The Gardiner cheerleading team made a little history last season when it qualified for the state championships for the first time in 10 years.

The Tigers seek a return trip this winter.

“It’s been our goal all season long,” Gardiner coach Jeanne Moody said. “It’s what we’ve been working for.”

Gardiner took a giant step toward that goal last weekend, when it won the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B title at the Augusta Civic Center. It was the first conference championship for the Tigers since 2001.

Next up: A trip to Bangor for the Eastern B championships Saturday.

“If my kids hit the routine, we should qualify for states again,” Moody said. “My hope is that we can go top three.”

The regional cheerleading championships are Saturday, with Augusta and the Cross Center in Bangor hosting.

Waterville, Nokomis, Erskine, Mt. View, Maine Central Institute and Winslow will also compete in the Eastern B championships, which get under way about 12:15 p.m.

Gardiner is a strong contender in Eastern B, although defending state champ Hermon stands in its way.

At the Augusta Civic Center, Monmouth will contend for the Western C title after a strong showing at the Mountain Valley Conference championships. The Western C competition is scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m. The Mustangs finished second to Lisbon at the MVC meet.

Madison and Oak Hill, which will compete in Western B, also should be in the mix to qualify for states. The top six teams in each regional qualify for the state championships, which are Feb. 8 at the Civic Center.

Lisbon won the MVC title with 112.5 points while Monmouth scored 97.8. Madison was fourth with 95.

At the KVAC championships, Gardiner finished with 128.3 points to edge Medomak Valley (123.3).

“We had a great day at the KVACs,” Moody said. “It was our first KVAC title since 2001. We had a good routine. We’ll need another good one Saturday. We want to keep the ball rolling. We can get into the top three but we are going to have to hit our stunts.”

So, too, does Lewiston in Eastern A.

The Blue Devils seek their fifth consecutive regional title. Cony, Messalonskee, Skowhegan, Lawrence and Mt. Blue will try to crack the top six and a berth in the Class A state championship.

Bill Stewart — 621-5640bstewart@centralmaine.comTwitter: @billstewartkj