Sports Reporter
FORT KENT – Local ski teams made a couple treks north this past week, with a Nordic competition held at 10th Mountain last Tuesday and an Alpine meet taking place at Lonesome Pine Trails Saturday.
Contributed photo/jMavor Photography
Junior Lydia Kieffer makes her way down the slope at Lonesome Pine Trails Saturday during a high school Alpine ski meet, hosted by Fort Kent. Kieffer came in first place in both the slalom and giant slalom and led her Caribou Vikings to the team victory as well.
In the cross country event, the Caribou boys and girls raced to first-place finishes. The Viking boys had 10 of the top 11 finishers, with Finn Bondeson leading the way with a time of 16 minutes, 20 seconds. Caribou skiers Caleb Chapman (16:23), D.J. Flynn (16:42) and Jared Sleeper (17:04) claimed the second, third and fourth positions, respectively.
After Fort Kent’s Logan Doak, who was fifth overall, the Vikes took the next six slots, as Tim Freme (17:41), Christian Sleeper (17:59), Kjetil Rossignol (18:20), Jesse Sandstrom (18:32.5), Ezra Duplissie-Cyr (18:32.6) and Kevin Strid (18:33) finished in consecutive order.
Leading Presque Isle was Jonathan Rochester, who placed 12th in 18:34.
For the girls, Katelyn Plourde of Caribou was two seconds faster than teammate Ashley Richards for top honors. Plourde came in at 20:08, while Richards had a time of 20:10.
Hallie Bartlett of Presque Isle was fifth overall in 21:12.
The Vikings totaled seven skiers among the top 10. Joining Plourde and Richards in that group and earning the sixth through 10th positions were Chelsea Bard (22:12), Ginger Kieffer (22:15), Emily Soderberg (22:16), Meredith Sleeper (22:18) and Mackenzie Belyea (22:22).
In Saturday’s downhill action, the Caribou girls won both in slalom and giant slalom racing. Lydia Kieffer and Laura Collins fashioned a one-two finish in the slalom, with Kieffer’s combined time for her two run at 1:26.27 and Collins at 1:26.31. Elizabeth Barbosa placed 10th in 1:37.59 to aid the Vikings.
Bartlett led the Wildcats by ending up seventh in 1:36.46.
Lydia Kieffer’s time of 1:48.35 was the fastest of the day in the giant slalom. Collins took third in 1:50.4, just .52 seconds ahead of PI’s Bartlett.
Barbosa was sixth (1:54.6) and Jessica Zbylut ninth (1:56.33) in the event for Caribou.
Host Fort Kent came away with wins in both the boys’ slalom and giant slalom. Central Aroostook was the runner-up in both competitions, while Caribou was third and Presque Isle fifth.
Jesse Guimond of the Warriors won the slalom in 1:11.71. Shane Miller and Caleb Jewett, both of Central Aroostook, were second and third, respectively. Miller’s time was 1:14.87 and Jewett’s was 1:15.07.
Also for CA, Logan Brewer was sixth in 1:19.05 and Ethan Stiles eighth (1:23.07).
Ethan McDuffie was Caribou’s top performer. He was seventh in 1:20.49.
Justin Towle had Presque Isle’s best showing. He was 28th in 1:34.83.
Guimond made it a double-win by taking the GS in 1:40.89. Teammates Logan Doak and Aaron Paradis were second and third, respectively.
McDuffie came in fourth in 1:41.52, while the Panther trio of Jewett (1:41.91), Brewer (1:43.96) and Miller (1:44.57) placed fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively. Ethan Stiles and Taylor Garrison, also of CA, were also among the top 10.
Adam Curtis of Presque Isle came in 12th place in 1:47.93.
