CARIBOU, Maine — Evan Desmond pulled off a double win in the 1,600-meter distances, Evan Michaud and Cory Jandreau placed one-two in the pole vault, and the 4×800 and 4×400 relay teams were victorious as the Viking boys won the Penobscot Valley Conference Small School Championship in track and field during a meet held Saturday at Caribou High School.
The Vikings scored 159 points to defeat Orono by a 38-point margin and overcome a host of other squads.
““A track meet is a marathon and not a sprint, with a lot of moving pieces.” said Viking coach Roy Alden. “It was fun to see the boys compete so hard and see them improve in so many areas when it matters most and we had an outstanding team effort.”
The Caribou girls managed a second-place effort by tallying 126 points, well behind Orono’s 205.
Davis Levesque of the Caribou Vikings throws the javelin 143 feet, 11 inches on this attempt during Saturday’s PVC Small School Championships held in Caribou. The throw was good enough for first place in the event. (Kevin Sjoberg)
For the boys, Desmond captured the racewalk title in 8:42.82 and the won the 1,600 run in 4:36.67. He also came in second in the 800, falling by just 2/100ths of a second to winner Jonathan Steelman of Orono. Desmond was the third leg on the 4×400 relay team which prevailed in 3:44.69.
“Evan is coming into his own at just the right time and he challenged and fought off the best runners in the north,” Alden said.
Caribou’s Rachel Ring, left, hands the baton to teammate Emma Stewart in the 4×100-meter relay during the PVC Small School Championships in Caribou Saturday. The Vikings placed third in the event. (Kevin Sjoberg)
Others on that relay team were Jandreau, Calvin Mokler and Isaac Marker. The 4×800 relay team also was first in 8:41.7. Tom Pinette, Aaron Macek, Dylan Marrero and Mokler made up that grouping.
Michaud won the pole vault by clearing 12 feet, 6 inches and Jandreau was the runner-up at 11 feet. Jandreau won the 400 dash in 53.21 and Davis Levesque took the javelin with a throw of 143-11.
Alden also cited strong performances by Chris Parent in the high jump (second at 5-10) and Nic Sleeper, fourth in both the discus (125 feet, 8 inches) and the shot put (41 feet, 2-3/4 inches).
“They all performed beyond expectations to help the team be successful,” Alden said of Levesque, Parent and Sleeper.
Martin Heald was second and Parent fifth in the racewalk. The 4×100 relay team of Liam McMillon, Marker, Jandreau and Michaud was second, Caleb Libby third in the 110 hurdles and fourth in the 300 hurdles, Jordan Duplessis third in the 3,200 and fifth in the 1,600 and Michaud fourth in the triple jump for other top placements for the Vikings.
We are looking forward to the state meet,” Alden said. “We feel like we can maintain the momentum and are excited about the opportunity to compete with the best in southern Maine.”
The Caribou girls were led by Alexis Rodriguez, first in the 1,600 in 5:39.54, first in the high jump at 5 feet and second in the 800 in 2:35.81.
Monica McLaughlin prevailed in the javelin with a throw of 112-1 and was third in the 400.
Alexis Rodriguez of Caribou took the early lead and won by nearly nine seconds in the 1,600-meter run, held during the PVC Small School Championships at Caribou High School Saturday. Rodriguez had a time of 5 minutes and 39.54 seconds. (Kevin Sjoberg)
The 4×400 relay team, made up of Willow Whitten, McLaughlin, Megan Dube and Rodriguez, came in first in 4:22.38.
Also for the Vikes, Emily Austin was second and Olivia Austin fourth in the racewalk, Hope Shea second in the javelin, Brianna Reece second and Ashley Conroy fourth in the discus, Moir second in the high jump, Whitten third in the 300 hurdles, Dube fourth in the 400 and Abigail Espling fourth in the shot put.
The 4×800 relay team of Edie Shea, Emma Stewart, Moir and Ashley Violette was third, as was the 4×100 relay team of Rachel Ring, Stewart, Dube and JoJo Fields.
“We will refocus as a group and come back to have our best performances at the states,” said Alden, noting that Whitten, Rodriguez, McLaughlin, Fields and the 4×400 relay team could all be in the hunt for state championships and school records.
The Class B state meet is set for Saturday, June 2, in Dover-Foxcroft.
