Madawaska clinches Class C skiing honors

MADAWASKA — The Madawaska High School boys swept the four state Class C skiing events this week and took home their second consecutive state title Wednesday. The girls won three of four events and won their third overall state championship in four years.

Madawaska’s Debbie Plourde, a 17-year-old senior, won her fourth consecutive state skimeister award with seven points. Ed Lavertu, also 17 and a senior at Madawaska, won his second consecutive skimeister award with six points.

Madawaska coaches were ecstatic with their teams. The Owls will lose only Pelletier and Plourde for next year, and they hope to return with teams that can take state championships in 1995.

Paul Baker, the cross country skiing coach, said that competing against rival Fort Kent all year gives Madawaska a charge in cross country. Fort Kent is a state power in cross country skiing. Baker said his team pulled through in the last couple of weeks.

Tom Pelletier, Madawaska’s Alpine coach, said the girls and boys did “an excellent job in all four disciplines. We were worried about cross country but they pulled through by working real hard the last couple of weeks.”

Pelletier said the record of the meet speaks loudly about the skiing expertise of the Madawaska teams.

“Madawaska is pretty hard to beat. They are tough competitors,” said Jay coach Mike Simoneau.

On Wednesday morning, Plourde led the girls field in classical cross country, finishing the course in 25 minutes, 26.15 seconds. She finished ahead of teammate Monique Roy. Two other Madawaska girls, Audrey Baker and Danielle Danie, placed in the top 10.

The Madawaska girls won that event with 22 points, beating Winthrop which came across with 26 points.

In the boys classical cross country, Lavertu won in 18:35.11. Winthrop’s Jamie Meiser finished second. Madawaska’s James Michaud, Mike Lavertu, Nick Roy and Craig Cyr finished third, fourth, seventh and 10th.

The Madawaska boys also won championships in giant slalom, slalom and freestyle cross country. The Madawaska girls slipped only in losing the freestyle cross country title to Winthrop, 29-32.

In winning her fourth consecutive skimeister, Plourde won both forms of cross country skiing and finished second in the slalom and third in giant slalom. Teammates Audry Baker and Connie Bellefleur were second and third in the skimeister competition.

Plourde has been skiing for four years for Madawaska. She started skiing when she was 5. She also became Aroostook County skimeister two weeks ago.

Lavertu won the slalom and traditional cross country and finished second in giant slalom and freestyle cross country to win the boys skimeister title. Teammates Mike Lavertu and Craig Cyr were second and third for that award.

Ed Lavertu has also skied for Madawaska for four years. He started the sport when he was 7. He was also the male Aroostook County skimeister.

Tom Pelletier summed up his team’s effort in the Class C championships after learning of the skimeister outcome. “We swept nearly every race,” he said. “We cleaned house.”