Owl runners compete in nationals
VANCOUVER, Wash. – Four student-athletes from the University of Maine at Presque Isle participated in the NAIA National Championships Saturday. Due to several days of rain prior to race day, the course was very muddy and slow, creating the most challenging conditions the Owls had seen all season. Despite some nerves, the runners were confident and ready to compete in a race of this magnitude.
Junior Justin Fereshetian of Turner got out very well, sailing through the first mile of the men’s 8K race in 5:15. He then settled through the middle miles and finished strong, picking up three spots within the last mile. Justin crossed the finish line in a season-best time of 29:13, finishing 296th of 326 participants, 12 seconds better than his Sunrise Conference meet time. Fereshetian finished the 2010 season with his best effort of the year, completing the national championship course 32 seconds faster than last year.
All three of UMPI women ran their best races of the season under difficult conditions. Sophomore Kati Christoffel of Clifton Park, N.Y. set the early pace for the Owls and came across the line in an impressive time of 21:41, just three seconds slower than her conference meet time. Christoffel finished 286th of 331 runners at the national meet.
“This was by far the toughest race of the season,” Christoffel said.
Freshman Carly Langley of Truro, Nova Scotia started a bit fast, clocking a 6:28 opening mile, but held on and finished strong in a time of 22:22, a full minute faster than her conference meet race only three weeks ago. The experience of racing in a national meet was invaluable to Langley as she heads into her first off-season training here at the university.
Langley finished directly behind teammate and senior Shelly Hanson of Charleston, who battled knee injuries most of the year but had a solid race in her final one in an Owl uniform. She crossed the line at 22:20 (302nd of 331), finishing 52 seconds faster than at the conference meet and almost a minute better than her time posted last year at the nationals. 
Fereshetian and Kati Christoffel were recognized Friday evening during the national championship awards ceremony as they were honored as 2010 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes. The two students-athletes were asked to stand with all the other runners in attendance as their names were read. UMPI runners Justine Cyr of Fort Kent, Janelle Gagnon of Caribou, Michael LeClair of Winslow and Samuel Johnson of South Berwick were also honored as scholar-athletes.
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The University of Maine at Presque Isle women’s basketball team earned its first win on the season against Lasell College Sunday in the consolation game of the Eastern Connecticut State College Tip-Off Tournament.
Sophomore Emily Pelletier of Fort Kent hit a three-pointer with nine seconds remaining in regulation time to give the Owls the 53-52 victory. With the win, the Owls moved to 1-2 on the season.
There were 17 lead changes during the game and the score was tied on nine occasions. Lasell trailed by eight points with just 2:57 left in the game, then answered back with a three-point shot, a jumper and then another three-point shot to tie the game with just over a minute to play.
The Owls attempts to regain the lead were countered by another basket by the Lasers, who took a 52-50 lead with 26 seconds remaining.
Pelletier then made the three-point shot off an out-of-bounds play to give UMPI the 53-52 lead. The Owls then forced a turnover to regain possession of the ball and earn the eventual victory.
Freshman forward Rashell Saucier of Washburn led her team with 10 points and also grabbed six rebounds in the win. Senior Julie Peers of Caswell added nine points, while Emily Moore of Lisbon and Megan Korhonen of Littleton both tallied eight points in the win. Korhonen also led her team in rebounds with seven.
In the first game of the tournament Saturday, the Owls fell to host ECSU, 77-34. Pelletier had 12 points and Saucier six points and eight rebounds to lead the Owls.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle is now 04 after losing both games in the New England College Tip-Off Tournament in Henniker, N.H. and then falling to the University of Southern Maine Sunday in Gorham, 79-62.
On Friday, UMPI fell to the NEC Pilgrims, 86-72. The Owls trailed by just four points with eight minutes left, but could get no closer. Clifford McDonald of Sarasota, Fla. led the way for the Owls with 15 points and eight rebounds. Gerardo Vasquez of Houston, Texas finished with 14 points and Chris Coffin of Presque Isle chipped in 13 points.
UMPI fell to Suffolk University in Saturday’s tournament game, 83-70. McDonald had 25 points and 17 rebounds for the Owls, while senior Devon Peaslee of Woolwich added 11 points.
On Sunday, the Owls closed out the busy stretch with a 17-point loss to the Huskies. Vasquez led all scorers with 19 points, including four three-pointers. McDonald added 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the loss, while Manifold tossed in 17 points and came up with five steals.
The Owls trailed by five points at intermission and fought back to tie the score at 48 with 9:31 to play before USM went on a 15-5 run to pull away.
UMPI makes the trip to Waterville Dec. 1 for a meeting with Thomas College at 5 p.m.
