HARLEM - Nine of Harlem's most talented gymnasts are competing against the country's elite in the USA Championships in Texas Friday.

The students, all from the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation, had to qualify through regional and state competitions to advance to this stage.

“To get to nationals is a big deal,” said Hillard, a Hall of Fame Rhythmic Gymnast and the first African-American to represent the U.S. in international competition. “It means you are at the highest level and competing with the best in the country.”

The nine students, who are between the ages of 8 and 20, will participate in the Trampoline and Tumbling portion of the competition. For some, the trip to Dallas marked the first time they'd flown in an airplane.

Team members are Matthew Dayle, 8, Taraya Alexander, 9, Nasrullah Abdur-Rahman, 9, Bailey Mensah, 10, Ebony Cherry, 14, Jeida Parkinson, 15, Fahtima Yaro, 18, Jade Henderickson, 18, and Dennis Rivera Lopez, 20.

Each athlete prepares his or her own routine and only gets one chance to impress the judges, Hilliard said.

“There are no do-overs; you just have to be confident in what you are doing,” Hilliard said. “That’s why we practice so much. It’s very physical, but it’s very mental.”

Henderickson, 18, practices from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. three days a week during the school year. She's going to college next year, where she hopes to become a junior gymnastics coach, she said.

This is her first year at nationals.

“I’m just excited to be here and compete,” she said. “It’s something I like to do.”

The nine gymnasts are a perfect example of what can happen when Harlem's young people are given a chance, Hilliard said.

"I think people should know that you have to invest in young people,” she said. “You invest in them but you have to challenge them. It’s so rewarding because this is where we want to send the kids. They responded great.”

The gymnastics program, based out of the Harlem Armory, started in 1996. About 90 percent of the students are on some type of scholarship, Hilliard said.

Some of the elite competitors are also relatively new to their sport. Cherry, 14, has only been doing it for two years.

As she was preparing for her big day on Friday, the teen had some words of advice to her friends and family back in Harlem.

“You should always believe in yourself,” she said.