Bangor captures regional crown Gardiner in 2nd, Brewer takes 3rd

BANGOR – Sometimes the door is opened for a team to win but it doesn’t go through the door.

In the final round of the Eastern Maine Class A Cheerleading competition Friday night at the Bangor Auditorium, the Bangor Rams saw the door open and when it came time for them to perform, they knocked the door down and went through.

The Rams final-round performance was precise and held enough danger to give them a one-point win over Gardiner and a 23/4 margin over third- place Brewer.

The Rams final-round total was 81, while Gardiner had 80, Brewer 781/4 and Oxford Hills of South Paris was fourth at 711/4. The top four teams qualify for the state championship which will also be held at the Auditorium on Feb. 8.

Mt. Blue of Farmington finished with 61 points, Nokomis of Newport 701/4, Hampden 581/2 and Leavitt of Turner had 56 points after qualifying for the final round.

The Witches had bowled over the field in the preliminary round with a routine that included high-flying aerials and precision in their dance and partner stunts.

The Witches had scored 83 points in the first round. Gardiner was closest at 781/2 while Bangor was 13 points back at 70. But the slate is wiped clean for the final round.

The Rams were sitting in the stands awaiting their turn in the final round when they saw the opening they needed when Brewer faltered during its performance.

It is the opening of the Brewer act that can stun the opposition almost into submission. The Witches perform a team-tumbling act in which 16 of the 17 cheerleaders on the mat participate.

The Witches got through that just fine but then the next part, their first stunt – a lift of three cheerleaders into the air from three separate stations – didn’t go off on one of the lifts and the timing for the remainder of their routine was slightly off.

“It was really helpful to see their fall,” Danielle Thompson, one of Bangor’s captains said. “It really kinda gave us some enthusiasm. We knew we could win from there on in. It was a lot easier because we knew what we had to do.”

And the Rams did. Their performance, to the untrained eye, appeared flawless. While some of the aerials may not have the overall difficulty that is included in the Brewer and Gardiner routines, the Rams hit their marks and had the crowd of approximately 2,000 roaring.

“We just went out the second time and stuck our mounts,” Jennifer Towne, another Bangor captain said.

The Bangor mounts are a movement in which three cheerleaders are lifted by teammates. While elevated, they reach behind, grab their free foot and lift it over their heads. While holding that position, they are turned a full 360 degrees.

As Towne said, the movement was well-timed and precise.

Gardiner’s routine, which is closer in style to Brewer’s than Bangor’s, also suffered from a mistake in the early going that cost the Tigers. They too were unable to perform one of their lifts. Still, the Tigers finished just one point out of the championship.

“I don’t really know what the difference is because I’m not a judge and I don’t know what they’re judging. But I know that all the teams here did very, very well,” Gardiner captain Lauren Sirois said.

Despite their problems Brewer and Gardiner live to fight another day with the state championship two weeks away.

“So much of cheering is about who goes out there and hits their routine and we didn’t do it,” Brewer coach Kristie Reed said. “But we get one more chance and that’s the important thing.”

In addition to Towne and Thompson, the Bangor team includes Amy Bell, Khara Bennett, Ashley Crockett, Christy Davis, Sarah Eremita, Aimee Gerow, Sarah Glazier, Caitlyn Johnson, Lindsay Hill, Sara Maynard, Amanda Mitchell, Becky Rogers, Tiffany Sutherland, Stephanie Tracy, alternates Holly Eaton, Erin Healey, Sarah Leen and coach Stephanie Crane.