Central Aroostook cheerleaders
earn record 10th state title
By Jon Gulliver
Staff writer
The Central Aroostook Panther cheerleaders have another State Championship trophy for the trophy case and with the win on Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center have become the most successful team in the history of the sport in Maine.
STATE Champs 
— Receiving the State Class D title for the fifth consecutive year are, from left, back row: coach Sami Allen, Colby Endy, Brittany Durost, Alexis Bradbury, Jordan Canney, Shannon Scully, Courtney Milliard, and assistant coach Janice Mosher. Front row: Mariah Brewer, Lexie Brewer, Whitney Klein, Laken Kingsbury, and Patricia Donovan. In addition to winning their fifth title in a row, the Central Aroostook cheerleaders have won a record 10 state titles.
For the fifth straight year there is no better squad in Class D in the state and this marks their 10th “overall” state championship in the 26 years that cheerleading has been sanctioned by the Maine Principals Association. They are the first team to accumulate double-digit state championships.
Coach Sammi Jo Allen said the title means more than the record.
“The team has really proven that they were the best team out there,” she said. “It was a perfect routine and it was nice to show everyone that we could do it clean.”
Allen said usually when the team competes in the States the score declines slightly from the Eastern Maine Championship, but not this year.
“After they performed their routine, I knew our score had to improve because they brought the whole package,” said Allen.
Photo courtesy Tomi Henderson
The senior cheerleaders from CAHS 
presented their latest State Class D Cheerleading trophy to the school at a ceremony Monday night at the school. Pictured are, from left: assistant coach Janice Mosher, coach Sami Allen with daughter Harleigh, Mariah Brewer, athletic director Ryan Guerrette, principal Kevin Grass, Whitney Klein, superintendent Roger Shaw and Patricia Donovan.
Obviously the judges agreed, giving the Panthers the win with Woodland placing second.
“The cheerleaders were ecstatic,” Allen said. “They wanted this so bad.”
“Being a state champion all four years of high school is honestly a dream come true,” said senior captain Whitney Klein. “I couldn’t have asked for a better team to end my senior year.”
Junior captains Lexi Brewer and Laken Kingsbury are hoping to keep the winning streak going next year.
“Winning States is the most amazing feeling anyone could ever have,” said Brewer. “It never gets old, even after three years on the team. Honestly it makes you want it more every year.”
“It’s incredible, all of our hard work really paid off,” said Kingsbury. “It never gets old.”
It also doesn’t get old for the fans, which again this year have been fantastic according to Allen.
“Our fans this year have been great,” she said. “It was awesome to have so much support in Augusta because it is such a long drive down there. We love our fans.”
Those fans also came out on Monday night at the “Panther Palace” to congratulate the state champs. One of the Panthers’ biggest fans is superintendent Roger Shaw.
“Their success is due, not only to their hard work and dedication, but to the way their coaches give of themselves,” said Shaw to the big crowd in attendance at the Monday event. “The team becomes a family – working together toward a common goal — to be the best they can be.”
Shaw also held up his new favorite desk photo — the 2011-12 State Class D Champions.
The season isn’t done for the cheerleaders. The group is hoping to raise enough money to attend the New England Championships in Masachusetts on March 17. The CAHS cheerleaders have not attended that competition since 2009, due to the location and costs.
Members of the CAHS team includes Alexis Bradbury, L. Brewer, Mariah Brewer, Jordan Canney, Patricia Donovan, Brittany Drost, Colby Endy, Kingsbury, Klein, Courtney Milliard and Shannon Scully.
