Editor’s Note: The following is the second of two articles highlighting some of the top sports stories from 2017. This article highlights the events from July to December.
July
The Caribou Police team swept Maine Veterans Home/VFW, two games to none, for the championship in the Caribou Little League. The scores of the games were 5-1 and 11-4.
AFSL/CFCU of Caribou lost to Cushman’s of Presque Isle, 7-2, in the finals of the NMCRA Pony League baseball tournament played in Presque Isle.
Landen Leavitt of Fort Fairfield won three individual events at the NMCRA state track and field meet held in Bangor.
Cheering on their parents at the Caribou Labor Day 8K Road Race are, from left, Easton Graves, Scarlett Beckum, Emma Graves, Peyton Gorneault and Pierce Gorneault. Evan Graves and Marie Beckum were the overall champions in the annual race. (Kevin Sjoberg)
Patrick Cote of Grand Falls, New Brunswick, and Tracy Guerrette of Bangor ran to victories in the Maine Potato Blossom 5-Miler held in Fort Fairfield. In the Musterd Mile held in Caribou, Evan Desmond and Marie Beckum clocked the fastest times on the short course that begins at Caribou High School and ends as Monica’s Scandinavian Gift Shop.
The Fort Fairfield Athletic Hall of Fame honored its six newest inductees during a banquet at the high school. They are Patricia Adams (Class of 1974), Kirk DeMerchant (1994), Amanda Hotham (2012), Jon Nichols (1996), Dr. Stephen Nightingale (1973) and George Solomon (1967).
Sheldon Sappier of Tobique First Nation, New Brunswick, placed first in the 34th Cary Classic Benefit Golf Tournament held at Caribou Country Club. He beat Phil Pelletier of Presque Isle in a four-hole playoff. Emily Jose of Caribou was the women’s winner of the one-day, 18-hole event.
August
The Swedes finished with a 13-1 record and won the Caribou-Presque Isle co-ed softball playoff tournament. T.W. Willard of Caribou took the title in the men’s league.
James “Chico” Hernandez of Washburn won three gold medals at the Maine State Senior Track and Field Games in Scarborough and won two gold medals in his age group in wrestling at the Sunflower State Games in Topeka, Kansas.
Caribou defeated Madawaska in the 10-12 year-old baseball tournament finals, Fort Fairfield stopped Presque Isle for the junior girls softball title and Caribou dominated the singles and doubles tennis tournaments for the 35th consecutive year at end-of-the-summer sporting events sponsored by the Northern Maine Community Recreation Association.
After competing against each other for years, it was announced the Caribou and Presque Isle varsity golf teams would combine to form a co-op squad under the name Carlisle. They will be a Class A program and coached by Marc Weeks, who had previously been the Vikings’ head coach.
Caribou senior Searra Herbert was named the Class B co-winner of the Butch Shaw Memorial Soccer Award. (Courtesy/~Sha Lam Photography)
September
The Caribou girls’ soccer team completed the month as the No. 1 team in Class B North with a 7-0 record.
Kevin Alliette of Methuen, Massachusetts, and Rebecca Geib of Bar Harbor cruised to victories in the second annual Caribou Marathon. Evan Graves and Marie Beckum of Caribou were first in the half marathon. At the annual Caribou Labor Day 8K Road Race, Graves and Beckum ran to victories.
Caribou showed its strength on the cross country course as both the girls’ and boys’ varsity squads won the Ellsworth Invitational and the Presque Isle Invitational meets.
October
The Washburn girls and the MSSM and Fort Fairfield boys chalked up Class D preliminary playoff soccer victories. The Beavers beat Wisdom, MSSM stopped Madawaska and the Tiger boys downed Schenck.
Jon Poisson was hired as the girls’ basketball coach at Washburn District High School. The Limestone native, who is a teacher at the high school, replaces Tyler Putnam, who coached the Beavers for one season.
The Caribou girls’ cross country team won a regional championship for the first time in 27 years. They were 24 points better than runner-up Ellsworth and were paced by Abigail Wimmer, a sophomore who was second overall in the field of 86 competitors.
Aroostook County skiing great Ralph Ostlund was posthumously inducted into the Maine Ski Hall of Fame during a ceremony held in Kingfield.
November
The UMPI men’s cross country team and women’s team runner Emilia Churchill of Washburn all competed at the USCAA national championships in Virginia Beach.
The Caribou girls’ soccer team, seeded first in the Class B North playoffs, was upset by No. 9 Hermon in the quarterfinal round, 3-2 in overtime. The Caribou boys fell in the quarterfinals to Winslow after upsetting Brewer in the preliminary round. Fort Fairfield made it into the semifinals before bowing out to Bangor Christian.
Kevin Alliette crosses the Route 161 bridge on his way to the victory in the second annual Caribou Marathon on Sunday, Sept. 17. The Methuen, Massachusetts, native won the race in 2:49:40.5. (Courtesy/Dave Allen Graphics)
Kevin Alliette of Methuen, Mass. catches his breath after crossing the line following his victory in the Caribou Marathon in September. (Courtesy of Dave Allen Graphics)
The Viking girls placed third and the boys fifth at the Class B state cross country championship held in Cumberland.
December
Basketball season opened for local squads and Caribou swept Fort Kent in a home doubleheader.
The Vikings’ Nordic ski teams had successful debuts by sweeping a meet held at their home course at Caribou High School.
Evan Desmond was chosen as Aroostook Musterds’ Runner of the Year during the club’s annual awards banquet. Desmond is a senior at Caribou High School and was recognized for his success on the school’s cross country team and in road races held throughout the spring and summer.
Caribou varsity soccer standouts Hope Shea, Searra Herbert and Alex Ezzy were all selected to the all-state team by the Maine Soccer Coaches.
