BIDDEFORD – Cheerleaders and dancers at Maine Coast Athletics put in a lot of hard work all year. It’s about to pay off.

The Biddeford cheer and tumble gym is sending three all-star junior teams to “The Summit,” a major cheering competition in Orlando, Florida, May 10-12.

Maine Coast Athletics has 45 athletes, 34 of whom plan to compete in Florida. The competition is geared toward gyms with less than 125 members. The three teams representing Maine Coast Athletics are nicknamed Riptide, Cyclone and Shockwave.

Maine Coast Athletics senior team “Hurricane” will not be able to compete at the D2 summit but owner and all star coach Donna Day still believes they are an “amazing team with major accomplishments to be celebrated.”

“We are a family, and each child is as valuable as the other,” said Day said. “We’re a small gym with large talent. How lucky are we?”

This will be Maine Coast Athletics second trip to The Summit. The gym sent two teams to the competition its first year. They both fell short of the finals, but it was still a good experience – even if it was a long way from home.

“It was quite overwhelming being just a little gym from Biddeford, Maine,” Day said. “There were thousands of cheerleaders and hundreds of teams … It was excellent. They were wonderful to the kids. I loved that they all got little Summit pins and medals.”

This time around, though, the squad from Biddeford wants to make history. They’ve got their eyes on the finals, said coach Catrina Wade, and they know they can succeed.

“Cheerleading is the success of each and every one that brings you to that level,” Day said. “Having two or three really great cheerleaders is great, but you need a team working hard to all be great. That’s what gets you to The Summit, and that’s why we’re blessed enough to have three teams going.”

— Sports Writer Sienna Barstow can be reached at sbarstow@journaltribune.com or at 780-9018. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.