Canoe team finds success at Passy finish line

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WALDO – The mental preparation that went into Jeff Owen and Steve Woodward’s victory Saturday on the Passagassawakeag River began the day before, with a shot of adrenaline.

It all started with a phone call, with no expectation of the news to come.

Owen returned a call to the Bangor Daily News on Friday only to learn he had done it a day late. The reporter wanted to discuss the Francis brothers’ claim that their new boat meant a new twist to their six-year-old rivalry with Owen and Woodward. The Francises claimed their new craft would put them back on top.

Hadn’t Owen seen the article that had already run?

No, he replied, and hung up.

Then Owen went to read the article. The result?

“We didn’t sleep much last night,” Woodward said of he and his old Orono High friend and teammate of 17 years.

The lack of sleep didn’t hurt them. Woodward of Westbrook and Owen of Jefferson captured the two-man open canoe class in 41 minutes, 44 seconds, while the Francises finished in 43:01.

Barry Fifield of Gray was not too far behind, paddling to victory in the one-man open canoe class in 43:34.

Kenny Cushman of Kenduskeag was the overall winner, after starting 15th among the 106 boats that finished. Cushman captured his second straight river race with a time of 39:22, while Jeff Sands, also of Kenduskeag, was second in 40:06.

The race, while not too technical with a few short stretches of Class II and III rapids, was made difficult by winding turns and crowded corners.

“It’s a narrow river. You have to be very good at passing people. You’re not supposed to straighten out,” said race director and competitor Dale Cross of Morrill.

Cross may be the Passy expert. Since he attended Mount View High in Thorndike 22 years ago, he has been a regular in the race. He and his son, Aaron, became a team six years ago and have run it ever since.

After finishing only 1:19 behind national hopefuls Mike Murphy of Belfast and Justin Reynolds of Morrill in the junior/senior recreational canoe class, you would have thought the Crosses were the kings of the river.

“That’s really good for us,” the 13-year-old Aaron beemed.

After the team’s five-minute improvement from last year, Dale Cross already was looking three years down the road – when the two will enter the two-man division – and beyond.

“`When he’s my age, I’ll be about 65. Then we’ll move into the century class,” Dale Cross said.

Woodward and Owen were just as pleased with their performance, but then, the day went their way.

As the No. 4 boat they were one of the first craft to start, and they beat their rivals.

After they crossed the finish line, when they had cooled down, and just as their chief competition wascoming ashore, Woodward and Owen paddled to the race officials to ask the Francises’ time and confirm they had won.

“After we read that article, we went out to the train,” Woodward joked. “We knew it would be close. We were fired up.”

Meanwhile, the Francis brothers, who started eighth in the No. 16 boat, were disappointed, but not discouraged.

“We had a clean run. There were a lot of boats to pass, and we got caught in their wake,” Chris Francis said. “We’re not making excuses. It was close. Two seconds is two strokes.”

The brothers won’t be able to team up next week, but they’ll be in training for the Kenduskeag River Race, which they won in 1997 and where they plan to gain redemption this year.

“We’re satisfied with today,” Troy Francis said. “In the Kenduskeag it will be head-to-head. It’s a longer race. We’ll get our rhythm. We’ll be more focused.”

If Owen and Woodward read this, chances are they will be too.

Canoe Racing Local AT WALDO Passagassawaukeag River Race (Saturday)

Anything goes: Joel Cox (Searsmont)-Keith Black (Brooks) 53:05, John Berglund (Tenants Harbor)-Katie & Quincy Berglund (Tenants Harbor) 53:44; century: Fred Servello (Old Town)-Bucky Owen (Orono) 50:04, Paul Hughes (Skowhegan)-Norm Kalloch (Hampden) 1:02:01, Richard Sousa (Saco)-Judy Van Sciver (Brunswick) 1:08:26; K and overall: Kenny Cushman (Kenduskeag) 39:22, Jeff Sands (Kenduskeag) 40:06, Fred Ludwig (Houlton) 40:18; KS: Dick Hanson (Orrington) 48:18, John Carter (Surry) 48:31, Earl Baldwin (Orrington) 50:14; KW: Cheryl Levin (Warren) 49:54, Paula Lunt (Tenants Harbor) 54:06, Maggie Sutherland (Holden) 55:02; OC1: Barry Fifield (Gray) 43:34, Matt Dingle (Newburgh) 45:16, Paul Brown (Belfast) 45:47; OC1R: Tom Cronkite (Etna) 48:10, Jamie Hannon (Bath) 48:26, James Mabee (Bangor) 50:05; OC1W: Tammy Kelley (Lamoine) 1:00:20, Kate Ziminsky (Wiscasset) 1:00:23, Leslie Winchester (Bangor) 1:02:58; OC2 Jr/Sr: Bill Deighan (Newburgh)-Angus Deighan (Newgurgh) 48:23, Maulian Dana (Old Town)-Mark Ranco (Old Town) 48:46, Rick O’Donald (Newburgh)-Joshua O’Donald (Newburgh) 54:32; OC2 Jr/Sr Rec: Mike Murphy (Belfast)-Justin Reynolds (Morrill) 48:21, Dale Cross (Morrill)-Aaron Cross (Morrill) 49:40, Hank Walker (Union)-Ben Walker (Union) 54:08; OC2: Priscilla (Dunbarton, N.H.)-Al Paradise (Pittsfield, N.H.) 46:00, Brenda Zollitsch (Orono)-Reinhard Zollitsch (Orono) 53:15; OC2M: Jeff Owen (Jefferson)-Steve Woodard (Westbrook) 41:44, Chris Francis (Old Town)-Troy Francis (Indian Island) 43:01, Ralph Robertson (Swanville)-Bill Anderson (Brooks) 43:43; OC2N: Shane Whitcomb (Morrill)-Dan Wagner (Belfast) 52:54, Joe Littlefield (Morrill)-Aaron Littlefield (Morrill) 56:33, Daniel Sholes (Winterport)-Chester Tripp (Belfast) 58:30; OC2RM: Dan Littlefield (Belfast)-Chris Deane (Skowhegan) 46:39, J.D. Burke (Newburgh)-Chris Bartlett (Levant) 47:50, Clint Cushman (Houlton)-Pete Blood (Houlton) 48:04; OC2RS: Jim Santerre (Kennebunk)-Brad Krog (Bowdoin) 49:24, Ryan Mitchell (Old Town)-Kent Tableman (Veazie) 49:39, Paul Arthur (Nobleboro)-Kirk Niese (Bath) 49:58; OC2S: Richie Bartlett (Newburgh)-Bob Martin (Holden) 45:39, Brian Stuart (Bangor)-Art Taylor (Milford) 51:14; OC2W: Tammis Coffin (Old Town)-Laurie Stearns (Brunswick) 51:14, Christy Stout (Holden)-Kate Judy (Holden) 59:17, Naomi Yentes (Belfast)-Susan Yentes (Belfast) 2:05:52