The Deer Isle-Stonington High School squad shows their team spirit at the Augusta Civic Center on February 9, where the team placed fourth at the Maine Class D State Cheering Championships. Front row, from left: Jill McDonald, Leighia Gray, McHenna Martin, Grace Morey and Emma Plummer; back row: Taylor Staples, Mason Plummer, Kristin Thompson, Haley Hardy, and Adeline McDonald. Courtesy of Amber Jones
Augusta—The Mariner cheerleaders scored 52 points for a fourth-place finish in Class D Maine State Cheering Championships at the Augusta Civic Center February 9.
Their performance earned the team a one-point jump in score, enough to bump them up from their fifth-place finish at the regional championships in Bangor two weeks ago.
Coach Amber Jones credited the improved performance to new moves in pyramids, and a higher score in the dance category, where judges commented on the range of movement and difficulty in the dance portion of the team’s routine.
“We amped up our performance and it helped,” Jones said. “We told [the team] going into the states, it’s their last time as this team so don’t hold back, the work is done, and it’s time to show it.”
With the Mariner squad qualifying in 2018 and 2019, this was the second trip to the state championships for Jones and assistant coach Belle Merritt in their two years working with the Deer Isle-Stonington team.
Jones extended her appreciation to the island and school community for their “awesome” support.
“They made the kids feel really confident going in,” Jones said. “The varsity basketball teams did a pep rally for them the day before, full in costume.”
DISHS Athletic Director Betsy Woodward “had a big hand in making sure that the cheerleaders felt very supported going into states, which we really appreciated,” Jones added.
Jones and Merritt also coach the island’s elementary school team—which took first place in the Maine State Cheer Challenge the following day at the Civic Center and was greeted by a motorcade in their honor upon their return to Deer Isle.