when describing the Ocean Flippers gymnastics team. The girls have been the South Carolina state champions every year since 1994.
"When it's time to get to states, we definitely step it up and push each other," said Gawron.
With 75 gymnasts ranging in age from 5-18, there's a wide variety in skill levels, but the focus in the gym is to work hard and create a family like atmosphere.
"The older girls at the level ten or level nine are the heroes to the little girls and they look up to them," said Louie Liguori, an Ocean Flippers coach.
While Marley McCall, a member of the team added, "they're my best friends and I can just hang out with them doing gym."
It was that dedication and atmosphere that helped propel two of the Ocean Flippers to nationals in California this year.
"The atmosphere was just a lot bigger and made me nervous, and they help me through if I'm scared of a skill, and they help me get through it," said Gilly Hogue, who was one of the national qualifiers.
The girls come from all over the place to be a part of the team, but it's the positive attitude of everyone involved that will allow the Ocean Flippers to continue their success for years to come.
"A lot of coaches are mean to their children and this and that, but there's not a kid in the world that gives up what these kids do and that works as hard as them that wants to do poorly, so we really truly believe that they want to do good and we just try to bring that out," said Liguori.
The Ocean Flippers have two girls signed to compete in college next fall, Breanna Gawron with William and Mary, and Haylee Garrick at the College of Brockport in New York.
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