Local youth compete in state track meet

    BREWER — More than 100 boys and girls from Aroostook County battled rainy conditions on June 26 to compete in the State Finals of the Hershey Youth Track and Field Program, but when the meet ended, the local delegation captured 118 of the 159 top-four place finishes.
    The program, sponsored by the Hershey Food Corporation and the Maine Recreation and Park Association, has been serving youth from across the United States and Canada for the past 35 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 have 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. 2-5  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 and Newfoundland. 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.  
    Leading the Aroostook delegation this year with triple wins were Aspen Cote of Madawaska in the 13-14 year old girls age division, who placed first in the 100, 200 and standing long jump and Parker Deprey of Caribou, who garnered a triple crown with first in the 100, relay and softball throw.
    Also in the 13-14 year-old boys age division, 2011 North American Finalist Jacob O’Berry from Presque Isle captured a first in the 200 and the relay along with a second in the long jump.
    In the 11-12 year-old girls division, Bailey Bellefleur of Fort Kent took first in the 100 and 200 while teammate Niko Naranja of Fort Kent won the 400 and the relay in the 11-12 boys division.
    In the 9-10 year-old division, Dolcie Tanguay of Fort Kent championed both the 100 and 200.
    Houlton results from the state meet are as follows:
    Boys 100 meter dash 9-10: first, P. Deprey, Caribou, 16.12; second, Zack O’Leary, Mars Hill, 16.54; third, Jacob Carvell, Mars Hill, 16.59; fourth, Michael Beaton, Houlton, 17.01.
    Girls 100 meter dash 11-12: first, Bailey Bellefleur, Fort Kent, 14.82; second, Kolleen Bouchard, Houlton, 15.45; third, Kassidy Levesque, Mars Hill, 15.83.
    Boys 800 meter run 11-12: first, Evan Michaud, Caribou, 2:43.28; second, Bo Learnard, Van Buren, 2:57.86; third, Corey Jandreau, Caribou, 3:04.97; fourth, Sam Ellis, Houlton, 3:09.44.
    Girls 4 X 100 meter relay 9-10: first, Houlton A, 1:14.71; second, Presque Isle A, 1:15.24; third, Houlton B, 1:24.67.
    Boys 4 X 100 meter relay 9-10: first, Caribou A, 1:10.87; second, Caribou B, 1:13.01; third, Houlton A, 1:13.43; fourth, Presque Isle A, 1:19.9.
    Girls 4 X 100 meter relay 11-12: first, Presque Isle A, 1:08.48; second, Houlton A, 1:09.73; third, Caribou A, 1:10.01; fourth, Caribou B, 1:12.14.
    Boys standing long jump 9-10: first, Holden Stoutamyer, Presque Isle, 6-7; second, Brandon Roshto, Houlton, 6-2; third, Zack O’Leary, Houlton, 6-1.5; fourth, Bryan Anthony, Mars Hill, 6-0.
    Boys standing long jump 11-12: first, Cole Winslow, Houlton, 7-1; second, Josh Quist, Caribou, 6-9.5; third, Maxwell Ouellette, Fort Kent, 6-5; fourth, Niko Naranja, 6-3.
    Boys standing long jump 13-14: second, Jacob O’Berry, Presque Isle, 8-3; third, Jacob Bynion-Cullins, Fort Fairfield, 7-5; fourth, Dawson McLaughlin, Houlton, 6-7.
    Girls softball throw 11-12: first, Kolleen Bouchard, Houlton, 129-2; second, Carolyn Mooers, Houlton, 108-7; fourth, Rebecca Mooers, Houlton, 94-3.
    Boys softball throw 11-12: second, Jaren Winger, Presque Isle, 132-1; third, Cole Winslow, Houlton, 131-6; fourth, Taylor Campbell, Mars Hill, 116-4.