Medfield's Cadigan Finalist for Patriots Cheerleading Squad

Medfield's Erica Cadigan, 21, is a finalist for the 2013 New England Patriots Cheerleaders squad.

Cadigan is currently a junior, studying medicine in the Connell School of Nursing at Boston College. She works in the Oncology-Hematology Units at Children’s Hospital in Boston as well as on the General medicine unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is an active volunteer in the Kreative Kids program at Boston College, which is a music program for children with special needs.

Cadigan has had many years of dance training at both Sheri Gold’s and Jeanette Neil’s, and has also had about 15 years of gymnastics and cheerleading experience. Erica has cheered at the collegiate level at Boston College. This past season was Erica’s rookie year on the Patriots Cheerleaders squad.

The annual Patriots Cheerleaders Boot Camp, the final step in the month-long process to select the 2013 squad, kicked off on Wednesday night. The interview process began earlier this month when approximately 320 applications were submitted at open auditions, among the highest turnout in team history. Fifty-seven candidates were invited back for final auditions on March 16.

Now, entering its final stages, 36 contestants will compete in the annual boot camp portion, which consists of four sessions. At the end of the fourth session on March 30, twenty-four of the most talented, fit and qualified women will be selected for the 2013 Patriots Cheerleaders.

The finalists will run through intensive training sessions consisting of elements of standard Patriots Cheerleader practices. The sessions will involve rigorous fitness and physical training, choreography, public speaking exercises and promotional appearance training drills.

The 2013 Patriots Cheerleading Squad rehearses twice each week and performs at all Patriots home games. In addition to performing in front of nearly 70,000 fans, a spot on the squad provides many exciting and unique opportunities. The cheerleaders travel to an exotic location in the spring for the Patriots Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar shoot, with this year’s trip set to take place in June at Coconut Bay Resort in St. Lucia.

The New England Patriots Cheerleaders serve as goodwill ambassadors for the team year-round, making hundreds of appearances throughout New England.

Additionally, the Patriots Cheerleaders have visited deployed military troops in more than 25 countries. In 2012, they were ranked as the number one cheerleading squad in the NFL by CNBC. Patriots Cheerleaders have also appeared on local and national television, including Entertainment Tonight, E!, Inside Edition, Fox News, Late Show with David Letterman, On-Air with Ryan Seacrest, Good Morning America and the CBS Early Show, and in magazines including Sports Illustrated, Maxim and Muscle and Fitness.