WASHBURN — Houlton’s Fred Ludwig successfully defended his Aroostook River Fun Run overall title May 30, paddling the 8-mile course in 53.29 minutes. More than 40 kayakers and canoeists participated in the Rotary Club-sponsored event.
Other divisional winners in the charity river race were:
Open Class: Crystal Nason of Houlton, 64 minutes; Tom Towle of Fort Fairfield, 64.30 minutes; and Jim Park of Presque Isle, 65.26 minutes.
Senior Class (age 65 and over): Cling Cushman of Hodgdon, 64.30 minutes and Fran and Ron Bomberger of Manheim, Penn., 66.29 minutes. The Bombergers also won the Couple Experienced Canoe category.
Century Division (paddling pairs with combined age of over 100): Rodney Hemingway of Houlton and Rick Tidd of Hodgdon, 68.54 minutes; and Linda and Henry Staples of Connor TWP, 79.55 minutes. The Staples won the Couple Novice Canoe category.
Student (high school and college) Division: Nason, 64 minutes; Devon Cote of Connor TWP, 80.40 minutes; Sarah Henn and Kari Peterson of NMCC, 83.23 minutes; and Jordann Coiley and Melissa McKenney, both of Fort Fairfield, 105.37 minutes. Henn and Peterson won the Two Women Novice Kayak category.
One Woman Experienced Canoe: Odette Dubois of Cross Lake TWP, 73.14 minutes; and Connie McLellan, also of Cross Lake, 82.22 minutes.
Two Women Experienced Canoe: Catherine Packard of Presque Isle and Kathleen Michaud of Perham, 79.40 minutes.
One Woman Novice Kayak: Lynn Boucher of Mapleton, 87.20 minutes; Amanda Perkins, 100.14 minutes; and Barbara Lovely, 100.18 minutes.
One Woman Experienced Kayak: Nason, 64 minutes; and Wendy Maple, 74.06 minutes.
One Man Experienced Canoe: Towle, 64.30 minutes; Park, 65.26 minutes; and Fran Cyr of Caribou, 66.02 minutes.
Two Men Experienced Canoe: Hemingway and Tidd, 68.54 minutes; and Skip and Scott Fletcher of Fort Kent, 72.50 minutes.
One Man Novice Kayak: Andy Coiley of Fort Fairfield, 72.24 minutes; Brent Anderson of Presque Isle, 74.06 minutes; William Popov of PI, 74.08 minutes; Matt Wright of PI, 76.08; Allen Salo of PI, 80; Cote of Connor, 80.40; Derik Smith, 82.19; and Rick Fowler of Mapleton, 92.14.
Two Men Novice Kayak: Harold Pierce of Blaine and Hume Pierce of PI, 75.43 minutes.
One Man Experienced Kayak: Ludwig, 53.29 minutes; Cushman, 64.30; Travis Lyons of Masardis, 68.56; Dan Baumont of Levant, 70.07; and David McCrossin of Caribou, 71.19 minutes.
Two Men Experienced Kayak: Brian Hamel and Nathan King, both of PI, 74.58 minutes.
Proceeds from the second annual Aroostook River Fun Run canoe and kayak race benefit the Girl Scouts of central Aroostook County. Co-chairmen of this year’s event were Gretchen Morse of the PI Rotary Club and Keith Brown of Washburn Rotary.
Christie Cochran photo
FUN RUN RACER Wendy Maple of Mapleton gets congratulatory hugs from son Dyllan Maple and daughter Delaney Alward after the second annual Aroostook River canoe and kayak race on May 30.
Contributed photo/Robert Brown
PRE-RACE MEETING — Organizers, volunteers and participants in the second annual Aroostook River Fun Run go over the rules and regulations with co-chair Keith Brown of the Washburn Rotary Club minutes before the May 30 event. The 8-mile course started at Washburn’s Thomas Brewer Park and finished at the PI Fish and Game Club.
