’Cats place second in Big East event

The Aroostook League Cheerleading Competition is slated for Friday at 7 p.m. at Caribou High School, and the Presque Isle Wildcats head into the event coming off a runner-up performance at the Big East Conference cheering competition over the weekend.    Presque Isle placed second to the host Ellsworth Eagles on Saturday in the conference meet. Only five of the 12 teams slated to compete did because of the inclement weather and icy road conditions, but the Wildcats posted 111.9 points to finish four points back.
Caribou was third, followed by Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln and Mount Desert Island.
“The 12 athletes on this year’s team have been putting in a lot of effort in perfecting their routine,” said coach Jenna Bradstreet. “It was very rewarding to be named first runner-up.
“Although we did have a few bobbles in our performance, the athletes recovered well and pushed themselves in the performance piece to help recover our score,” she added.
Friday’s event at Caribou High School is a long-standing tradition for many of Aroostook’s cheering squads.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the cost for tickets is $5 for adults and $3 for students. The actual competition is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
All the schools will take part in two rounds of competition. The first round is an exhibition, while the second will be scored to determine the outcome.
Special performances will be provided by the junior varsity teams from Caribou and Presque Isle, the All-Star Gymnastics group, the Caribou Parks and Recreation Department cheerleaders and the 2014 Aroostook League middle school champions.
An all-star competition will also be held, with individuals and groups scored in varying events.
Awards will be presented to the top teams, while the Spirit Award winner will be announced and all-star awards will be presented as well.
On Saturday, Presque Isle will also be competing in the Penobscot Valley Conference championships, to be held beginning at 3:05 p.m. at Mattanawcook Academy.