By Paula Roberts
Medomak cheerleaders perform a fast forward stunt during their KVAC championship winning performance. (Paula Roberts photo) |
Medomak Valley cheerleaders won the 2015 KVAC Class B cheering championships on Monday, at the Augusta Civic Center. The title is the Panthers’ third in five years. Medomak also
won the KVAC crown in 2011 and 2013, and were runners-up to Leavitt in 2012 and runners-up to Gardiner in 2014.
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Panther cheerleaders celebrate winning the 2015 KVAC cheering championships. (Paula Roberts photo) |
Medomak’s theme this year, The King is Back, featured music from Elvis Presley songs. Their routine started with “The King is Back,” and ended with “I’ve never
caught a rabbit,” from Presley’s “Hound Dog.”
The KVAC championship meet was in doubt late last week when a “Winter Wonderland” storm threatened and had everybody “All Shook Up,” and singing please do not
“Surrender” the championship meet. The temperatures warmed up and cheerleaders throughout the state started singing “All I Needed Was the Rain.”
Medomak worked on their routines throughout the weekend, including practicing with 2014 nemesis Gardiner, who had them singing “Blue Moon” and “Heartbreak Hotel”
last season.
As the big day approached last week, the Panthers were singing “Am I Ready.” Coach Heather Simmons encouraged her Panthers with “C’mon Everybody,” have some
“Confidence.” Medomak cheerleaders, who have worked incredibly hard on their routines, responded, we are “Doin’ the Best I Can,” and “It’s a Matter of Time” before we reclaim
the KVAC crown.
Going in to the KVAC championships, Medomak knew that Leavitt and Gardiner were going to be “Double Trouble.” With encouragement from Simmons and assistant coach
Rachel Coor, the Panthers started singing “I Just Can’t Help Believing.”
Medomak “Got (their) Mojo Working” and performed their dance routine and jumps flawlessly with a little “Shake, Rattle and Roll.”
Medomak Valley cheerleaders show their winning form with split leaps. (Paula Roberts photo) |
The Panthers packed a lot of difficulty into their routine, and had a little “Hard Luck” with a couple of bobbles, a pyramid stunt that partially collapsed, and a
one point deduction leaving them singing, “I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell’ and “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry.” Coach Simmons encouraged her Panthers, saying “Don’t Think
Twice It’s All Right.”
After the coaches meeting at the conclusion of competition, Coor said she was pleased with their score, which had the coaches singing “It Feels so Right.”
When it was announced Medomak were the winners, the Panthers started singing “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again.”
So “What’s Now, What’s Next, Where To” for the Panther cheering squad, it is on to the Regional Cheering championship on Jan. 24 in Augusta, where Medomak hopes to
secure their fifth regional title. Then it is off to Bangor on Feb. 7, where Medomak hopes to earn their first state title, which coach Simmons says is “Always on My Mind.”
They will be bringing along their “Good Luck Charm” in four year mascot Jared Mank.
KVAC scoring
Class B KVAC scoring went as follows: 1. Medomak Valley 131.5, 2. Leavitt 117.5, 3. Gardiner 120.5, 4. Waterville 103, 5. Mt. View 101.5, 6. Morse 97,8, 7. Erskine Academy 91.9,
and 8. Winslow 84.
Medomak received a one point deduction for a touch on a tumbling pass. Although the Panthers did not execute their stunts up to their potential, “they fought through
it to stay in the air. We had a lot of other elements carrying us. Difficulty of tumbling and choreography carried us,” Coach Simmons said.
The choreography was done by assistant coach Rachel Coor.
“We need to improve our score to be a state championship team. It was a good win. We can now see where we need to focus our attention in the next couple of weeks,”
Simmons said.
“I was very pleased with our score, but we are not where we need to be for stunting. Our stunts are plenty difficult enough, they just need to be executed better.
Overall I am really proud of the girls, especially to see them fight through their routine after their first stunt didn’t execute like they wanted.”
“It was a hard fought win for them. They scored third overall behind (Class A) Bangor and Lewiston. With a better performance we can be where they want to be. Every
time you perform it is different. As long as we can continue to be confident and instill that confidence in the girls we should be all right,” Simmons said.
Cheering for Medomak Valley this season are seniors Shania Melvin, Ashlee Wilson, Olivia Ryan, Paige Russell and Taylor Griffin, juniors Cassie Dever, Stephanie
Hill, Casey Wagner, Amanda Poland, Gabrielle Ruano, and Megan Linscott, sophomores Gage Ruano, Devin Dupuis, Hannah Smith, Megan Libby, and Courtney Ducharme, and freshmen
Samantha Pelkey, Adrianna Wadsworth, Ashley Kenniston, and Megan Wright.
Lincoln Academy did not compete, because one of their flyers broke her arm in practice on Saturday, and there was not enough time to re-work their routine.
Morse was presented with the Class B Jamie Beth Shible Award for showing the most improvement from last year. Morse scored 83.2 points in 2014.
Lewiston won their seventh straight KVAC Class A title with 143.9 points, followed by 2. Bangor 142.1, 3. Hampden 122.9, 4. Brunswick 121, 5. Brewer 116, 6. Lawrence
111.2, 7. Oxford Hills 111.1, 8. Mt. Blue 106.2, 9. Edward Little 106.1, 10. Mt. Ararat 104.3, and 11. Cony 93.2.
