Editor’s Note: The following list chronicles some of the biggest sports news in the Caribou area in 2024.
January
Caribou youths Sawyer St. Peter and Quinn Corrigan were among those who placed in the Presque Isle Elks Lodge 1954 Hoop Shoot championship, advancing to the state competition. Both received the William “Bill” Sewell Outstanding Shooter Award. St. Peter won the state competition for the 8-9 year old division.
The Presque Isle Fish and Game Club announced plans to move their annual Spring Sportsman’s Show to a larger venue at The Forum in Presque Isle. The 2023 event at University of Maine at Presque Isle attracted 4,000 visitors, so the group searched for a new space to accomodate growing interest.
Houlton captured first place at the Aroostook League Cheering Championships, held at Caribou High School, which featured four other squads.
Seventeen martial arts students from Graves Institute of Self Defense in Caribou, Mars Hill and Presque Isle achieved new belt levels after a series of tests. Twenty-eight students then participated in the Maine Karate and Ketsugo Association tournament, winning 25 trophies.
February
Caribou High School’s boys varsity basketball team finished the regular season with a 14-4 overall record, earning the Vikings a No. 4 seed in the Class B North and a face-off against Presque Isle. Caribou later beat Presque Isle in the Class B boys preliminary.
Junior basketball player Madelynn Deprey helped lead the Caribou girls varsity team to a quarterfinal victory in the Class B North competition in Bangor. The team beat Belfast 56-24.
The Orono Red Riots reigned over Caribou Boys with a 55-47 victory during the Class B North boys regional basketball quarterfinals in Bangor.
The No. 3 Fort Fairfield boys beat the No. 11 Dexter boys in the Class C North regional quarterfinal basketball matchup in Bangor.
Mount View’s Mustangs gained victory over the Fort Fairfield boys in the Class C North semifinals. Fort Fairfield finished its basketball season 14-6.
In the Class B championship game, Ellsworth defeated the Caribou girls, the latter of whom finished their season 13-6.
March
Warmer weather trends forced the relocation of Caribou’s SnowBowl festival to the Aroostook Centre Mall in Presque Isle. The event still saw large turnout and organizers said they would still hold the annual festival in late February and early March.
Aroostook’s mild winter also led to more successful outings for hunters looking for rabbits, many of whom had not changed to their white winter coats yet.
April
After opposition, the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands backed away from plans to build three administrative offices and as many equipment storage buildings in a restricted area of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
May
Thirty-seven racers competed in the fourth annual Aroostook River Spring Runoff Canoe and Kayak Race in Caribou. Despite low waters and a strong wind, competitors enjoyed the flatwater race, which benefited from being held the same weekend as Houlton’s Meduxnekeag River Canoe Race.
More than two dozen land sailing racers graced the runways at the former Loring Air Force Base. Folks from as far away as New York said that the long, expansive runways gave them plenty of chances to test their speeds and enjoy the comaraderie of racing.
Players from Caribou were among those from four teams to form a cooperative hockey team with Presque Isle. The team was slated to begin practices in fall 2024.
June
Many Caribou players were named Aroostook League’s class of spring all-stars, including Keegan Bell, Brayden Brescia, Bryce Dillon, Matt Pelletier and Edison Sleeper, Class B and C Basketball; Emma Butler, Amelia Godin and Jillian Zeigler, Class B and C Softball; Seth Dubay, Kyle Labreck, Harrison Landes, Wesley Hitchcock and Tewolde Stewart, Track Events Boys; Evan Durepo, Andrew Ring and Mason St. Peter, Track and Field Events, Boys; Chloe Boma, Field Events, Girls; Elizabeth Robbins, Track and Field, Girls; Sam Hebert and Ben Bouchard, Tennis Singles, Boys; Abe Bouchard and Landyn Waldermarson, Tennis Doubles, Boys; Madelynn Deprey, Tennis Singles, Girls; Emberlie McIntyre and Joslyn Griffeth, Tennis Doubles, Girls.
For only the second time, Caribou won the Class B North baseball title, defeating the Ellsworth Eagles 4-2. The team later lost to Yarmouth in the state final.
July
The 40th anniversary of the Cary Classic brought out 116 golfers to Caribou Country Club and gave out $7,000 in cash prizes. Eric Depner and Emily Jose, both of Caribou, took home the top prizes for the men’s and women’s divisions, respectfully.
Seventy-two racers took off down Loring Commerce Center’s airport runway during Loring Timing Association’s annual land speed races. Unlike most races, competitors are not trying to beat each other, but rather, their own speed records.
August
Despite a quick change in venue, Spud Speedway held a successful BikeBowl event at Loring Commerce Center’s arch hangar. Motorcycle enthusiasts enjoyed concerts, a food truck face-off and other activities.
September
James “Chico” Hernandez was one of 600 athletes from 27 states to take part in the Nebraska State Senior Games Powerlifting and Track and Field Championships. The 70-year-old took home gold metals in his division in the squat, bench press and dead lift in a field of 25 competitors.
Stockholm Recreation Committee began raising funds for a new storage building adjacent to the John Anderson Memorial Ballpark. The new building will include equipment storage space, kitchen, concession stand and bathrooms.
The second and expanded DustBowl returned to Spud Speedway and brought grass drags, car racing, family activities and carnival rides.
October
Land sailors gathered at Loring’s airport runways for the first ever Blokart East Coast Championships. Winners included racers from New England and Canada.
Limestone and Caswell students held a color run to raise awareness of their schools’ joint anti-bullying campaign.
The Caribou boy Vikings won over the Gardiner Tigers 3-to-1 in the Class B North soccer quarterfinal.
November
The following Caribou athletes were named fall all-stars in the Aroostook League: Owen Corrigan, Evan Durepo, Damarian Gagnon, Declan Miller and Dawson St. Pierre, Boys Class B and C Soccer; Ainsley Caron, Brianna Levesque and Taylor St. Pierre, Girls Class B and C Soccer; Seth Dubay, Harrison Landes, Scott Stubbs, Tewolde Stewart and Jacob Violette; Boys Cross Country; Maggie Bell, Girls Cross Country; and Brady Barnes, Luke Beidelman, Ty Hunter and Matt Pelletier, Golf.
SnowBowl organizers announced plans to move the festival’s snowmobile races in 2025 to the Aroostook Centre Mall in Presque Isle. The mall venue offers more safety and enjoyment in the event of dismal snowfall, they said.
December
The Presque Isle boys basketball team topped Houlton and improved their record to 3-0, with players Kason Bua, Bodey McPherson and Cruze Casavant leading the team with double figures.
The Ashland girls varsity basketball team reigned supreme over the Washburn girls 46-32 in the latest Class D North basketball game.
