PI cheerleaders place 3rd,
advance to Class B states
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
BANGOR — A wobbly stunt had many on the Presque Isle cheering squad fearing the worst at Saturday’s Eastern Class B cheering competition at the Bangor Auditorium.
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
PYRAMID POWER — Presque Isle Wildcat cheerleaders perform on the floor of the Bangor Auditorium Saturday in the Eastern Class B cheering competition. Hoisted in the air are, from left, Bonnie Zeng, Megan Byers, Gabby McCrum, Mychaela Powers and Kelsey Corriveau.
Fortunately for the Wildcats, the team’s energy, complex routine and abundance of tumbling were enough to advance Presque Isle to the state competition Saturday, Feb. 12, also in Bangor. It marks the second straight season that Presque Isle has advanced to the state competition after a lengthy absence. Last year, the Wildcats earned a spot in the state competition for the first time in 10 years.
Coming into the competition, the Wildcats had a goal of qualifying for States for the second straight year. Presque Isle did precisely that, finishing third in the competition with 123.9 points. Hermon won the regional title with a sensational routine that garnered a score of 150.6 from the judges. Ellsworth was second with a score of 136.8.
Other team scores from the competition were: 4, John Bapst, 120.5; 5, Waterville, 114.8; 6, Nokomis, 113.2; 7, Old Town, 111.5; 8, Bucksport, 103.7; 9, Caribou, 101.9; 10, Mt. Desert Island, 101; 11, Mt. View, 97.4; and 12, Mattanawcook Academy, 94. The top six squads advance to the state competition.
“We’re thrilled to be going on,” Presque Isle coach Jolene Kinney said. “I’m so excited for the girls, I can’t even begin to describe it.”
Most members of the Wildcats feared the worst when one of their pyramid stunts suffered a mishap, causing a member to fall from her perch. That fall resulted in a five-point deduction for the team.
“We had a pyramid that fell which was very unusual,” Kinney said. “We have never had that particular stunt fall before. It’s always been clean.”
Once the fall happened, the Wildcats were tentative for only a moment, before regaining their composure.
“When it [pyramid] fell, it threw the girls off and I could see that it kind of rattled them,” Kinney said. “But they recovered really well for the dance part of it.”
Members of the Presque Isle squad, include senior Julea Gorneault; juniors Kelsey Buck, Kelsey Corriveau, Paige Doyen, Brittany Good, Courtney Lyford, Michaela Powers and Bonnie Zeng; sophomores, Megan Byers, Justena Cleveland, Rachel Dow, Mary Green, Kenedy Jarvis, and Gabby McCrum; and freshmen Elena Ford and Kelsie Spooner.
