Currier and Plissey lead way at Saturday’s UMPI Spring Runoff
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
PRESQUE ISLE – Participation levels were high on Saturday as the second road race in the County Challenge Series was held at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
Staff photos/Kevin Sjoberg
The UMPI Spring Runoff 5K was held Saturday in Presque Isle. In photo at left, CHS students Christian Sleeper, left, and Jesse Sandstrom stay close to each other at the midway point of the race. Shawn Berry (673), Austin Ross (699) and Brian Powers (617) were local runners turning in top-10 performances amongst the 107-runner field.
A total of 107 runners and six walkers participated in the annual UMPI Spring Runoff 5K, with a pair of Stockholm residents capturing top honors.
Russell Currier took first place overall with a time of 17 minutes and 11 seconds, while Susan Plissey was the women’s winner in 20:36.
Both fell short of course records. Curtis Wheeler set the mark last year at 15:33, while Michelle Cormier owns the women’s record in 18:47, which was established in 1998.
The first walkers to cross the finish line were Mary Bergen, Rachael Hannah, Paul Stone and Jim Roue, whose times were 48:05.
Making up the overall top 20 after Currier were second, Justin Fereshetian, 17:42; third, Alfred Hanscom, 17:47; fourth, Shawn Berry, 18:00; fifth, Austin Ross, 18:08; sixth, Matt Eager, 18:28; seventh, John Lyons, 18:44; eighth, D.J. Flynn, 18:48; ninth, Paul Johnson, 18:53; 10th, Brian Powers, 19:03.
Also, 11th, Christian Sleeper, 19:31; 12th, Jonathan Kelley, 20:05; 13th, Chris Rines, 20:16; 14th, George Ferland, 20:21; 15th, Logan Thibeau, 20:21; 16th, Jacob Michaud, 20:27; 17th, Joshua Kovach, 20:32; 18th, Plissey; 19th, Philip Boody, 20:55; and 20th, Leo Kashian, 20:59.
Age division winners were: 14-and-under female, Amber Lyons, 26:07; 14-and-under male, Trevor Levesque, 24:00; 15-18 female, Elizabeth Wright, 22:30; 15-18 male, Eager; 19-29 female, Nicole Porter, 23:05; 19-29 male, Fereshetian; 30-39 female, Tracy Guerrette, 23:15; 30-39 male, Hanscom; 40-49 female, Angela Ewings, 23:32; 40-49 male, Lyons; 50-59 female, Kim Wright, 23:39; 50-59 male, Kashian; 60-69 female, Connie McLellan, 26:42; 60-69 male, Jim Nesbitt, 27:02; and 70 and over male, Art Thompson, 36:15.
The first Challenge Series race was the Wild Katahdin Snow Run in Houlton Feb. 19. The next one in the eight-race series is the S.W. Collins 5K to be held in Caribou June 26. The remainder of the series includes the Musterd Mile in Caribou July 8, the Potato Blossom 5-Miler in Fort Fairfield July 16, the Island Falls Summerfest 5K Aug. 6, the County Open Half Marathon and Relay in Island Falls Aug. 13 and the Caribou Labor Day Road Race Sept. 5.
