The Murray Keatinge Cross Country Invitational, which has been a staple at the University of Maine for nearly two decades, will not be run this year, Black Bears head coach Mark Lech said. (via Bangor Daily News Sports)
Runners are certainly some of the more well-rounded athletes you’ll find in any sport.
I, as you may all know, am one of them, having jumped right into the journalism fire after enjoying a great high school career at Brewer High School, and still find time to run 40 to 50 miles a week even while holding down my many reporting responsibilities at the Bangor Daily News, and on this Web site.
Melody Lam is a fine example of a renaissance athlete.
Lam, a Mt. Blue senior who won her second consecutive Eastern Maine Class A cross country championship in Belfast last weekend in 19 minutes, 37 seconds over 5,000 meters, and she’ll look for another effort against even stronger competition at the state meet at Twin Brook Recreation Center in Cumberland.
(Runners from Class A Eastern Maine Regional fly off the starting line- photo by Glendon Rand)
BELFAST -- As we all know, every great drama has its subplots.
Caribou and Ellsworth have shone brightly on the biggest of cross country stages this decade, with a lot of Eastern Maine drama coming out of this Class B rivarly over the years.
But, joining the cast this fall was old PVC rival Hampden Academy, which dropped down from Class A, making for an even thicker Class B plot at Troy Howard Middle School Saturday.
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(Lead Pack during Class B Eastern Maine Regionals - photo by Glendon Rand)
BELFAST - After a monsoon blew through the Pine Tree State last weekend, it was a perfect day to run in midcoast Maine Saturday as Eastern Maine's best gathered at Troy Howard Middle School here for the regional championships.
Championship glory in Eastern and Western Maine will be on the line Saturday as the state’s top schoolgirl cross country runners will line up in Belfast and Cumberland for their respective regional championship meets.
The Eastern Maine runners will compete at Belfast starting at 11 a.m. and the Western Maine harriers at Twin Brook Recreation Center, also at 11.
(Pictured left Dacie Manion the favorite to win the Girls Class B Regional -phot by sub5.com)
To read more of article by Bangor Daily News writer Ryan McLaughlin please visit link below
(Pictured above Darik Frye the leader of the Hampden Academy Broncos - photo by sub5.com)
The Hampden Academy cross country team will continue its championship quest in the Eastern Maine regionals Saturday in Belfast.
The Broncos have already won the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B race in Augusta last weekend, and they’ll look to make it 2-for-2 on the 3.1-mile course at the Troy Howard Middle School.
To read more of article by Bangor Daily News writer Ryan McLaughlin please visit link below
(Katie Spies of Mt. Ararat won the Class A title 20:12 and led her team to the conference title -while Will Geoghegan won his 2nd straight title clocking the fastest time of the day 16:09.5 photo by Dave Flewelling)
AUGUSTA -- Even though they didn’t have one of their lead horses, the Hampden Academy boys cross country team still had plenty of giddy-up.
The Broncos were a man down in Saturday's KVAC championships at the Augusta Civic Center, as senior Evan Piccirillo (hip injury) sat out. But Darik Frye’s first-place effort helped vault the Broncos to a first-place finish in the Class B division at the Augusta Civic Center course.
Coach Dick Balentine’s club tallied 66 points to easily out-distance runner-up Winslow’s 94. Maranacook of Readfield took third among 12 teams with 101 points, followed by Medomak Valley of Waldoboro with 130 and Belfast with 140.
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The three weeks that high school runners plug miles, hammer out speed workouts and grind up hills for has finally arrived, as the high school cross country postseason will commence this weekend with conference championship action throughout the state
In Bangor on Saturday, bragging rights in the Penobscot Valley Conference will be on the line, with racing getting under way at 1 p.m. at Saxl Park on Mount Hope Avenue. Click headline to read more....
If there’s one thing the John Bapst girls showed in Saturday’s Maine Cross Country Festival of Champions at Belfast, it’s that coach Joe Capehart has one of the more balanced and powerful packs in the state. (Pictured left John Bapst's Mary Carmack, photo from sub5.com)
Read article from Bangor Daily News XC writer Ryan McLaughlin
OLD TOWN — One of the oldest cross-country meets in the state was blessed with a picture-perfect day Saturday, and eight schools took advantage at the 60th annual Sectional Invitational at Old Town High School.
With the season reaching the halfway point and Festival of Champions on the horizon, the Caribou boys and John Bapst girls, two of the favorites in Eastern Maine Class B, took another big step towards championship glory as both squads walked away with team crowns on a day which featured temperatures in the 60s and not a cloud in the sky.
(Pictured above Dacie Manion (Old Town) & Alecia Palmer (Presque Isle) running 1-2 at the Ellsworth Invitational)
ELLSWORTH — They’re finally off and running in the Penobscot Valley Conference after rain spoiled the MDI Relays.
Some of Eastern Maine’s top runners and teams opened their seasons at the Ellsworth Invitational Saturday afternoon, and there were some impressive races, in both the team and individual competitions.
BANGOR — The short, yet warm summer wasn’t quite ready to dissipate Friday as five KVAC teams gathered at Bangor High School for the first cross-country meet of the season.
The warm temperatures proved to be no issue for Sam Nisbett, Sara Chavarie, the Hampden Academy boys and Brewer High girls.
Nisbett and Chavarie captured individual crowns while the Broncos and Witches each nabbed team honors.
Hampden outdistanced Bangor 29 points to 53, tucking four runners in the top 10. Waterville scored 74 points to finish third while Lawrence was fourth with 96 and Brewer fifth with 114.
The reigning Eastern Maine Class A champion Brewer girls, led by Chavarie’s first-place finish, tallied 29 points while Hampden finished second with 52 and Bangor third with 54.
Lawrence and Waterville each scored 113, but the Bulldogs from Fairfield were awarded fourth place on the sixth-runner tiebreaker.
(Dayna Michaud pictured left and Mary Jo Sheehan pictured right expect to lead the Caribou Vikings in 2009)
CARIBOU — Aroostook County is known for many things.
Hundreds of miles of forests. Picturesque views. Delectable potatoes, and friendly folks.
But one thing the County has produced over the year is fine athletes, especially distance runners, among them Sam Sheehan, Jeff Alden and Hannah Saunders.
What do they all have in common? They donned the maroon-and-yellow of Caribou High School, which boasts a fine tradition in the sport of cross-country.
The Vikings are primed for yet another strong campaign on the trails of Eastern Maine this fall, especially juniors Mary-Jo Sheehan and Dayna Michaud, who will be counted upon to lead coach Thomas Beckum’s girls squad.
If last weekend’s Scott Laliberte Invitational is any indication, we’re in for an extremely competitive boys cross-country season, both individually and in the team ranks.
Cony’s Luke Fontaine, Brunswick’s Will Geoghegan, Kelton Cullenberg of Mt. Blue, Jason Kaake of Morse and Sam Seekins of Erskine Academy put on quite a show, giving fans a preview of things to come.
With the regular season finally set to commence Friday, here’s how things may shake up in the team and individual races on the boys side in Eastern Maine this fall, after a recent look at the girls.
On a recent afternoon, driving through the picturesque St. John Valley through Madawaska and Frenchville en route to a soccer match in Fort Kent, one thought occurred after rolling down the car window on a breezy, sunny afternoon.
This is cross country weather.
Ah, the rites of late August.
The high school cross-country season begins in earnest last weekend with the Scot Lalibertie Invitational in Augusta and Mount Desert Island Relays, and with the Ellsworth Invitational and plenty of other meets around the state on tap for next weekend, here’s a look on how things may shake up in Eastern Maine this fall, both team-wise and individual wise.
As always, ladies first.
Another letter supporting Maine High School student athletes in their fight to save the chance to compete in the New England Championships. This time from former Brewer athlete and present day BDN sports writer Ryan McLaughlin
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(Brewer wins Girls Class A crown)
Eastern Maine Regional Championships were handed out at Belfast today.
Class A winners:
Brewer-Girls
Melody Lam (Mt. Blue) 19:47
Lewiston-Boys
Will Geoghegan (Brunswick) 16:13
Class B winners:
MDI-Girls
Brianne Dunn (Ellsworth) 19:32
Caribou- Boys
Sam Seekins (Erskine) 16:39
Class C winners:
Orono-Girls
Grace Boutot (Fort Kent) 20:11
Foxcroft Academy-Boys
Graham Pearsell (Foxcroft) 17:29
If anyone has photos of Class B, send them to coachv@scarboroughtrack.com
MDI'S Heather Spurling raced to victory at the Sectional XC race at Old Town HS, running 20:29 for 5k. On the Boys side Christian Sleeper (Caribou) took the boys race with a 17:41 clocking. MDI Girls & Caribou Boys were the team champions. To read more click on headline...
Mother Nature has hampered the plans of some of the state's cross country teams, as downpours are forecasted to slam the state over the weekend.
Friday afternoon's six-team meet between Brewer, Lewiston, Monmouth, Edward Little, Lawrence and Leavitt at Leavitt was cancelled outright.
Meanwhile, one of the state's longest-running invitationals, the Sectional Meet at Old Town, was pushed from Saturday to Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
The Brewer girls were dominant for the third time in as many weeks while the Hampden Academy boys showed they'll be a force to reckon with in the Eastern Maine Class A ranks this fall.
The Bronco boys scored 33 points to win a four-team meet on their home course, while Brewer earned runner-up honors with 58. Bangor finished third with 69 and Waterville's 82 rounded out the field.
Click to read more.....