BANGOR – Ian Carey’s junior basketball season at Penquis of Milo seems like a sprint compared to his most recent summer vacation.

Last June, Carey and his father, Russ, bicycled from Astoria, Ore., to Kittery, a 3,600-mile journey that lasted 45 days.

The cross-country trip was part fund-raiser for the American Diabetes Association, part experience of a lifetime.

“It was pretty amazing, the sights you see along the way,” said Ian Carey.

The father-and-son team averaged about 80 miles per day, traveling on interstate highways out West and then taking secondary roads when it no longer was legal to bike on the interstate.

Ian Carey admitted he wasn’t in optimum biking condition at the outset of the trek.

“It kind of caught me off guard,” said Carey. “We just figured we could work ourselves into shape. By the time we got to Minnesota our legs were actually able to handle the 100-mile days.”

“Ian climbed the mountains like a mountain goat,” added his father, a history and government teacher at Penquis. “Once he got used to it, I had a hard time keeping up.”

In addition to physical conditioning, Ian Carey said such an endeavor requires a mental approach not unlike coping with the pressure of tournament basketball.

“Mentally it’s pretty much the same because you have to be mentally fit to be out there day after day facing the surroundings, just like you have to be mentally ready for a basketball game.”

Carey returned home with many memories of the trip, like “how South Dakota isn’t really flat. It’s wide open, and in a car it may seem flat, but on the bike there are just so many hills.”

He also marveled at the scenery around Jackson Hole, Wyo., with its rustic log cabins and the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop.

But he’s not sure he’ll take a similar trip anytime soon.

“That’s a long time to be away from home,” he said.

Tribute to a classmate

Members of the Penquis of Milo boys basketball team wore black armbands around their left biceps during their 52-32 Eastern C quarterfinal victory over Calais on Tuesday in memory of Todd Roesing, a schoolmate who died Jan. 26 in an automobile accident in Sebec.

Roesing, 17, was a senior at Penquis who was active in the school’s Pep Band and numerous other activities. Just before his death he had signed up to serve in the U.S. Marines.

The Patriots have worn the armbands for each of their games since Roesing’s death.

“He was a classmate and a friend,” said Penquis senior forward Jordan Allen.

GHCA relishes tourney berth

They may have been on the losing end of a lopsided Eastern Maine Class D quarterfinal game to the defending Eastern Maine champs Monday, but that didn’t diminish the joy in the Greater Houlton Christian Academy girls basketball locker room at the Bangor Auditorium.

After all, the GHCA girls became the first basketball team from their school to make it to the Bangor Auditorium.

The school began its basketball program in the 2000-2001 season and the girls earned their trip to Bangor with a 56-47 win over Central Aroostook of Mars Hill in their preliminary game. GHCA was the ninth seed while Central Aroostook was the eighth seed.

Greater Houlton Christian Academy finished up at 12-7.

“It was awesome, awesome,” said coach Vaughn Farrar following his team’s 77-30 loss to undefeated top seed Lee Academy. “We were just glad to be here.”

“I didn’t sleep much last week thinking about it,” grinned senior forward Colleen Sjoberg. “This is something I’ve dreamed about my whole life. And being my senior year, this was my last chance to do it. Ever since we won our prelim game, it was total elation the whole week. We hadn’t done anything, really; we had just been celebrating.”

She said the experience was “exciting” and the loss “didn’t really matter to us.”

“Only eight teams make it to Bangor and we were one of the eight,” said Sjoberg.

“To be the first team from our school to make it here was pretty awesome,” said senior forward Amanda Jago. “I can’t really express what it was like. It was such a thrill. I’ll never forget it. It was wonderful.”

Jago said she had heard from people “how completely different it was” playing at the Bangor Auditorium.

“I didn’t know what to expect. I was a bit nervous coming up here, but once I got on the court, it wasn’t too bad,” said Jago.

She said their enthusiastic fans added to the atmosphere.

Junior forward Lacy Farrar said it was a dream come true.

“You come here every winter, dreaming your team can make it here. And we were actually the ones who made it. It’s pretty cool,” said Farrar.

Farrar thought she would be more nervous than she was, but she said that once you get on the court, the game atmosphere “pretty much takes over.”

She said the experience will give her added motivation to try to help her team make a return trip next season. And she hopes future Eagles will be motivated by their appearance this season.

“I know we have a lot of eighth-graders who will be coming up through and I know they’re real excited to come up. That’s great,” said Farrar.

The girls praised Lee Academy, calling the Pandas an awesome team.

And Lee Academy standout senior forward Shelby Pickering said she was impressed with GHCA’s attitude.

“They came out and played hard. They kept with it. They didn’t give up,” said Pickering.