CA earns cheering title
STATE CHAMPS — The Central Aroostook cheering squad captured its third straight state Class D title Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center. Team members include, front row from left, assistant coach Janice Mosher, Brittni Mosher, Rachel Donovan, Sarah Michaud, coach Sami Allen and Kyle Donahue; and back, Kayla DeMoura, Lexi Brewer, Whitney Klein, Laken Kingsbury, Mariah Brewer, Patricia Donovan and Kellie Stitham.
Sports Editor
AUGUSTA — Dynasties are hard to come by in sports. That is unless you are the Central Aroostook cheering squad.
For the third consecutive year, and eighth overall time, the CAHS cheerleading squad has captured the state Class D crown. The latest accomplishment came Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center when the Panthers blew away the rest of the Class D competition, finishing with 120.8 points.
Deer Isle-Stonington was second in Class D with 115 points, followed by Buckfield, 114.1; Bangor Christian (103.6; Machias, 100.1; and East Millinocket, 98.8.
CAHS, Deer Isle-Stonington and Buckfield qualified for the New England Regional Championships March 20 in Providence, R.I. The Panthers have not yet decided if they will compete in that event, according to coach Sami Jo Allen.
In the Class D competition, the Panthers improved their score by 5.4 points over their regional performance. The state competition features the same squads that compete in regionals since the regional competition features both Eastern and Western squads due to its small size.
“We are very excited and I am still in shock,” coach Allen said. “You are lucky as a coach to win one state title, but to win four state titles, including three back-to-back-to-back is really amazing. I am very proud of my team and I really appreciate my assistant coach Janice Mosher.”
The state champion Panthers include Heather Bell, Lexie Brewer, Mariah Brewer, Kayla Demoura, Kyle Donahue, Patricia Donovan, Rachel Donovan, Laken Kingsbury, Whitney Klein, Michaud, Mosher, Genevive Parker and Kellie Stitham.
“My team works very hard but has definitely had its challenges this year,” Allen said. “The past two weeks I have had two sick with the flu, another one with mono and another one with strep throat. When you have one missing it really affects your practice because that means you won’t be able to practice those stunts that the person is in.”
Allen also lauded the support her squad received at the state meet.
“Our fans are amazing and we really appreciate the support of the varsity Presque Isle team and their coaches Jolene Kinney and Jenna Flanagin,” Allen said. “They traveled down with us and cheered for us to our victory. It is great that the two towns could come together and support each other. Also, we are very proud of our county teams it is a big deal that four teams from Aroostook County made the state competition. [Houlton and Caribou also competed in Class C. We all had a great showing.”
Contributed photo by Todd Douglass/Northwood Studios
CENTRAL AROOSTOOK PANTHER cheerleaders are all smiles as they hoist the Class D state championship trophy they won in Augusta Saturday. It was the team’s third consecutive title and eighth overall for CAHS.
