FORT KENT, Maine — Under an unseasonably warm afternoon sky, more than 60 runners gathered at Lonesome Pine Trails on Wednesday, for a cross country meet hosted by Fort Kent Community High School.
In a homecoming of sorts, Dolcie Tanguay of the Maine School of Science And Math in Limestone took the top spot in the girls’ race with a time of 21:47.
Tanguay, who lives in Fort Kent, had been a community high school athlete before heading to MSSM for her sophomore year.
“I didn’t know how it would be this year,” Tanguay said following her win, adding that it felt good to compete in her hometown again.
“It was tough,” she said of Wednesday’s race. “It helped to know the trails.”
Tanguay’s win was not without drama, though. Coming out of the woods in the final stretch, she was several yards behind teammate Naomi Kihn. As the pair ran across the grassy section to the finish line, Tanguay passed and then pulled away, besting Kihn by one second.
Greater Houlton Christian Academy’s Grace Graham came in a close third, with a time of 21:49. Fellow GHCA runner Bridget Hill took fourth place with a finishing time of 21:57
Kassie Farley, Washburn’s top runner, earned a 7th place finish at 24:56. Fort Kent’s two female runners, Brice Carson and Emily Ouellette, finished 14th and 17th respectively.
Wesley Ganglfinger of GHCA took the top spot for the boys with a time of 19:08.
MSSM runners James Cyr (19:45) and William Perkins (20:26) earned second and third place, respectively.
Matthew Cyr of Madawaska finished 4th, coming in at 20:46. Washburn’s top runner Devon Maynard, Washburn, clocking in at 21:04, finished in 5th place, and Brandon Thibeault of Fort Kent (21:22) came in 6th.
Isaac Robichaud of Fort Kent, Shayki Kupchic or Madawaska and Patrick Parham of Wisdom (running with Fort Kent) all had top-20 finishes.
The MSSM girls and boys took the top overall team spots Wednesday. Greater Houlton Christian took second place in both groups.
