CARIBOU, Maine — It was another home meet and another victory for both the girls’ and boys’ Viking track and field teams.
In the Saturday competition, held despite off-and-on rain showers, Caribou cruised to titles as the girls won with 251 points, with Presque Isle the closest of six other teams in pursuit with 108, and the boys tallied 229 points to down the second-place Wildcats (83) and five other teams.
Washington Academy of East Machias joined all the Aroostook County schools with track programs besides Houlton for the meet.
For the Viking girls, first-place performances were turned in by the 4×800-meter relay team of Sarae Grenier, Madeline Gudde, Sarah Doak and Julia Page in 11:07.84; Eileen Patton in the 100 hurdles in 17.87 seconds and the 300 hurdles in 54.38 seconds, Doak in the 1,600-meter run in 5:51.05 and the triple jump at 30 feet, 3 inches; the 4×100-meter relay team of JoJo Fields, Kaitlyn Ring, Lauren Chapman and Patton in 56.47 seconds; Meagan Dube in the 400-meter dash in 1:08.62, Madeline Gudde in the 800-meter run in 2:38.69, the 4×400-meter relay team of Dube, Elise Gudde, Madeline Gudde and Simona Amerio in 4:52.51; Nerissa Larrabee in the high jump at 4 feet, 8 inches; and Kendra Furber in the pole vault at 6 feet, 6 inches.
Another athlete from the region taking first was Haley Taranko of Limestone-MSSM in the 1,600-meter racewalk in 9:29.35.
Claiming individual titles in the boys’ meet from Caribou were Dominic Judd in the 110-meter hurdles in 17.27 seconds, the 300 hurdles in 41.3 seconds and the high jump at 5 feet, 8 inches; Mitchell St. Peter in the 1,600-meter racewalk in 7:27.46, Richard Newland in the 400-meter dash in 56.07 seconds, Elijah Verhoff in the 800-meter run in 2:11.42 and the 4×400-meter relay team of St. Peter, Judd, Verhoff and Newland in 3:48.68.
According to Viking coach Roy Alden, Judd is close to establishing school records in the three events he won Saturday.
Other local winners were Kenzy Ronco of Washburn in the 100-meter dash in 11.84 seconds and the pole vault at 11 feet, 6 inches; Caleb Daigle of Fort Fairfield in the 200-meter dash in 24.22 seconds and the discus at 125 feet, 4 inches; Grier Osterman of Limestone-MSSM in the long jump at 18 feet, 1 inch and the triple jump at 37 feet, 11 inches; Cole Butler of Limestone-MSSM in the javelin at 127 feet, 11 inches; and the Fort Fairfield 4×100-meter relay team of Daigle, Gregory Jellison, Johnny Theriault and Dyllan Love in 48.6 seconds.
“We are very pleased with the efforts and the improvement of our athletes,” Alden said. “It is a very young team overall and a very positive group of athletes who are willing to work hard to make the most of their talents.”
“If both teams continue to improve, we should be among the top teams in the Penobscot Valley Conference,” he added.
Presque Isle will host most of the County schools again Thursday for a meet to begin at 3:30 p.m. Caribou will be making the trip to Ellsworth for a Saturday meet beginning at noon.
