CARIBOU, Maine — The Caribou Vikings achieved team supremacy in Aroostook County on their home turf Thursday as the boys and girls both captured titles in the league championship meet for varsity track and field.
The Caribou boys totaled 232 points, which bested runner-up Presque Isle’s 168. Maine School of Science and Mathematics came in third out of nine teams with 58, followed by Fort Kent (30), Greater Houlton Christian Academy (25), Washburn (21), Hodgdon (18), Fort Fairfield (18) and Houlton (16).
The Caribou girls scored 192 points to grab top honors in the competition that included eight teams. Presque Isle was next with 112.5, followed by MSSM in third with 77. GHCA (48), Fort Kent (45.5), Fort Fairfield (41), Houlton (41) and Washburn (16) followed.
Special awards for the top boys and girls scorers in the County championships are presented annually. Winning the Emery Plourde Award as the top boys’ scorer was Caribou’s Evan Desmond. He netted 38 points by finishing first in the 1,600-meter race walk, the 1,600 run and the 800 run and second in the 3,200 run.
The remainder of the boys’ top 10 after Desmond included: Trace Cyr of Presque Isle (31), Conner Michaud of Presque Isle (30), Ben Ryan of Presque Isle (29), Cory Jandreau of Caribou (25), Will Whitman of MSSM (25), Evan Michaud of Caribou (20), Joel Bond of Hodgdon (18), Bennet Theriault of Fort Kent (16), Nic Sleeper of Caribou (16) and Kyler Caron of Presque Isle (16).
Amelia Hanning of Houlton was the Howard Lello Award winner as the top girls’ scorer. She was the winner of both the 200 and 400 runs, while also taking second in the 100 and fourth in the long jump for a total of 32 points.
Following Hanning in the girls’ individual standings were: Alexis Rodriguez of Caribou (28.5), Willow Whitten of Caribou (28.5), Grace Graham of GHCA (28), Elizabeth Moreau of Presque Isle (28), Dolcie Tanguay of MSSM (24.5), Paige Espling of Caribou (24), Annika Reynolds of Fort Fairfield (22), Andrea Rawson of MSSM (20) and Maggie Castonguay of Presque Isle (18).
First-place individual boys’ winners in the meet, along with their times, heights and distances, were: 110 hurdles: Conner Michaud, 17.39 seconds; 100 dash: Trace Cyr, 11.92; 1,600 race walk: Desmond, 8:52.96; 1,600 run: Desmond, 4:49.86; 400 dash: Cyr, 54.1; 300 hurdles: Conner Michaud, 45.55; 800 run: Desmond, 2:11.44; 200 dash: Cyr, 24.41; 3,200 run: Joel Bond, 10:31; high jump: Theriault, 5 feet, 8 inches; long jump: Ryan, 18-9; triple jump, Ryan, 38-4; javelin: Davis Levesque, Caribou, 137-11; discus, Dylan Swimm, Houlton, 107-6; shot put: Whitman, 40-11; and pole vault: Evan Michaud, 11-6.
In the relays, taking the 4×800 was Caribou’s team of Tom Pinette, Aaron Macek, Calvin Mokler and Jordan Duplessie with a time of 9:22.76. Washburn prevailed in the 4×100 as Steven Nader, Patrick Saucier, Konner Jordan and Devon Maynard finished in 50.1. Winning the 4×400 was Caribou’s Mokler, Pinette, Trevor Hale and Isaac Marker in 3:53.14.
For the girls, capturing event titles were: 100 hurdles: JoJo Fields, Caribou, 17.98; 100 dash: Moreau, 13.32; 1,600 race walk: Kamryn Gilmour, Presque Isle, 8:58.43; 1,600 run: Rodriguez, 5:38.48; 400 run: Hanning, 1:03.4; 300 hurdles: Whitten, 52.2; 800 run: Rodriguez, 2:33.5; 200 dash: Hanning, 28.51; 3,200 run: Graham, 12:39.01; high jump: Espling, 5 feet; long jump: Reynolds, 15-4; triple jump: Gabby Martin, Fort Kent, 30-6; javelin: Monica McLaughlin, Caribou, 124-1; discus: Rawson, 91-3; shot put: Rawson, 28-0; and pole vault: Whitten, 6-6.
McLaughlin established a new Aroostook League championship record in the javelin. Her throw was 2 feet, 8 inches longer than the one set in 1995 by Jody Quint of Hodgdon.
The 4×800 relay team from MSSM, made up of Madison McCarthy, Rothery Sullivan, Naomi Kihn and Tanguay, placed first in 11:14.07. Caribou’s 4×100 relay team of Rachel Ring, Jessica Limary, Dube and Fields came out on top in 56.27. The Vikings also won the 4×400 as Whitten, Dube, McLaughlin and Rodriguez finished in 4:29.58.
