Presque Isle sports growing track and field program
PRESQUE ISLE — The Wildcat varsity track and field team is a growing program. With 76 athletes participating, the school is certainly well represented.
Twelfth-year girls head coach Ron McAtee is excited by the surge in the program’s popularity.
“This is the largest team we have had since I have been coaching,” stated McAtee. “We have averaged around 45-55 athletes in the past.”
McAtee was quick to compliment the efforts of SAD 1 middle school coaches Kim Wright and Chris Smith. “We have 24 freshmen this season,” stated McAtee, “and because of the coaching they are receiving, it has made our job much easier.”
In addition to McAtee, the Presque Isle coaching staff consists of boys head coach Lori Googins and assistant coaches Mike Waugh and Joe Greaves.
“With our big numbers, we are trying to take advantage of each coach’s talents,” stated McAtee. “I work primarily with the throwers, coach Googins does sprints, hurdles and relays, coach Waugh does the distance runners, and coach Greaves works with the jumpers and pole vaulters. We all have our specialty areas, but we all help each other too.”
It is this can-do attitude that has carried over into the athletes.
“They are willing to try whatever events we ask of them,” stated McAtee, “and often they surprise themselves.”
When asked why there was such growth in the program, McAtee offered several reasons.
“I think the athletes all come in with different ideas,” explained McAtee. “Some are here to get in shape, some have switched from other sports to try something different, some have had commitments in the past which has kept them from trying, and some simply love track.”
Most of the athletes are enjoying the positive spin that Googins and McAtee put on the sport.
“We do not put pressure on our athletes to win. We want them to get better times and distances each competition. This is a team sport judged by individual efforts. In a perfect world, our athletes would get a personal best each meet. It is very hard to do better than your best. I feel we do a great job preparing the athletes for the meets and they fare well for the time we have with them.”
Googins echoed McAtee’s sentiments.
“Our goal is for our athletes to be successful. Sometimes we have athletes that have not had that opportunity in other sports because they do not get to participate. In track and field all of our athletes participate,” she said. “If an athlete gets a better time, distance, or height than they did the previous meet then they have been successful. Positive attitudes help to build self-esteem and many of our young people need that chance.”
Presque Isle has competed in only two meets so far – the MDI Relays April 30 and at Caribou May 6 and 9.
Meets scheduled in Bucksport April 23 and at home this past Saturday were cancelled due to rainy weather.
The Aroostook League Championships are scheduled to be held in Caribou this afternoon.
Participating for the track teams this season on the boys’ side are freshmen Lewis Amero, Mitchell Ayotte, James D’Arcangelo, Michael Donovan, Dustin Drabek, Isaac Estey, Joshua Jones, Trevor Levesque, Christian Lunn, Kyle McCleary, Andrew Michaud, Bradley Shields, Matt Tilley and Damien Tulley; sophomores Duncan Billings, Scott Delong, Zachary Dube, Dakota Fox, Thomas Freeman, Brandon Howlett, Kolby Knight, Brandon LeBlanc, Gabe Player, Jon Rochester, Joel Shay, Corey Willette and Jacob Williams; juniors Mitchell Bennett, Sam Clukey, Lucas Cyr, Matt Eager, Jay Getman, Logan Good, Corey Meunier, Dyland Michaud, David Paradis, Ben Sipe and Trey Stewart; and seniors Josh Allen, Justin Good, Stephen Goulet, Zackarie Lunney, Tyler Michaud, Alex Page, Terry Reidy, Andrew Terpening, Logan Thibeau and Oliver Zubrick.
On the girls’ team are freshmen Danielle Allen, Shelby Condon, Bonnie Corey, Kaleigh Kinney, Jackie Lambert, Lauren Schiff and Shannon Sweeney; sophomores Amanda Bagley, Emma Bartlett, Abbie Carrier, Rachel Dow, Allissa McDougal, Samantha Simonds, Meredith Stewart and Kali Warner; juniors Hillary Albert, Erica Hemphill and Kayla Richards; and seniors Shae Adler, Jaylee Fox, Mackenzie Pinette, Brittani Rhynold, Sophia Willette, Victoria Winslow and Emily Wright.
