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| Contributed photo/Dave Allen Lucas Kinney of the Caribou Vikings is one of the top cross country runners in Eastern Maine. |
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
CARIBOU — It appears to be a transitional year for the Viking cross country program.
After the boys finished as runners-up in Eastern Maine Class B last season and the girls also cracked the top four, with both squads qualifying for the state meet, the makeup of each unit is markedly different as youthful runners dominate this year’s roster.
The personnel losses from last fall were significant. The boys’ team lost No. 1 runner and team MVP Ron Lund to graduation, as well as top runners Ryan Washington and Brendan Cyr, who did not return in order to train with the Maine Winter Sports Center full-time. The girls’ team graduated three runners who were among the top seven in 2012 in No. 1 (and MVP) Mackenzie Belyea, No. 4 Chelsea Bard and No. 7 Ashley Richards, while last year’s No. 6 runner, Mackenzie Deveau, opted not to return. Five others on last year’s girls JV/varsity team also were lost — either due to graduation, changing sports, transferring schools or choosing not to compete.
Still, both of the team’s coaches like what they see as the season approaches the mid-way point, with three “downstate” regular season meets remaining in addition to the Penobscot Valley Conference, Eastern Maine and State meets.
For the Caribou boys and 22nd-year head coach Roy Alden, only four seniors are part of the roster that includes a total of 22 runners. One of those 12th-graders is the clear-cut leading runner, Lucas Kinney, who has proven to be one of the best in the conference and the East.
“Lucas is an extremely hard worker who gives everything he has every race,” Alden said.
The remainder of the team’s top seven has yet to be determined, with up to a dozen others as possibilities. Currently, freshman Kyle Morris, sophomores Tsion McLeod, Elijah Verhoff, Caleb Willett, Caleb Hunter, Lukas Lagasse and Gabe Massey and seniors Tyler Strid and Keith Draper are all in the mix and none have separated themselves from the pack.
“We have to continue to get physically stronger and mentally tougher as we progress toward the championship part of our season,” Alden said, “but I am extremely pleased with how hard our athletes are working. The results will get better as we learn how to maintain focus throughout each race and work together as a team.”
Others on the team are freshmen Nick Alfaro, Lance Lagasse and Eric Simon; sophomores Chris Adams, David Hunter, Chathu Karunasiri and Riley McDuffie; juniors Anthony Bahe, Dustin Coty, Dylan Coty and Mitchell St. Peter; and senior Jacob Bither.
“This is a young and enthusiastic group of athletes who are working hard to be the best they can be,” Alden said.
Ninth-year coach Thomas Beckum says his Caribou girls “have improved a lot in the past couple weeks.”
The Vikings have a lot of new runners on the team and many not having trained during the summer months, which is pivotal to being competitive.
“My goal is for us to continue to improve meet by meet,” Beckum said. “I hope to have a solid seven runners ready to compete in the championship races.
“We need to work on developing some front runners that can place in the top 12 in a meet and lower our five-runner gap.”
The junior group of Robyn Larrabee, Nerissa Larrabee, Kristin Macek and Chelsea Haney are seasoned runners who have led the way early on, while freshman Emma Belyea has made recent strides, as evidenced by her finishing 12th overall and third for her team at Friday’s regular season home meet. Junior Lauren Chapman and freshmen Kristyn Maley, Julia Page and Madeline Gudde are others in the mix for top-seven positions.
The Vikings have not had all their runners compete at the same time in a meet, with sickness and vacations both playing a part, according to Beckum.
Others on the team are seniors Sirena Cyr, Taylor Hartley, Allisa Irving and Rebecca King; juniors Kaitlyn Ring and Elise Gudde; and sophomore Maura Freme.
Freshmen Johnna Grant and Samantha Fortin and junior Kris Michaud are the Vikings’ managers.
