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AUGUSTA — At the end of the 2017 -18 season, the Lisbon High School Cheer squad said farewell to seven seniors. They had put together a talented team winning the regional competition and finishing in a close second at the state championship. C
Coach Nicole Adams expected this season to be a year of growth and development for the incoming group of freshmen and the very young squad. With only one senior, Lisbon had a lot of work to. “We had strong numbers,” recalled Adams, “but we still needed to build experience and confidence. The transition from recreational cheering to competition can be a rough one.”
The group of 18 cheerleaders started training in late November and had an opportunity to compete at a showcase in early January. Adams, however, felt they still needed more time to perfect routines. Their first competition was the Mountain Valley Conference championship in January. Delivering what Adams called a “less than perfect” routine, Lisbon put together enough points to edge out Mountain Valley High School by one-tenth of a point.
This is when the team came together. With the leadership of the upper classmen and the added performances at Lisbon High basketball games, the team developed a more difficult routine and honed it to perfection. “Practicing is one thing, but performing in front of your peers adds a level of difficulty,” said Adams.
The team attended the Southern Regional Class C championship at the Augusta Civic Center later that month. Lisbon performed wonderfully and with a substantially more difficult routine, a new level of confidence and no falls, they won the regional championship by an impressive seven-point margin over Sacopee Valley.
The Class C state championship was held in Augusta Feb. 9. After a long day of waiting, Lisbon was slated to perform last. A clarification on the rules for the team before them had held up the Lisbon performance, leaving the cheerleaders anxiously waiting to come out from behind the curtain. If they were nervous when they took the stage, it didn’t show. “The performance was outstanding,” Adams said. “The stunts were spot on, and tumbling was the best they’d done all year.” This final performance was enough to give them the edge over Sacopee Valley by 1.5 points earning Lisbon the Title of Class C champion. Lisbon was also awarded the Southern Class C sportsmanship banner.
Lisbon recently attended the New England Championship, which proved to be a great opportunity for this young team to gain even more experience. This team will clearly be a strong competitor for several years. The 2018-2019 Lisbon High School Cheer squad consists of Senior Olivia Clark; juniors Oceana Assignon, Emma Cleaves, Mykayla Harrington, Maranda Swett, Madison Valcourt, Vanessa Wasielewski; sophomores Amanda Bergin, Courtney Bonsaint, Makayla Driscoll, Madison Ryder, Reice St. Amant; and freshmen Grace Braley, Annika Golino, Reese McAtee, Jennifer St. Pierre, Trinity Trufant and Addisen Turcotte.
The state champion Lisbon High School cheering squad. (Midcoast Photo)
