Vikings boys, girls both post 6-0 starts in cross country

The Caribou boys and girls cross country teams have gotten off to fast starts this season as both teams are undefeated in regular-season meets.

Both Roy Alden’s boys team and Jeff Holmes’ girls are sporting 6-0 records and have also done well in a pair of invitational meets this fall.

The girls finished second behind Old Town in Saturday’s Ellsworth Invitational while the boys were fourth.

“I’ve been real pleased and surprised at how great a start we’ve gotten this year,” said Holmes. “I thought we’d be successful, since the team won the states last year, but we’ve been better than I expected.”

Both Alden and Holmes have youthful teams with which to work.

The boys team is made up of only one senior, three juniors, five sophomores, and three freshmen. Two seniors, and three juniors, three sophomores, and three freshman runners comprise the Viking girls squad.

The girls have been led by senior co-captains Kristen St. Peter and Tyra Bradbury as well as freshman Kristie Bradbury, Tyra’s sister. St. Peter finished fourth at Ellsworth.

Juniors Theresa Bray, Shannon Saddler and Jen Dempster; sophomores Jenny Dionne, Kris Delmonti, and Leslie Plourde; and freshmen Teresa Ouellette and Channa Jackson round out the team.

The boys have been paced by senior captain Melvin Taylor, who finished fourth at Ellsworth and fifth at the Waterville Invitational. Junior Richard Taylor and sophomore Robert Cleaves have also been helping to lead the Viking boys to their unblemished mark. Both finished in the top 20 at Ellsworth. Cleaves was sixth at the Waterville meet.

“We’re coming along very well,” said Alden. “I’m real pleased with their effort and improvement this season.”

Other members of the boys team include juniors Josh Babbidge and Andrew Campbell; sophomores Trent Chandler, John Taggett, Bruce Thibodeau, and Jeremiah Shrum; and freshmen C.J. Cole, Peter Emerson and Dean Albert.

“The kids are working hard and have a great attitude,” Alden said. “The big thing is to keep them focused and on keep them on top through harvest break and into the postseason.”

Both the girls and boys teams will have to guard against complacency during the time off from school and varsity sports during the potato harvest break the “They’ll have to work hard on their own,” said Holmes. “After the break, we’ll only have three meets in two weeks to get ready for the postseason meets.”

Both coaches feel their major competition will come from Old Town. Both Old Town teams won the Ellsworth Invitational and figure to be favorites to take the Northern Regional championships later this fall.

“We’ll have a lot of competition,” Alden said. “Old Town, Bangor, Presque Isle, and Brewer will all be tough. If we improve our strength and maintain our stamina, I think we’ll have good chance in the regional meets.”

“Right now our goal is to make it to the state meet. We’ve already met our first goal to win the (Aroostook) County (meet). We just have to stay focused,” Holmes said.