CHAPEL HILL - The Bouncing Bulldogs jump rope team recently made its annual trip to Disney World. The team visited the Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios, rode the Rock'n'Roller Coaster -- and, oh yeah, won a fifth straight national championship in rock'n style.

Coach Ray Fredrick Jr.'s squad finished ahead of 73 other teams, seldom skipping a beat.

When it comes to jumping, these Bouncing Bulldogs don't Mickey Mouse around. As a result, winning is as much a part of their routine as the Double Dutch and Triple Unders.

In addition to the team title at the June 27-29 USA Jump Rope National Championships in Kissimmee, Fla., they set six national records, three by relay foursomes and three by individuals Anna Reeb, Morgan Smith and Graham Stopa. Overall, they won nine individual crowns, with Stopa and Smith taking two each.

Tim Martin, who took a wild ride on the Rock'n' Roller Coaster, finished on top in the Triple Unders competition.

"He's the No. 1 all-around jumper in the world,'' said Fredrick, who started the Bouncing Bulldogs' program 22 years ago and has 200 participants from 13 countries.

The Bulldogs, who must maintain a B academic average to compete, qualified for the world championships in Cape Town, South Africa, but have chosen to give exhibitions at the Beijing Olympics instead.

Life has not always been so buoyant and bouncy, however.

"We didn't win anything the first seven years [beginning in 1990] -- no titles, no trophies,'' said Fredrick, who operates in a trophy-packed office now.

The turnaround began when Fredrick started implementing ideas from the late, legendary Durham Hillside High track coach Russell Blunt, whose photo is the only coach's picture hanging in the Bouncing Bulldogs' gym.

"We took a lot of cross-training [track and field] drills from him," said Fredrick, who also studied the coaching philosophies of Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and former North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith.

A one-foot jumping jack is a key Blunt drill. Over the course of a workout, the Bulldogs do 1,000 of those per day to increase stamina and speed. That partly explains how they recorded 446 speed points at Disney World, the first time in history any team had eclipsed 400.

"Unheard of," said Fredrick, whose plethora of speedy Jumping Jacks often skip rope at 6 a.m.

Also, older jumpers spend considerable time teaching the young "pups." That creates a bonding, as well as a bouncing effect, and is another reason the Bulldogs have established their own Magic Kingdom at Disney World.