Blackman makes cheer history

Dawn Blackman and her AYF Cheer Squad Photo: Photo submitted by Dawn Blackman

Dawn Blackman is seen here with her Area Youth Football cheer squad. Blackman is the first cheerleader in Dirigo High School history to go to the Lobster Bowl.

DIXFIELD- Dawn Blackman, a senior at Dirigo High School, has been invited to the 22^nd Annual Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic in July. She is the first cheerleader in the history of the school to have the honor.

While Dawn is very soft-spoken and modest of her accomplishments, her parents, Rick and Karla, are very proud of what their daughter has made of her cheering career thus far.

“It's such a big honor for her to be chosen,” noted Rick. “She's worked hard to get where she is.”

Dawn began cheering in the second grade with the Area Youth Football squad and has never stopped. She splits her volunteer time between coaching the AYF cheerleaders and helping her mom with the Dirigo Middle School team. Both, of which, have had extremely successful seasons, with the middle school team taking home two first place finishes this year.

“You can just tell she loves it,” stated Karla, of her daughter's performances both as a coach and a team member. “She has had some great opportunities, this one tops them all.”

Most people think of cheering as being an easy sport; getting your hair and makeup done to provide festive cheers for the local football and basketball teams surely can't be that demanding. Dawn would tell you otherwise.

During the 2011 Mountain Valley Conference cheering competitions she fell and hit her head.

“I sucked it up and finished the routine,” stated Dawn. “Later on I went to the hospital and had a concussion.”

With the amount of determination Dawn has for the sport, she now has to come up with $350 to pay her way to the Lobster Bowl. Her mom and dad are both working on their places of employment, as well as Karla having made a batch of all-day-suckers for Dawn to sell.

Dawn hopes to continue her cheering career after graduation through volunteer work with the local teams.