 |
| Contributed photo/jMavor Photography Robert Caudill of the Caribou Vikings holds the advantage over a Fort Kent wrestler during an exhibition match held last Wednesday. Caudill , the team’s 132 lb. competitor, was the gold medal winner at a tournament held Saturday at Foxcroft Academy. |
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
The Caribou wrestling team defeated Fort Kent for the third time this season and also turned in a solid performance at a tournament hosted by Foxcroft Academy in action that took place last week.
The Vikings downed the Warriors at home last Wednesday, 56-15. The score was the biggest spread between the two teams this season, but Caribou coach James “Chico” Hernandez said his team’s competitors still “need to be more aggressive on our attacks and takedowns.”
In contested matches, the Vikes received wins from Tre Caudill in the 113 lb. weight class, Brendan Wood in 138, Jacob Bither in 145 and Jacob Burby in 182. The victories by Caudill and Burby were by fall.
Tsion McLeod in 106, Axios Gerarkaris in 126, Robert Caudill in 132, Kevin Bither in 160, Matt Manter in 195 and Dustin DeMerchant in 220 were Caribou’s winners by forfeit.
In Saturday’s tourney at Dover-Foxcroft, Robert Caudill attained a first-place performance in the 132 division. Caudill grabbed a couple victories, including a first-period pin over Foxcroft’s Isaac Whittemore in the finals, to take Caribou’s only title on the day.
McLeod and Wood both reached the finals as well, but were defeated and earned silver medals. Tre Caudill and Aaron Simon (170) both took bronze, while Gerakaris, Manter and Kevin Bither all placed fourth in the event.
 |
| Contributed photo/jMavor Photography Jacob Bither of the Caribou Vikings’ varsity wrestling team tries to pin his competitor, Fort Kent’s Nick Levesque, during last Wednesday’s dual meet held at Caribou High School. Bither, in the 145 lb. division, defeated Levesque by a 10-4 decision. |
“We had some surprises and tough wresting performances by Simon and McLeod, who is continuing to display being a contender in the 106 weight class,” Hernandez said.
The second-year coach continues to be impressed with Manter, who wrestled in the very competitive 182 division Saturday.
“He has improved 100 percent from last year and he knows what he has to do in order to become one of the state’s elite wrestlers,” Hernandez said. “If he can just pick it up a little with some hard work in the practice room, he will dominate his weight class. He is almost there now.”
Overall, Hernandez was impressed with the team’s performance, with eight of the 12 wrestlers who entered placing. Had the meet been scored, according to Hernandez, the Vikes would have been third out of 11 teams, behind only Foxcroft and Dexter.
“Many lessons were learned once again and I think we did a good job,” Hernandez said. “People and other coaches were commenting to me that we have a good little squad of wrestlers.”
Caribou goes back to work tonight for its fourth and final meeting against Fort Kent. This one will be held at the Warriors’ gym beginning at 7 p.m. The Vikes will then travel for Saturday’s Bucksport Tournament, which begins at noon.
