PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Track and field teams, after spending the past two weekends on Interstate 95 at away meets, finally got to stay in the area for a competition involving all the Aroostook County squads.On Friday, the Caribou Vikings displayed some great individual efforts and also used their depth to take first place in both the girls’ and boys’ meets.
The Caribou girls scored 218 points to defeat runner-up Presque Isle (123) and five other teams, while the Vikings also took the boys’ title by compiling 185 points to top PI (109) and six others.
The big winner for Caribou on the girls’ side was senior Eileen Patton, who claimed first place in both hurdling events, the pole vault and the javelin. She had a time of 17.36 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, which was 19/100ths of a second faster than teammate and runner-up Jojo Fields, and at 52.32 seconds was less than a second faster than Jordan Tanguay of Fort Kent in the 300-meter hurdles. Patton cleared 7 feet, 6 inches to take the pole vault and threw the javelin 104 feet, 9 inches for a nearly 17-feet margin over runner-up Regan Nelson of Presque Isle.
Caribou’s Alexis Rodriguez, who won the 800-meter run in 2:37.93 and the 1,600 in 5:52.05. She bested Houlton’s Rylee Warman in both events – by 2.24 seconds in the 800 and by 3.46 seconds in the 1,600.
Emma Belyea of the Vikes was tops in the 1,600-meter racewalk in 9:41.07. Caribou’s 4×400 relay team, consisting of Willow Whitten, Meagan Dube, Rodriguez and Sheridan Blackstone, picked up an easy win in 4:35.36. The Vikes’ 4×800 relay team of Sam Fortin, Maren Moir, Sarae Greenier and Ashley Violette came in at 12:07.08 to take first place.
Other girls’ winners Friday included Tori Koch of Presque Isle in the 100 (13.33 seconds), Amelia Hanning of Houlton in the 200 (29.77 seconds) and the 400 (1:07.11), Mandy Graham of PI in the 3,200 (13:12.16), Teresa Maynard of Fort Fairfield in the high jump (4 feet, 6 inches), Jaylyn Fox of FF in the long jump (14 feet, 1 inch), Lillian Ashby of FF in the triple jump (28 feet, 6.5 inches), Nelson in both the shot put (35 feet, 8 inches) and the discus throw (105 feet, 7 inches). Washburn’s 4×100 relay team was victorious in 1:00.4.
The Caribou boys took first place in seven events and fashioned some other strong efforts for the team win. Nic Sleeper was the only double winner by taking the shot put (39 feet, 8.5 inches) and the discus throw (104 feet, 8 inches). Others claiming victories were Chathu Karunasiri in the 3,200 (10:48.32), Matt Caron in the pole vault (10 feet), Richard Newland in the triple jump (37 feet, 4 inches), Evan Desmond in the racewalk (7:58.27) and the 4×800 relay team of Liam McMillon, Calvin Mokler, Gabe Massey and David Hunter (9:49.48).
Freshman Jonah Daigle had a big day for the Fort Fairfield Tigers, taking both the 110 hurdles (17.04 seconds) and the 300 hurdles (44.53 seconds), as well as the long jump (19 feet, 3 inches). Teammate Lance McKenney won the javelin (133 feet, 9 inches).
Houlton dominated the individual running events as Ethan Fletcher won the 100 (11.93 seconds), the 200 (24.37 seconds) and the 400 (54.17 seconds) and Isaiah Brown took the 800 (2:09.47) and the 1,600 (4:47.41). Both were members of the Shiretowners’ 4×400 relay team, along with Austin Brown and Nathan Bouchard, who won in 3:44.4.
Connor Murchison had PI’s lone win, taking the high jump at 5 feet, 6 inches. Washburn captured the 4×100 in 49.68 seconds thanks to the team of Noah Caron, Devon Maynard, Derek Baker and Jovanni Taveras.
The leading performances by LCS/MSSM athletes were provided by Andrea Rawson, second in the girls’ discus at 91 feet, 2.5 inches, and Sam Cargnan, third in the boys’ shot put at 34 feet, 1.5 inches.
The County teams and Penobscot Valley Conference schools Penquis of Milo, Sumner of East Sullivan and Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln will all be in Caribou Saturday for a meet beginning at noon.
