In the final six months of 2011, highlighting the sports scene were another state title for a Washburn runner, a run to the state championship game for the Presque Isle girls’ soccer team and a Maine Marathon win for a Caribou man.
The following is a look back at July through December of 2011. The first six months of 2011 appeared in last week’s edition.
July
• Despite some long hills and warm weather, Brandon McLaughlin of Fort Fairfield out pedaled a very competitive field of cyclists at the County Cycle Classic race on July 10. The race started in Van Buren and concluded in Caribou.
• More than 100 boys and girls from Aroostook County traveled to Bangor and battled extremely warm conditions on July 6 to compete in the state finals of the Hershey Track and Field Program.
When the dust settled, the Aroostook delegation captured 119 of the 247 place finishes for nearly 50 percent of all the awards. Also youngsters from the region collected 62 first- and second- place finishes out of a possible 84.
• Near perfect conditions and good fortune added up to a new land speed record set this weekend on the runway at the Loring Commerce Centre during the Loring Timing Association’s annual Land Speed Races.
Bill Warner of Wimauma, Fla. set a world speed record, on his turbocharged Suzuki motorcycle, of 311.945 miles per hour which topped his record 273.356 set last year.
• Randy Hebert, formerly of Caribou and now residing in Raleigh, NC, won a tiebreaker with Ralph Michaud of Presque Isle, to capture the 28th annual Cary Classic Benefit Golf Tournament, held at the Caribou Country Club earlier this month. Hebert and defending champion Michaud were tied with a 36-hole gross score of 150, before Hebert parred the tie-breaking hole to win.
The women’s champion was Emily Jose of Caribou, who also won a tiebreaker with defending tournament champion Betty Deveau of Caribou.
August
• More than $6,000 was raised at the first Maine Basketball Hall of Fame Golf Scramble held Aug. 5 at the Aroostook Valley Country Club.
The funds will be used to help establish the hall at the new Bangor Auditorium, which is slated for completion in 2013.
• The Presque Isle Wildcats boys and girls soccer teams made a clean sweep of the weekend by winning the 19th annual Presque Isle Invitational preseason tournament championships at the Gerhrig T. Johnson Athletic Complex.
• The University of Maine at Presque Isle announced the hiring of James Casciano as its men’s basketball coach and assistant athletic director and Marc Heidorf as the women’s basketball coach and sports information director.
September
• The annual Aroostook Savings and Loan Viking Run was held at the Caribou High School track Labor Day with less than ideal conditions, but still 128 youngsters competed in the event.
• PJ Gorneault continued his winning ways by cruising to a first-place finish in the Labor Day 5K in Caribou.
Gorneault finished in a time of 26:34, more than three minutes ahead of second-place finisher Thomas Beckum.
Gabrielle Cyr placed first for the women in a time of 31:49.
• The University of Maine at Presque Isle Athletic Hall of Fame grew by three members in September.
The three alumni being inducted were Christopher Smith (Classes of 1983 and 1988), Evan Graves (Class of 2003) and Gail Fitzmaurice (Class of 1985).
• For the third year in a row, the Fort Fairfield Tigers are the Aroostook League golf champions.
Coach Larry Gardner’s squad came through with this year’s victory in convincing fashion at Limestone Country Club with a score of 364 — 40 strokes better than runner-up Ashland.
October
• Evan Graves of Caribou won the 20th annual Maine Marathon.
Graves cruised the 26.2-mile marathon course, which stretches north from Portland’s Back Cove to Route 88 through Falmouth and Cumberland to Yarmouth before looping back upon itself, in a time of 2:36:53.
• Four Aroostook County men were inducted into the Maine Sports Legends Hall of Fame representing the northern region.
Emmett “Bud” Porter, Terry Spurling and posthumously Donald “Lefty” Graves and Frank Tapley were honored for their extraordinary commitment and work behind the scenes to help students excel both academically and athletically in Maine.
• The Caribou boys and Presque Isle girls claimed the Aroostook Middle School Cross Country Championships.
• Presque Isle High School and Fort Fairfield High School both placed in the top three at the state high school golf championships held Monday at Natanis Country Club in Vasalboro.
The Wildcats placed third in Class B, 24 strokes behind York. Yarmouth finished second. Caribou also competed in Class B.
The Fort Fairfield Tigers placed second in Class D, 28 strokes behind St. Dominic. Ashland also competed in Class D.
• For the fourth consecutive year the Caribou High School boys captured the Class B PVC cross country championship.
Running on a wet and muddy three-mile course in Caribou, the Vikings (41) captured the title over second place Ellsworth (46).
• After not having enough runners to qualify for the Eastern Maine title in 2010, the Washburn Beavers didn’t have to worry about that this year, and made the most of their opportunity.
The Beavers were led to the Eastern Maine Class C title by defending individual state champion Carsyn Koch, a sophomore whose time of 20:28.46 was about 50 seconds faster than her closest competitor. Koch would go on to win another state individual title in November.
November
• The Caribou High School boys cross country team traveled to Rhode Island to take part in the New England competition.
The Vikings finished third in the state meet to qualify for event in North Scituate, R.I.
• The Presque Isle Lady Wildcats soccer team lost a heart-breaking state final to Falmouth 1-0. Presque Isle controlled play for most of the second half but couldn’t score the equalizing goal. All in all it was a good year for PIHS soccer. The girls won the Eastern Maine title over Hermon and the boys team reached the EM final, losing to Camden.
• For the first time since 1985 a new boys varsity basketball coach was on the sidelines of the Presque Isle High School gym.
Terry Cummings took the reins from Tim Prescott, who guided the Wildcats program for the past quarter of century before stepping down last spring.
• A sunny, warm November morning helped bring out a record crowd of 160 runners and walkers to the 26th annual Turkey Trot in Caribou.
The overall winner, for the second straight year, was Spencer McElwain of Caribou in a time of 16:11.7. Gabriel Cyr of Madawaska was the top female finisher. She cruised the course in 19:32.7.
December
• Mitch Worcester of Washburn joined the 1,000-point club during a preseason basketball tournament in Washburn. Worcester was also named tournament MVP.
• Presque Isle hockey player Isaac LaJoie scored his 100th career point in a game against Houlton. LaJoie is one of only six Wildcats to record at least 100 points.
— Compiled by Jon Gulliver
