The Caribou wrestling team spends a lot of time on the road during the course of the regular season and Thursday and Friday posed an extra challenge.
The Vikings participated in a tournament in Howland and turned around the next day for another tournament held in Pittsfield.
Eight local athletes earned medals at the annual Christmas tourney held at Penobscot Valley High School.
Ethan Edgecomb, Caleb Robbins and Angel Riopelle all were runners-up in their weight divisions. Rylee Saucier and Kaden DeMerchant both placed third and Matt McCormack, Tom O’Meara and Jacob Smart came in fourth place.
James “Chico” Hernandez said Saucier and DeMerchant were Thursday’s standouts with both garnering two wins.
Saucier, competing in the 113-pound division, scored a first-period pin over Dexter’s Nate Mower, who entered with a 10-2 record.
“Rylee has improved a lot and she needs to continue to upgrade her wrestling abilities, limit the mistakes she makes and wrestle smarter,” Hernandez said. “If she can progress and do that, she will be very dangerous for anybody as she enters the Northern Maine regional later on in the season.”
Hernandez said DeMerchant performed well in the 160-pound weight class but can be even more effective and competitive if he can get down to 152.
The field at Maine Central Institute the following day was much more competitive and Caribou did not have anybody place among the top four. DeMerchant and Saucier both managed 2-2 records, with the ninth-seeded Saucier upsetting the fourth seed from Class A Oxford Hills by pin.
Angel Riopelle, competing in the 145-pound class, managed a victory in what Hernandez calls the toughest division in the state.
“There are many outstanding wrestlers in 145, including defending Class B state champion Mark Ward of Mount View and a former Class C state champ in Justin Wing of Dexter,” Hernandez said, “but if you want to be the best you have to wrestle the best. Angel is a sophomore and is learning how to survive the weight class and this will all pay off for him some day.”
Riopelle lost to Ward Friday on a first-period pin.
Robbins leads Caribou in victories so far this season with 12.
The Vikings’ next match is Wednesday, Jan. 2, at Fort Kent. On Saturday, Jan. 5, the team is part of a seven-team tourney at Calais. Caribou will compete at home for the final time Wednesday, Jan. 9, in a dual meet against Fort Kent.
