DEXTER, Maine — The Caribou Vikings edged Lincoln Academy, 36-33, to highlight the Jan. 19 Dexter Duals wrestling tournament.
Rylee Saucier of the Vikings pinned Lincoln Academy’s Caio Crawford in the 120-pound bout to put her team up 12-0. Caribou had to forfeit the next two matches, but Caleb Robbins, competing with a badly sprained ankle, was still able to pin Corbin Drake in 138 to give the Vikings an 18-12 advantage.
Tobias Seidel of LA won by fall over Matt McCormack in 145 to even the score before Caribou’s Angel Riopelle pulled off a victory by pin in 152. Freshman Tom O’Meara of the Vikes then came through with a pin in the 160 match to make it 30-18 before Kaden DeMerchant, who was wrestling up a weight class in 170 and competing with a pulled shoulder muscle, lost a 10-5 decision.
Following a forfeit loss and Jacob Smart’s loss by pin in 220, Caribou fell behind 33-30, but the Vikings’ Chloe Kirschmann sealed the victory by winning by forfeit in the 275 division.
“This was very positive for the growth of our team and we are getting better,” said Caribou coach James “Chico” Hernandez.
Caribou ended up placing fourth overall following losses to Dexter (69-6) and Foxcroft Academy (60-12).
The coach said Saucier and Riopelle were his team’s top performers on the day.
Riopelle scored an upset win by fall over Dexter’s Nate Schobel, who came in as the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the Penobscot Valley Conference in the 145-pound division. Riopelle also gave Foxcroft’s Jacob Ireland a good match before succumbing on a 10-5 decision.
“This is the best I’ve felt about our team the entire season, and yet we have so much more to do,” Hernandez said.
