PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Tri-Aroostook has seen a few changes during its three years of existence, but what has stayed consistent are the names of the champions.
Sarah Gahagan and Shawn Berry earned titles once again at this year’s event, held June 28 at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. They have been victorious every year since its inception in 2012.
The local triathlon consists of a 525-yard swim at the Gentile Hall pool, a 10.25-mile bike ride from UMPI, south on the Houlton Road to the Spragueville Road and onto the Chapman Road and back to campus; followed by a 3.1-mile run through fields and trails adjacent to the university.
Gahagan, a Presque Isle native who now resides in Concord, N.H., was the women’s champion with a time of one hour, five minutes and 12.23 seconds. Berry, also a native of the Star City who recently resided in Caribou and now lives in Bangor, finished in 55 minutes and 44.95 seconds for the overall title.
The overall top 10 also included: second, Trevor Levesque of Presque Isle, 1:00:08.54; third, Justin Fereshetian of Mars Hill, 1:01:10.48; fourth, John Hebert of Van Buren, 1:03:41.52; fifth, Dustin Drabek of Presque Isle, 1:05:06.53; seventh, Justin Perry of Presque Isle, 1:08:04.51; eighth, Von Perry of Easton, 1:09:03.53; ninth, Jean-Francois Daigle of Edmundston, New Brunswick, 1:10:28.51; and 10th, Kyle Washington of Presque Isle, 1:11:03.83.
Berry had the fastest times in the swimming (7:02.13) and cycling (28:11.24) legs, while Fereshetian was the fastest on the run (20:09.05).
Kate Parsons of Presque Isle was the second-place female, finishing in 1:12:48.17 and Anja Whittington placed third in 1:14:24.44. Denise Landry-Nadeau of Edmundston, N.B. was fourth in 1:18:14.54 and Stephanie Fields-Beaulieu of Fort Fairfield fifth in 1:18:27.86.
Age division winners were: 15-19 female, Meredith Stewart of Presque Isle; 15-19 male, Drabek; 20-29 female, Parsons; 20-29 male, Fereshetian; 30-39 female, Gahagan; 30-39 male, Berry; 40-49 female, Fields-Beaulieu; 40-49 male, Hebert; 50-59 female, Landry-Nadeau; 50-59 male, V. Perry; 60-69 female, Diane Fleming of Carlisle, Pa.; 60-69 male, Eugene Loring of Old Town; and 70-79 male, Jim Nesbitt of Presque Isle.
