By Kalle Oakes,Staff Writer

AUGUSTA – St. Dom’s took everyone to the carnival. Lewiston played upon people’s fears. And Oxford Hills overcame a real-life scare of its own.

Such was the story of Saturday’s regional cheerleading championships at Augusta Civic Center, where Lewiston captured the Eastern Class A title over resilient Oxford Hills, while St. Dom’s stormed to another Western Class C crown.

The Blue Devils electrified an afternoon crowd of over 2,000 with a nearly flawless performance. But Oxford Hills nearly stole the show by competing after what could have been a much greater catastrophe, when junior tumbler Kallie Robinson was inadvertently kicked in the face by a teammate.

In the end, while the Vikings received a reprieve and got to perform their entire routine from the top after Robinson recovered, it was the Devils who received 163.1 of a possible 175 points from the panel of five judges. The Vikings finished with 157.7.

Lewiston will seek its third Class A championship in four years here on Feb. 11. The top six teams in each classification advance to state competition.

“Last year, these girls had a really rough year,” said first-year Lewiston coach and choreographer Justin Wing. “They were the two-time defending state champions. Then a girl broke her ankle, and another one became ineligible. It all sort of happened at once.”

Seven seniors helped restore Lewiston’s confidence and its sectional supremacy.

With crisp dancing, extensive tumbling from all but one member of the squad and a “spooky” theme that fit their playful personality, the Blue Devils presented the complete package.

“We have a saying: Bring your heart, or go home.’ It’s been an amazing experience competing with these girls,” said Lewiston senior Alyson Banks. “It was a great four years, but senior year was definitely the most fun.”

Oxford Hills’ Robinson left the floor gingerly, surrounded by parents, coaches and trainers and unsure whether or not she’d get a chance to return after taking a teammate’s sneaker in the right eye just 15 seconds into the Vikings’ scheduled performance.

The judges red-flagged the routine immediately, then announced that the Vikings would be allowed a do-over without penalty. Four other schools, including Lewiston, moved ahead of Oxford Hills in the competition order, and the 30 extra minutes clearly benefited Robinson.

“They told me I didn’t have a concussion,” Robinson said. “They also said they don’t think there is any fracture, although they told me if I wake up sick in the morning or with a migraine, I should go to the hospital and get checked out.”

Robinson’s encounter left her with a lengthy scratch beneath her hairline and some minor swelling and bruising below her eye.

“It burns pretty badly,” she said.

“First, I was worried about competing. Now I’m more worried about how it will look when I go back to school.”

St. Dom’s employed an amusement park theme, and the competition was hardly a roller-coaster ride as the Saints (129.7 points) outdistanced Dirigo by nearly a dozen.

Senior co-captain Tamiko O’Connell said the circus atmosphere was a perfect fit for her free-spirited team. The Saints spiced up their practice with “facial contests,” awarding points for the smiles and exaggerated mugging that are common in cheering competitions.

Joining St. Dom’s and Dirigo as Class C qualifiers were Monmouth and Jay, who finished third and fifth in the region, respectively.

Oak Hill matched its best-ever Western B performance, finishing second behind champion Wells. Mountain Valley, Poland, Lake Region and Gray-New Gloucester also advanced to states.