40 participate in fourth annual East Grand Adventure Race
East Grand School hosted its fourth annual Adventure Race on Saturday in the Danforth area, with 24 students representing five high schools competing in the high school divisions. New this year, was an adult and a high school girls’ division.
Photograph by Michael LaReaux
PUSHING – Brewer High School’s Charlie Beller climbs the Pit Wall. He and his partner, Joel Crawford, won the High School boys’ division of the fourth annual East Grand Adventure Race.
“We went from 18 in attendance last year to 40 this year,” said organizer Dave Conley. “The positive feedback we are receiving is that this event will continue to grow is size over the next few years. Plans are in the making to map out an all new route next year possibly starting or ending in town Danforth, so spectators can have a better viewing point of the race.”
Many thanks to the 20-plus volunteers who gave their time to make this event possible, along with one of the event’s major sponsors, First Wind, who owns and operates a wind farm on nearby Stetson Ridge. Other sponsors include Epic Sports and The Ski Rack of Bangor.
The 15.5-mile course included a 1.5-mile off-trail hike over Peak-a-Boo Mountain in Weston with map and compass, seven miles of mountain biking on back woods roads and trails, seven miles of canoeing on the Baskahegan Stream and a climbing wall challenge in East Grand’s gym.
Brewer High School students Charlie Beller and Joel Crawford returned this year to take top honors in the boys’ high school division after posting a strong second-place finish last year, said Conley. The Brewer pair finished with a time of 2:25:35 and snapped a three-year winning streak by East Grand students. Beller and Crawford were presented with a traveling trophy to display in their school. 
Photograph by Kim Sixberry
TALKING IT OVER Nick Tarr of Southern Aroostook mingles with his competition before the race.
Second place in the high school boys’ division went to Jordan Theriault and David Voitovic of Mountain Valley High School of Rumford with a time of 2:37:45 and third-place finishers were Nick Tarr and Andrew Smith of Southern Aroostook.
In the girls’ division, Mountain Valley High School students Carmella Glazier and Kymberly Couch took top honors with a time of 3:00:39, with Woodland High School’s Taylor Cochran and Molly White placing a close second with a time of 3:03:35. Brewer High School students Erin Mills and Toral Nelson placed third, with a time of 3:35:00.
Their were 16 participants in the adult division with the top three teams finishing within two minutes of each other. Chris Mejias and Joel Sweetser of Rumford placed first with a time of 2:41:26, followed by a close second with Nathaniel Sixberry and Ben Williams of Danforth with a time of 2:42:43 and James and Andrea Kneeland of Lincoln placing third, with a time of 2:43:20. 
Photograph by Kim Sixberry
CROSS – East Grand students Sharlene Maynard, stern and Liz Gilman cross the finish line during Saturday’s East Grand Adventure Race.
The overall results of the race are as follows:
High School Boys: 1. Charlie Beller, Joel Crawford, Brewer, 2:25:35; 2. Jordan Theriault, David Voitovic, Mountain Valley, 2:37:45; 3. Nick Tarr, Andrew Smith, Southern Aroostook, 2:43:18; 4. David Cropley, Aaron Henn, East Grand, 2:51:32; 5. Cleve Kenyon, Andrew Gilman, East Grand, 3:04:56; 6. Ben Latvis, Mitchell Bartlett, East Grand, 3:22:50; 7. Joe Frazier, Olivia Raymond, Southern Aroostook, 3:26:36; 8. Eddie Bobitsky and Dustin Miller, East Grand, 4:15:00. 
HANGING ON – East grand student Ben Latvis on the climbing wall. Latvis and Mitchell Bartlett came in sixth place in the boys’ high school division of the fourth annual East Grand Adventure Race.
High School Girls: 1. Carmella Glazier, Kymberly Couch, Mountain Valley, 3:00:39; 2. Molly White, Taylor Cochran, Woodland, 3:02:35; 3. Erin Mills, Toral Nelson, Brewer, 3:35:00; 4. Sharlene Maynard, Elizabeth Gilman, East Grand, 3:58:39.
Adult Division: 1. Chris Mejias, Joel Sweetser, Rumford 2:41:26; 2. Nathaniel Sixberry, Ben Williams, Danforth 2:42:43; 3. James and Andrea Kneeland, Lincoln, 2:43:20; 4. Robert Bennett, Judith Hotchkiss, Deer Isle, 3:07:50; 5. Amanda Morin, Kim McCrea, Presque Isle, 3:11:25; 6. Mark Doty, John Simko, Madison, 3:11:53; 7. Nick Chambers, Kaylea Collier, Smyrna Mills, 3:25:41; 8. Anja Whittington, Jay Raymond, Presque Isle 3:37:49.
Photograph by Michael LaReaux
ASCENDING – Andrew Smith of Southern Aroostook ascends the Pit Wall with his mountain bike during the fourth annual East Grand Adventure Race held Satruday in Danforth. Smith and his partner, Nick Tarr, placed third in the high school boys’ division.
