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Santa Maria gymnasts perform halftime show for Harlem Globetrotters

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A recent Harlem Globetrotters game in Santa Maria featured exciting tricks, including a half-time performance by some local gymnasts.

Practice isn't taken lightly at Katey's All Star Gymnastics.

But for the team of athletes, the opportunity to perform with the Harlem Globetrotters came as a surprise.

"We were totally not expecting it," Katey Eckenrode, the owner of All Star Gymnatics, said. "It was just out of the blue and we were like yeah, we want to do it. It's super exciting."

After lots of hard work, the young gymnasts were readying to perform at halftime.

For the gymnasts, the high profile performance was a big pay off for giving it their all at practice.

"it's been a lot of hard work," Camryn Latham, a gymnast said. "Getting to know all the stunts and a lot dance moves. It's tiring."

For the last four years, this team has worked together, honing their craft.

"It's a big part of my life," Aubrey Speer, a gymnast, said. "I've been doing it for awhile, it's really fun. If you're looking for a sport to do, its fun to take up."

The gym competes against the rest of southern California, teams with big names, where Olympians often emerge.

But these gymnasts don't back down from that challenge.

"We're competing against pretty big name gyms and they place," Eckenrode said. "They get in the Top 3 so for our group, we're pretty good."

And they were ready to put on an entertaining show Thursday night.

"It's crazy, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity," Speer said.