The girls and boys varsity track and field teams at Caribou High School have experienced plenty of success during the regular season and hope to continue that as the championship portion of the schedule arrives.
The teams will be in Presque Isle Friday for the Aroostook League Championships, beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Caribou made the trip to Ellsworth Saturday and both Viking teams came out on top by comfortable margins in the meet that included the host Eagles along with John Bapst, Hermon, Dexter, Searsport and Calais.
The Viking boys scored 260 points, with Dexter the closest pursuer at 96. Caribou prevailed on the strength of nine first-place performances.
Dominic Judd paced the team by winning three events — both hurdles and the long jump, while also taking second in the high jump. Teammates Mitchell St. Peter and Chathu Karunasiri earned a pair of individual victories each, with St. Peter capturing wins in the 1,600 racewalk and the 800 and Karunasiri prevailing in the 1,600 and 3,200. St. Peter was also a leg on the winning 4 x 800 relay team along with Evan Michaud, Caleb Hunter and Evan Desmond.
Matt Caron claimed the team’s other win in the pole vault.
Other standouts for the Vikings were Apollo Grondin, who was second in the 110 hurdles and fourth in the 100; Richard Newland, second in the 400; Austin Griffeth, second in both the triple jump and the javelin; Lucas Doucette, second in the 300 hurdles and third in the 110 hurdles; and Lukas Lagasse, second in the racewalk and third in the javelin.
The Caribou girls dominated behind victories by Kate Finnemore in the racewalk, Madeline Gudde in the 1,600, Eileen Patton in the 300 hurdles, Nerissa Larrabee in the 3,200 and the high jump, Kaitlyn Ring in the triple jump and Maria Espinosa in the pole vault. The 4 x 400 relay team of Adessa Judd, Elise Gudde, Meagan Dube and Madeline Gudde also came in first place.
Patton was second in the 110 hurdles and second in the javelin, Jojo Fields third in the 100 and the 200, Nerissa Larrabee second and Chelsea Haney third in the 1,600, Kendra Furber second and Simona Amerio third in the racewalk, Dube third in the 400, Madeline Gudde second in the 800, Espinosa second in the 300 hurdles, Julia Page third in the 3,200, Ring third in the long jump, Judd second in the triple jump and third in the 300 hurdles and Robyn Larrabee third in the discus.
The Caribou team didn’t make the trip to Presque Isle for a meet held Thursday, but all the other County teams were represented. However, Sarah Doak of the Vikings competed individually since she was unable to make the trip to Ellsworth.
Doak was first in the 1,600 and the 3,200. Also claiming top spots were Haley Taranko of Limestone-MSSM in the racewalk, Ashley Levesque of Fort Fairfield in the 300 hurdles, Marissa Brouette of Fort Fairfield in the high jump and the pole vault and Gabrielle Wortman of Fort Fairfield in the triple jump.
Boys’ local winners were Brandon York of Fort Fairfield in the 400, Grier Osterman of Limestone-MSSM in the 300 hurdles and the 200, Keith Languet of Limestone-MSSM in the 800, Cole Butler of Limestone-MSSM in the javelin and Kenzy Ronco of Washburn in the pole vault. The Eagles’ 4 x 400 relay team of Paddy Keith-Hardy, Tobyn Blatt, Peter Emidy and Jason Webb was victorious.
Presque Isle swept the team titles. Fort Fairfield was the girls’ runner-up and Limestone-MSSM the boys’ runner-up.
