Bangor, Old Town top swim honors

Bangor’s and Old Town’s boys cleaned up on the recent All-State swimming lists, with three mentions apiece.

Vladimir “Vova” Kondratenok, an exchange student from Syktyvkar, Russia, heads the list for 12-time Class B state boys champion Old Town with mentions for his 100-meter and 200 freestyle times of 48.84 seconds and 1:47.22, respectively.

Indian teammate Kevin Peterson’s 100-butterfly time of 55.9 seconds was good enough for the award, as was Zach Gasaway’s 1:02.84 time in the 100 breast stroke.

Peterson also collected honors as a butterflier on the “B” list’s 200-medley relay.

The Class A state champion Rams’ senior Matt Cook earned All-State honors with a 49.53-second 100 free time and 1:48.81 in the 200 free. He was also placed on the “A” list’s 400-free relay with Kondratenok.

Chris Falk also found himself with dual honors in the 100 fly with a time of 56.16 seconds, and a 55.58-second 100 back performance. Mike Reid was recognized for his 5:01.98 time in the 500 free, and Mark Manowski was named as an All-State diver.

Eric York was named as a relay man, on the “A” list’s 200 free and “B” list’s 400 free teams. Jeremy Walsh was also honored on the “B” list’s 200-free relay team.

Hampden’s Matt Simpson also earned diving honors, and Mount Desert Island’s David Blaney was recognized for his 22.08-second 50 free and 49.67-second 100 free races, and was placed on the “A” list 200-medley and 200-free relay teams.

Steven Cartwright was named to the All-State team for his 4:52.25 time in the 500 free.

On the girls side, Sarah Oldenburg and Rachael Soucie were the Class A state champion Bangor’s sole contribution to the All-Star list.

Oldenburg’s 24.42-second 50 free and 58.97 100 free earned honors, and Soucie was named to the “A” list’s 200-free relay, and the “B” list’s 400-free relay.

Becky Cyr of Class B state champion Old Town was named to the team for her 1:03.44 time in the 100 back, and Sarah Kovenock of Orono earned dual honors with a 1:55.93 in the 200 free and a 53.84-second time in the 100 free.

Oldenburg and Kovenock were named to the “A” list’s 200-free relay team, and Kovenock was also put on the 400-free relay team.

The 10-member Penquis of Milo track team is official.

The team was approved to join the Penobscot Valley Conference’s spring track league as Penquis is already a PVC member, but the team initially lacked the $200 track fee.

Athletics Director Christine Cunningham said Friday the money had been found within this year’s budget and the team would not need to hold fundraisers.

The Patriots, who are fielding their first outdoor track team ever, were allowed to participate in regular season, regional and state meets, but would have had to skip the May 10th PVC championship meet without the fee.

The Patriots will also christen a new field this spring, with their April 26th game against Katahdin of Sherman Station.

Tagged the Field of Dreams, the Elm Street location features baseball and softball fields, and will serve as Penquis’ home fields.

One of the most asked questions in Eastern Maine Class C baseball this season is, “How’s Sam Shippee?”

Katahdin’s Shippee, who injured his anterior cruciate ligament in basketball preseason, is “chomping at the bit to play,” says coach Kim London, but the doctor hasn’t given him the green light to suit up.

“That really kind of put a damper on us,” London said. “I’d have felt a lot more confident with him on the mound.”

Shippee led the state with 110 strikeouts last season as a junior, with an 8-1-2 record and 1.03 earned-run average, and batted .352.

The door hasn’t been shut completely on the senior’s schoolboy baseball career but London doesn’t want Shippee to injure himself by coming back too soon.

The Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association’s recently announced its awards in recognition of services provided to interscholastic athletics.

Mary Cady, indoor and outdoor track coordinator for the PVC, and the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference’s Leroy Blood were given the Distinguished Service Award, and Keith Lancaster, coordinator of the Maine Center for Coaching Education, was honored with the MIAAA’s Maine Sport Hall of Fame for a retired athletic director.

William Fletcher, the Maine Principals’ Association’s Eastern Maine Basketball Tourney Director, was nominated for the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association’s Distinguished Service award.