DANFORTH, Maine — The 11th annual East Grand Adventure Race was held Saturday, May 14, 2016 with a large group of participants.
This year’s course featured all the events racers have come to expect: a mile and a half compass run, followed by a 12-mile bike ride, and ending with a 8-mile canoe and kayak race. The compass run featured a traverse at the outlet of Baskahegan Lake. Dirigo Search and Rescue was on hand to ensure safety on the water.
Adventure Racers also had the option of competing in a number of side events, including a log roll on the Baskahegan stream, a mud crawl, tomahawk throwing, a two-person cross-saw competition, and a rock wall challenge in East Grand’s gymnasium.
Completing these challenges counted toward a reduced final race time. A total of 21 teams fought it out for top honors in eight categories. In addition to the Adventure Race, six teams competed in a 34 mile canoe race down the Baskahegan which began in Kossuth and passed through the towns of Brookton, Danforth with the finish line being in Bancroft.
Results for the East Grand Adventure Race by division were::
High School Boys — 1, Philip Farley and Matthew Potter, 2:56:26; 2, Josh Jones and Ben Humphrey 4:11:36; 3, Jonah Edgar and Elias Veilluex, 4:38:10; 4, Aaron Sixberry and Matthew Cropley, 4:49:47; and 5, CJ Philips and Lendin Stoddard, no time listed.
High School Girls — 1, Bethany and Faith Lindsey, 5:58:32.
Jr/Sr — 1, John Omeara and Thomas Beckum, 3:23:20; 2, Hannah and Abigail Streinz, 3:25:03; 3, Thomas and Eric Gilman, 3:43:08; and 4, Noah and Nathaniel Sixberry, 3:44:17.
Women — 1, Hannah Rubin and Peggy McKee, 4:22:14; and 2, Jessica Scheick and Lynn Koluzienski, 4:40:22.
Men — 1, Gordon Hamilton and David Renedo, 4:01:58; and 2, James Roche and JP Argenti, 4:12:15.
Adult Mixed — 1, Genevieve Doane and Frank Smith, 5:23:14; 2, Bob and Helen Humphrey, no time listed.
Open — 1, Kellen Doyle, 3:08:09; 2, Lowell Ruck, 4:23:28; 3, Alec Downs, Peter and Tanner White, 4:26:40; 4, Dustin Morse, 5:18:48; and 5, Tammi Matula, Anthony Stark, Charlie Stark, Matthew Shay, Philip Espensched, 5:36:41.
Top Five Overall Winners — 1, Philip Farley, Brookton, and Matthew Potter, Danforth, 2:56:26; 2, Kellen Doyle, Orono, 3:08:09; 3, John Omeara, New Sweden, and Thomas Beckum, Caribou 3:23:20; 4, Hannah and Abbee Steinz, Hersey, 3:25:03; and 5, Thomas and Eric Gilman, Danforth, 3:43:08.
Results of the Baskahegan 34-Mile canoe and kayak race were: 1, Chip Loring of Old Town, Terry Wescott of Thorndike, Ander Thibaud Mt. Desert Island and Bill Dieghan of Newburgh, completing the course time in 5:38:10 in a 24-foot kevlar racing canoe; 2, Mark Ranco of Bangor, and Bill Anderson of Morrill 5:49:30, 3, Dan Baumert of Levant, 6:33:08. RW Estela, Orono, Larry Merrill, Orrington, and John Carter of Surry did not finish.
