BANGOR, Maine — More than 150 boys and girls from Aroostook County battled extremely warm temperatures July 1 to compete in the State Finals of the Hershey Youth Track and Field Program.
When the meet ended, the Aroostook County delegation captured nearly 73 first- and second-place awards.
The program, sponsored by the Hershey Food Corporation and the Maine Recreation and Park Association, has been serving youth from across the United States and Canada for the past 36 years. Initiated as a playground track and field program in 1975 in Charleston, West Va. by Dr. Donald P. Cohen, Hershey’s Track & Field Games has become the largest youth sport program of its kind in North America. Participants representing all 50 states as well as all 10 provinces and three territories of Canada are eligible to qualify for the North American Finals, which will be held July 31-Aug. 3 in Hershey, Pa.
Youngsters competing in Maine are part of the Region 6 team which includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island as well as all the Atlantic Provinces and Newfoundland.
Once all the state and provincial meets are completed, all winners are eligible to qualify for the North American Final. To ensure fair representation of all 50 states and Canadian provinces and territories, a minimum of five finalists are selected from each state/provincial group to be part of the regional team attending the North American Final.
Northern Regional Representative Kathy Mazzuchelli of the Caribou Parks and Recreation Department praises the program and notes that over the years a large contingent of youngsters from Aroostook County have had the opportunity to attend the National Finals.
She noted that the results from this year’s state meet point toward another contingent of youth from northern Maine to head to Hershey and the North American Finals.
Leading the Aroostook delegation this year for girls were Ashlyn Bouchard of Caribou, who hauled in two first places in the 9-10 girls’ 100-meter dash and the relay and a second in the 400 and the standing long jump; former North American Finalist Paige Espling of Caribou, who pulled off three first-place finishes in the 400 meter run, the relay and the standing long jump for 11-12 year-olds; Bailey Bellefleur of Fort Kent, first in the 100 and the 200 and second in the softball throw for 13-14 year-olds; and Alexis Rodriguez of Caribou, first in the 800 and softball throw and second in the relay for 13-14 year-olds.
On the boys’ side, it was Sam Cullins of Fort Fairfield who captured first place in the 50- and 100-meter runs and was third in the softball throw for 9-10 boys. In the 11-12 boys’ division, Noah Roy and Jacob Devine, both of Presque Isle, shared top hardware with Roy capturing first in the 100 and the relay and Devine taking first in the 200 and the relay. For the 13-14 division, Jovanni Taveras of Washburn claimed first in the standing long jump and second in the 100. Caleb Libby of Caribou won the softball throw and was second in the 200.
Other top-two finishers from Aroostook County included, for 9-10 girls, Maddie Marino of Houlton, second place in the 50-meter dash; Nancy Martin of Fort Kent, second in the 100 and first in the standing long jump; Anna Jandreau of Caribou, first in the 400 and second in the 200; Camryn Ala of Fort Fairfield, first in the softball throw; and Liberty Fulton of Mars Hill, second in the softball throw.
For 9-10 boys, Colin Poitras of Caribou, second in the 50 and the 400; Cameron Desrosier of Madawaska, second in the 200; Quinn DeMerchant of Presque Isle, second in the softball throw; and Gavin Dunleavy of Presque Isle, first in the standing long jump.
For 11-12 girls, Emma Hixon of Caribou, first in the 100; Breann Bradbury of Mars Hill, first in the softball throw and second in the 100 and the 200; Dolcie Tanguay of Fort Kent, first in the 200 and the 800; Lacy Pelletier of Fort Kent, second in the 400; Jessica Halsey of Fort Fairfield, second in the 800; Gabrielle Martin of Fort Kent, second in the standing long jump; and Lyndsey Ouellette of Fort Kent, second in the softball throw.
For 11-12 boys, Carter Belanger of Caribou, second in the 100; Ethan Pryor of Mars Hill, first in the 800 and second in the 200; Brayden Bradbury of Mars Hill, first in the softball throw and second in the 400; Jack Budzinski of Caribou, first in the standing long jump; Holden Stoutamyer of Presque Isle, second in the standing long jump; and Hunter Stubbs of Caribou, second in the softball throw.
For 13-14 girls, Simone Martin of Fort Kent, first in the standing long jump and second in the 100; Isabelle Jandreau of Madawaska, second in the 200; Jenna Dugal of Madawaska, second in the 800; Adessa Judd of Caribou, second in the 1,600; and Margeaux Beaulieu of Caribou, second in the standing long jump.
For 13-14 boys, Trace Cyr of Presque Isle, first in the 200; Dustin Alward, first in the 800; Niko Naranja, second in the 800; Joshua Stanley of Fort Kent, first in the 1,600; Caleb McNaughton of Fort Kent, second in the 1,600; Cole Winslow of Houlton, second in the standing long jump and second in the softball throw.
Winning relay teams were: 9-10 girls: Caribou (Bouchard, Jandreau, Marienna St. Peter and Mia Theriault); 9-10 boys: Presque Isle (Evan Chapman, Xavier McAtee, DeMerchant and Caleb Levesque); 11-12 girls: Caribou (Espling, Hixon, Taylor Skidgel and Edie Shea); 11-12 boys: Presque Isle (Gage LeTourneau, Jonah Roy, Noah Roy and Devine); 13-14 girls: Caribou (Beaulieu, Erin Jandreau, Madison Jandreau and Olivia Picard); 13-14 boys: Fort Kent (Zack Nadeau, Naranja, Alexander Nissenbaum and Maxwell Ouellette).
