CARIBOU, Maine — Friday’s Alumni/Community Cross Country Race featured the closest finish in the 11-year history of the event.
Ari Plante of Caribou beat Luke Streinz of Patten by 9/100ths of a second to place first out of 84 competitors. Plante’s time on the 2.75-mile course was 13 minutes and 59.9 seconds and Streinz came in at 13:59.99.
“It was an awesome turnout with a good ending,” said Thomas Beckum, one of the race directors.
The two middle school runners benefitted from a four-minute handicap in the unique race held under the lights at the Caribou High School trails.
Dylan Marrero, a Caribou High School student, had the fastest raw time of the evening with a 15:02 clocking. He placed third in the overall standings. Marie Beckum of Caribou was the fastest female in 18:32.
The top 10 after Plante, Streinz and Marrero were, in order, Caleb Streinz, Evan Desmond, Bruce Clark, Thomas Beckum, George Ferland, Annalise Jandreau and Kayley Bell.
The first-place men’s team was Team Alpha Streinz, made up of Luke, Caleb and Chris Streinz. The Boneheads — Bruce Clark, Steve Desmond, George Ferland and Carl Soderberg, were second.
Winning the women’s team title were the Vikin’s — Jandreau, Bell, Ephraim Willey, Tressa Salch and Jaden Picard. GHCA, consisting of Teanne Ewings, Angie Ewings and Teagan Ewings, was the runner-up.
“It was fun as usual,” said co-director Roy Alden. “The families who form teams and the adults love the opportunity to compete as a group instead of as individuals like a normal road race. They also love trying to stay ahead of the high school athletes and the elite athletes and this year, two middle schoolers did.”
