By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
LINCOLN – The Caribou Vikings came close to winning a wrestling championship Saturday.
At the Penobscot Valley Conference championship meet, held at Mattanawcook Academy, the Vikes finished just five points out of the top position and settled for third place overall out of 19 teams.
Contributed photo/Piscataquis Observer
Brendon Wood of Caribou attempts to escape the hold of Fort Kent’s Cody Lozier during Saturday’s PVC wrestling championships. Wood placed fourth in the 130-lb. division.
Ellsworth was the winning team with 132 points. Foxcroft Academy was second with 128.5 and Caribou took third with 127.
Dexter (116) and Fort Kent (115) rounded out the top five.
The Vikings did not have any weight division winners, but Jason Case in the 112-lb. division and Deion Caudill in 189 both finished as runners-up with 2-1 records on the day.
Case pinned Hermon’s Alex Peterson in 5:48 to advance to the finals, where he lost by fall to David Sirois of Penobscot Valley High School in 4:19.
Caudill made it into the championship round by pinning Ellsworth’s Patrick Kidder in 1:07. He then lost a 6-4 decision to Bucksport’s Chris Powell.
Lance Jandreau (4-1 record) in 135 and Jake Maher (3-1) in 171 both took third in their divisions. Brendon Wood (2-2) in 130 and Levi Swan (2-2) in 285 were fourth-place finishers.
“We had some good rounds but came up short,” said Caribou coach Todd Albert. “Hopefully we can get some good performances next week at regionals and qualify some for the state meet.”
The top four at the Eastern Maine Class B meet, to be held at Mount Desert Island High School in Bar Harbor, advance to the state championships Feb. 12.
