MADAWASKA, Maine — On a crisp and clear Sunday, approximately 65 energetic and enthusiastic people of all ages and ability levels participated in the 2015 Deprey Classic 6.5K freestyle races, tour and kids’ races at the Four Seasons Lodge Jan. 11.
The season opener this year, and in most years, the Deprey Classic heralded the start of the Aroostook Cup, a race series that travels around Aroostook County and includes six races over the course of the ski season.
Maine Winter Sports Center athletes dominated the race results, with MWSC biathlon coach Seth Hubbard taking first place overall with a time of 17:38, followed closely by MWSC athletes Dustin Ramsey (17:39) and Ben Allen (17:49).
Michaela Paluszek took first place for women and 11th overall with a time of 20:07, followed closely by MWSC athlete Katrina Howe, with a time of 20:08, in 12th overall. Third place for the women went to Hilary Soucy, a University of Maine at Presque Isle athlete, who recorded a time of 22:03 to take 17th overall.
UMPI athletes took fourth and fifth places for both men and women, with Ethan Burke and Andrew Nesbitt both across the finish line in under 18:30 and Lydia Streinz and Valentina Annuziata finishing in under 23:45. Burke and Nesbitt were also in fourth and fifth places, respectively, overall, while Streinz and Annuziata were in 21st and 22nd.
Caribou resident Joey Bard, a former UMPI and MWSC athlete, came in 10th after an unbroken stream of nine current UMPI and MWSC athletes. His time was 19:48.
Following that group and less than a minute behind Katrina Howe were Fort Kent resident Jeff Dubis, in 13th place overall with a time of 20:57, and Edmundston, N.B. resident Marco Boucher with a time of 20:58.
Race organizer Colin Jandreau said, “We couldn’t do this without our founding father,” referring to local skiing legend, Reno Deprey. Jandreau sends race results to the octogenarian every year.
“You look at someone who just keeps going and going,” he said, about Deprey, who is turning 85 this year, and will be racing in the American Birkebeiner, a 50K race, in Hayward, Wisconsin in February. Deprey and fellow Birke racer Becky Manley joined ski shop owner Lynn Michaud in donating all the prizes for racers and volunteers at the race.
“What an attitude. You say, ‘That’s what I want to try to do’ and they become role models,” Jandreau added.
Kathy Olmstead of Caribou, a spectator at the race and local skier, also praised the efforts of the younger skiers in the 6.5K race, saying, “The older kids are role models for the little ones; it goes from generation to generation. If you see [someone else doing it], you know it can be done.”
