Local youths star in Hershey state track meet
More than 100 boys and girls from Aroostook County traveled to Bangor and battled extremely warm conditions on July 6 to compete in the State Finals of the Hershey Youth Track and Field Program.
The program, sponsored by the Hershey Food Corporation and the Maine Recreation and Park Association, has been a national event and now a North American event for the past 32 years. Initiated as a playground track and field program in 1975 in Charleston, West Va. by Dr. Donald P. Cohen, Hershey’s Track and Field Games has become the largest youth sport program of its kind in North America.
Participants representing all 50 states as well as all 10 provinces and three territories of Canada are eligible to qualify for the North American Finals, which this year will be held Aug. 5-8 in Hershey, Pa.
Youngsters competing in Maine are part of the Region 6 team which includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island as well as all the Atlantic Provinces. Once all the state and provincial meets are completed, all winners are eligible to qualify for the North American Final.
To ensure fair representation of all 50 states and Canadian provinces and territories, a minimum of five finalists are selected from each state/provincial group to be part of the regional team attending the North American Final.
Northern Regional Representative Kathy Mazzuchelli from the Caribou Parks and Recreation Department praises the program and notes that over the years a large contingent of youngsters from Aroostook County have had the opportunity to attend the National Finals.
She noted that the results from this year’s State Meet looked good for another contingent of youth from northern Maine to head to Hershey in August. She said out of 42 possible first-place finishes, Aroostook County youths captured 29, including a sweep in all 14 events in the 11- and 12-year-old girls and boys divisions.
Brandon Theriault, a National Finalist in 2008, captured a triple crown in the 11-12 boys division with three first-place finishes at the state meet, winning the 100-meter dash, the softball throw and the long jump.
Molly Anthony of Bridgewater, also a former National Finalist, improved her chances of a possible return by taking first place in the 100 and 200 meter dashes and the long jump in the 11-12 girls division.
The top three in their respective events at the state finals were as follows:
50-meter dash: first, Anthony, Miranda, Mars Hill, 8.51 seconds; second, Crystal Bell, Holden, 8.52: third, Emily Gryzb, Team Western Maine, 8.59.
100-meter dash: first, Bailey Bellefleur, Fort Kent, 16.11 seconds; second, Crystal Bell, Holden, 16.65; third, Olivia Pelkey, TWM, 16.85.
200-meter dash: first, Jenna Dugal, Madawaska, 34.12 seconds; second, Miranda Anthony, Mars Hill, 34.51; third, Emily Gryzb, TWM, 35.84.
400-meter dash: Jenna Dugal, Madawaska, 1:19.50; second, Lilliana Brandao, South Portland, 1:22.85; third, Bailey Bellefleur, Fort Kent, 1:23.51.
4×100-meter relay: first, Presque Isle A (Grace Bemis, Kate Goulet, Isabelle Jackson and Eleanor St. Peter), 1:14.87; second, Houlton A (Kolleen Bouchard, Carolyn Mooers, Rebecca Mooers and Emily Miller), 1:15.58; third, Caribou (Olivia Picard, Riley McNeal, Kara Randall and Paige Obar), 1:19.22.
Standing long jump: first, Crystal Bell, Holden, 6 feet, 1.5 inches; second, Miranda Anthony, 5-11; third, Bailey Bellefleur, Fort Kent, 5-7.5.
Softball throw: first, Kolleen Bouchard, Houlton, 101 feet, 4 inches; second, Jadyn Fox, Fort Fairfield, 87-4; third, Emma Campbell, Fort Fairfield, 82-9.
100-meter dash: first, Molly Anthony, Mars Hill, 14.04; second, Allyson Aucoin, Brewer, 14.86; third, Skyler Collins, TWM, 15.19.
200-meter dash: first, Molly Anthony, Mars Hill, 29.79 seconds; second, Aspen Cote, Madawaska, 31.75; third, Skyler Collins, TWM, 31.95.
400-meter dash: first, Aspen Cote, Madawaska, 1:12.46; second, Jessica Morin, Fort Kent, 1:13.49; third, Alexandre Fraize, TWM, 1:15.43.
800-meter run: first, Pheobe Bell, Portland, 2:58.74; second, Alexandre Fraize, TWM, 2:59.88; third, Emma Bonner, Easton, 3:08.63.
4×100-meter relay: first, Fort Kent A (Robin Albert, Valerie McBreairty, Jessica Morin and Gentle Prescott), 1:07.49; second, Presque Isle (Michelle Cawley, Emma Curtis, Grace Player and Emily Sjoberg), 1:08.57; third, Caribou (Maddie Doucette, Madeline Gudde, Ashley Matlock and Erin Randall), 1:08.71.
Standing long jump: first, Molly Anthony, Mars Hill, 7 feet, 1.5 inches; second, Aspen Cote, Madawaska, 6-5.5; third, Skyler Collins, TWM, 6-5.
Softball throw: first, Cassidy Pelletier, Ashland, 123 feet, 9 inches; second, Teresa Maynard, Fort Fairfield, 111; third, Gentle Prescott, Fort Kent, 100-8.
200-meter dash: first, Tia Jackson, Old Town, 27.37 seconds; second, Marissa Anthony, Mars Hill, 27.64; third, Claire Peterson, Hermon, 28.93.
800-meter run: first, Seraphina Provenzano, Holden, 2:30.34; second, Alex Allen, Easton, 3:30.26.
1,600- meter run first, Renata Serio, Portland, 7:42.74; second, Daniele Delucco, TWM, 9:38.48.
4×100-meter relay: first, Houlton A (Destiny Russell, Lily Hanning, Allix Hanson and Molly Veysey), 1:05; second, Easton A (Kylee Carter, Alex Allen, Hannah Ferris and Kelsey Frank), 1:08.59.
Standing long jump: first, Tia Jackson, Old Town, 7 feet, 4 inches; second, Hannah Ferris, Easton, 7-3.5; third, Marissa Anthony, Mars Hill, 7-3.5.
Softball throw: first, Elizabeth Gryzb, TWM, 142 feet, 2 inches; second, Catelyn Coulombe, Washburn, 134-5; third, Kylee Hooey, Caribou, 106-3.
50-meter dash: first, Jake Stevens, Presque Isle, 8.55 seconds; second, Denver Fredette, Easton, 8.72; third, Paul Lussier, South Portland, 8.76.
100-meter dash: first, James Peterson, Hermon, 14.86 seconds; second, Max Ouellette, Fort Kent, 16.06; third, Zack Nadeau, Fort Kent, 16.17.
200-meter dash: Dylan Houle, South Portland, 34.11 seconds; second, Niko Naranja, Fort Kent, 34.51; third, Benjamin Fraize, TWM, 34.57.
400-meter dash: James Peterson, Hermon, 1:08.20; second, Henry Spritz, Portland, 1:20.56; third, Niko Naranja, Fort Kent, 1:20.59.
4×100-meter relay: first, Fort Kent A (Sami Husain, Zack Nadeau, Niko Naranja and Max Ouellette), 1:09.35; second, Portland A (Henry Spritz, Noah Hager, Jackson Villiani and Lucas Jasonides), 1:12.19; third, Presque Isle A (Trace Cyr, Tyler Levesque, Jaren Winger and Jake Stevens), 1:12.35.
Standing long jump: first, Jonah Daigle, Fort Fairfield, 6 feet, .5 inches; second, Ben Sivik, South Portland, 5-11; third, Benjamin Fraize, TWM, 5-9.
Softball throw: first, Jaren Winger, Presque Isle, 116 feet; second, Alex Ezzy, Caribou, 107-1; third, Zachary Fitzpatrick, Houlton, 100-8.
100-meter dash: first, Brandon Theriault, Fort Kent, 13.99 seconds; second, Isaac Robinson, Bangor, 15.21; third, Jon Fredette, Easton, 15.22.
200-meter dash: first, Dillon Beckum, Caribou, 29.95 seconds; second, Bennett Theriault, Fort Kent, 30.96; third, Jeremiah Schrader, TWM, 31.7.
400-meter dash: first, Ryan Tourk, Caribou, 1:13.16; second, Jeremiah Schrader, TWM, 1:13.95; third, Eli Clein, Bangor, 1:14.2.
800-meter run: first, Dillon Beckum, Caribou, 2:30.84; second, Luke Bailey, Fort Kent, 2:39.53; third, Patrick Carty, TWM, 3:10.95.
4×100-meter relay: first, Presque Isle A (Gavin Kelley, Wyatt Kennedy, Logan Michaud and Bradley Kinney), 1:05.68; second, Houlton A (Joshua Sutton, Dawson McLaughlin, Isaiha Littleton and Cameron Clark), 1:07.21; third, Easton A (Jake Flewelling, Drew Sotomayor, Jon Fredette and Matthew Poole), 1:08.52.
Standing long jump: first, Brandon Theriault, Fort Kent, 7 feet, 3.5 inches; second, Cameron Clark, Houlton, 7-0.5; third, Craig Gendreau, Madawaska, 6-7.5.
Softball throw: first, Brandon Theriault, Fort Kent, 162 feet, 4 inches; second, Jake Flewelling, Easton, 154-9; third, Drew Sotomayor, Easton, 119.
100-meter dash: Hunter Turner, Easton, 13.74 seconds; second, Matthew Cullens, Hermon, 13.91; third, Zack Haskell, Gray, 13.93.
200-meter dash: first, Boo Prescott, Fort Kent, 28.14 seconds; second, Zack Haskell, Gray, 28.15; third, Isaac Cone, Houlton, 28.76.
800-meter run: first, John Stanhope, Bangor, 2:16.82; second, Johnny Theriault, Fort Fairfield, 3:00.61; third, Jared Michaud, Fort Kent, 3:06.56.
1,600-meter run: first, John Stanhope, Bangor, 5:13.97; second, Andrew Bailey, Fort Kent, 5:34.36; third, Sam Ouellette, Fort Kent, 5:37.44.
4×100-meter relay: first, Presque Isle A (David Cyr, Michael Donovan, Trevor Levesque and Matthew Tillery), 58.74 seconds; second, Fort Kent A (Andrew Bailey, Kamran Husain, Sam Ouellette and Boo Prescott), 59.02; third, Easton A (Hunter Turner, Cody Halvorson, Dominic Fredette and Logan Dickinson), 1:01.25.
Standing long jump: first, Isaac Cone, Houlton, 7 feet, 9.5 inches; second, Matthew Cullens, Hermon, 7-2; third, Caleb Daigle, Fort Fairfield, 7-0.5.
Softball throw: first, John Stanhope, Bangor, 195 feet, 8 inches; second, Matthew Tilley, Presque Isle, 153-1; third, Hunter Turner, Easton, 148-7.
Staff photos/Kevin Sjoberg
CALEB HARRIS of Mars Hill flies through the air during his standing long jump attempt at last Tuesday’s state meet.
MIRANDA ANTHONY of Mars Hill, left, battles Madawaska’s Jenna Dugal to the finish line in the 200-meter dash during last Tuesday’s Hershey Track and Field state meet held at Cameron Stadium in Bangor. Dugal won the race, with Anthony placing second.
KALEIGH KINNEY of Presque Isle approaches the finish line during the 200-meter dash at the Hershey Track and Field state meet, which was held at Cameron Stadium in Bangor last Tuesday.
HANDING THE BATON OFF to teammate Jake Stevens is Presque Isle’s Jaren Winger during the boys’ 9-10 year-old age division 4 X 100-meter relay. The action took place during the Hershey Track and Field state meet, which was held in Bangor last Tuesday. The relay team placed third, while Stevens was the meet champion in the 50-meter dash and Winger came in first place in the softball throw during the day of competition.
