excellence
翹 centers on the idea of standing out above others: excellence, raising something up, or lifting oneself onto tiptoes to be taller.
翹 combines 羽 (feathers/wings) with 堯, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of being high or raised. The character suggests something lifted up like wings, hence excellence or raising.
Picture a bird raising its wings (羽) high above its body (堯), standing out from the flock. That raised, excellent posture is 翹.
For ギョウ, imagine a gymnast named Gyo performing an excellent routine, lifting herself onto tiptoes on the balance beam: Gyo -> ギョウ, and her raised pose shows excellence.