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| Staff photo/Kevin Sjoberg Michael Selander, left, holds the advantage over Foxcroft’s Luke Olsen during a December tournament in Caribou. Selander placed third in the PVC Championship, held Saturday in Bucksport. |
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
BUCKSPORT — The Caribou Vikings placed fourth and had five wrestlers place, including a winner, at Saturday’s Penobscot Valley Conference championship.
Caribou went into the meet shorthanded, with only eight able to compete. Three others were unable to make weight and another missed the tourney for personal reasons, but second-year head coach “Chico” Hernandez said several of those who did compete turned in some “great performances.”
Brendan Wood, the Vikes’ 132 lb. competitor, won all three of his matches to take the individual title.
Tre Caudill was second in 113, while Jacob Burby was the runner-up in 182.
Michael Selander lost his first match in the 160 division to defending Class C state champion Todd Francis of Foxcroft Academy, but rebounded for three consecutive victories over higher-seeded opponents to grab the bronze.
“I think Mike is in a really good position to set himself up for a very good seed at next week’s regional tournament,” Hernandez said, “and if he continues to wrestle like he did Saturday, he could win as he is peaking at the right time.”
Matthew Manter took fourth in the 195 division.
Hernandez hopes to have Robert Caudill, the team’s 138 wrestler, back healthy this weekend at the Eastern Maine Class B Championships, to be held at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield. Tsion McLeod in 106, Kevin Bither in 152 and Dustin DeMerchant in 220 were the Viking wrestlers who didn’t meet the weight requirements to compete last weekend, but should return along with Rebecca King in 120.
Axios Gerakaris in 126, Jake Bither in 145 and Aaron Simon in 170 are Caribou’s other competitors.
“We trained with [two-time Class C state champion] Foxcroft Academy Friday and the kids loved it. The intensity rubbed off on our wrestlers and we hope to train again with them this Friday before the regionals,” Hernandez said.
The coach added that his team, along with Ellsworth, Belfast and defending champion Camden Hills, will be the top competitors for the regional championship.
“We are preparing the best we can, specializing in each wrestler’s strengths and weaknesses,” Hernandez said.
