Sports in brief . . .
The Meduxnekeag River Canoe Race has a category fitting to every paddler’s ability — novice to advanced — and will be held Saturday, May 1.
The Houlton race has a variety of categories, and a paddler will be placed in a division to race against other paddlers of equal ability and similar equipment.
Paddlers will strike out at 10 a.m. from the Wellington residence on the Station Road in New Limerick and finish the eight-mile whitewater course at the boat landing under the Highland Avenue bridge. This is the eighth of 11 Downriver Point Series races.
Organizers are hoping for good weather and water conditions. Registration for the Meduxnekeag River race will be from 8-9:30 a.m. at the Wellingtons, with a race briefing at 9:30 a.m. and the race begins at 10 a.m. Cost is $15 adult and $10 youth.
For more information, call Peter Blood at 532-2577 or e-mail cibpgb@myfairpoint.net Pre-register by Thursday, April 29 and get a free T-shirt. All proceeds will benefit Dollars for Scholars.
It’s time for area senior scholar-athletes to apply for the annual Maine Sports Legends Northern Region scholarship.
The Maine Sports Legends is a state-wide organization dedicated to honoring outstanding scholar-athletes who have meet the prescribed standards in academics, has participated in their school’s varsity athletic programs along with possessing good character, completed community and civic involvement and demonstrating strong leadership ability.
This scholarship of $500 is awarded to one male and female from the Aroostook area and will be awarded solely on the student’s credentials and shall be made without regard to financial need. Eight $500 scholarships will be awarded state-wide – two for each region of the state.
In addition, two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to the top male and female chosen by a committee the day of the banquet from the eight state-wide scholarship recipients.
Last year, both Northern Region scholar-athletes, Jesse Stephens of Caribou High School and Sarah Porter of Presque Isle High School, were chosen to receive the additional $1,000 scholarships, bringing their total to $1,500.
Applications are available at all Aroostook County high school guidance offices and the deadline to apply is May 10. For more information, contact Lynwood McHatten at 435-8297 or Dwight Hunter at 498-6604.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Outdoor Adventure Program International (OAPI) is offering an outdoor rock climbing at Acadia National Park Saturday, May 8. Get outside and climb real rock with a certified rock climbing guide. No experience is required. The group will leave Gentile Hall at 5:30 a.m. and return by 10 p.m. Cost for UMPI students is $30; $40 for non-students. Registration deadline is Monday, May 3.
The rain date is Sunday, May 9. For more information, contact Amanda Morin at 768-9401.
The dates for this year’s “Tiger” Basketball Camp have been set and are June 21-25 for the boys and June 28-July 2 for the girls.
The camp, under the direction of Larry Gardner, is open to boys and girls presently in grades one through eight. The boys and girls camps will be limited to the first 150 applicants and will be held at the Fort Fairfield High School gym. The camp will run from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day, Monday through Friday. The camp has a registration fee of $110 and includes camp instruction, meals, awards, a T-shirt and a basketball, as well as the ending “family barbecue” awards night.
Players will be grouped by age and ability into three divisions: high school, college and NBA/WNBA and will have eight indoor and outdoor courts available to use. The high school division will use shorter baskets and smaller balls, while the college and NBA/WNBA divisions will use regulation baskets and balls. Each player will have an opportunity to develop his or her basketball skills through drills, games, films and lectures while offering a competitive and fun atmosphere. Each team will play two games a day with all championship competition to be decided on Friday.
Awards will be given on Friday afternoon after the “family barbecue,” which is free to parents and family of camp participants. Registration forms are available online at www.msad20.org as well as at area recreation centers. For more information, contact Gardner at 472-3271 or 473-4055.
Tyler Delaney, a senior shortstop for the University of Maine at Presque Isle, was named player of the week in the Sunrise Conference for the week ending April 18.
Delaney collected his second such honor of the spring after batting .500 in two games. The Truro, Nova Scotia native went 2 for 5 with two RBIs in a 9-8 loss to University of Maine at Farmington and then went 3 for 5 with two triples and two runs scored in a 16-9 loss to Southern Vermont University.
The Houlton Softball Association is also gearing up for its fifth annual ‘Beat The Heat’ men’s softball tournament, tentatively scheduled for June 4-6.
This will be a double-elimination tournament with prizes, a homerun contest, food, drinks and a lot of fun. Players do not have to be in the Houlton league to participate in the tournament.
The entry fee is $170, and T-shirts are awarded to the champions. Last year’s tournament featured all local teams, including a team from Calais, as well as teams from Augusta and Presque Isle.
Any team interested in participating in the tournament, call Clyde Warman at 521-6319.
The Presque Isle High School Varsity Club is pleased to bring back to Presque Isle the Boston-based rock and blues band Ernie and the Automatics. The Automatics will be live in concert on Friday, Aug. 27, 2010 at 7 p.m. in the PIHS Auditorium.
Members of Ernie and the Automatics have sold over 30 million albums worldwide. The band features guitarist Barry Goudreau and drummer Sib Hashian, both former original members of the multi-platinum selling band Boston.
Ticket information will be available later this spring.