Foxcroft boys come in third, PCHS girls place fourth at PVC small school championships
OLD TOWN — The Foxcroft Academy boys finished in third place at the 2024 Penobscot Valley Conference small school outdoor track and field championship on Friday, May 25 at Old Town High School. The Ponies scored 82 points to place third among 14 schools picking up points for the program’s highest finish since winning the large school title in 2016 and being the 2014 small school runners-up (Foxcroft was also third in the small school division two years ago).
Senior Jack Kingsbury swept the two hurdle events. In the 110-meter hurdle finals Kingsbury ran the race in 16.30 seconds, edging the 16.34 seconds for runner-up George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill senior Sawyer Williams.
Kingsbury earned top honors in the 300 hurdles with his time of 43.24 seconds, about .9 seconds ahead of the 44.15 for Bangor Christian School senior Michael Williams. He also placed third in the high jump at 5 feet, 8 inches.
100-METER FINALS — Four athletes from the region ran in the 100-meter finals at the 2024 PVC small school championship on May 24 at Old Town High School. From left are Dexter freshman Tristan Hopkins-Watrous, who was seventh in 11.96 seconds; Foxcroft Academy freshman Eamon Vandermast, who was sixth in 11.72 seconds; Narraguagus sophomore Ripley Strout; Bangor Christian senior Jalen Reed; George Stevens Academy junior Ben Baldwin; Penquis sophomore Jareth Williams, the PVC runner-up at 11.41 seconds; Foxcroft sophomore Conner Donahue, who won the race in 11.24 seconds; and George Stevens junior Rowan Gagne.
Sophomore Conner Donahue came in first in the 100-meter finals in 11.24 seconds, just ahead of 11.41 seconds for Penquis Valley High School sophomore Jareth Williams.
Donahue anchored the second-place 4×100 relay with sophomores Aiden Bryant and Landon Smith, freshman Eamon Vandermast, and Donahue combining to cover the lap in 47.23 seconds. Donahue was also fourth in the long jump at 19-01.50 and he was sixth in the triple jump at 37-08.
Senior Jackson Smith cleared the bar at a height of 6-03 for the top high jump performance. Smith was three inches above the 6-00 for Bucksport High School senior Evan Donnell. He also claimed the PVC tile for the second year in a row, winning at 5-10 in 2023.
DOUBLE WINNER — PCHS sophomore Ava Goulette gets ready to put the shot during the 2024 PVC small school championship on May 24 in Old Town. Goulette won the event with a throw of 37-10.50 and she earned top discus honors at a distance of 113-05. Goulette helped the Pirate girls finish in fourth place.
Pony senior Hunter McSorley had his team’s fifth first-place finish. McSorley’s heave of 153-11 was the tops in the javelin standings, more than 11 feet further than the 142-06 for Washington Academy of East Machias senior Aryc Lamb. McSorley was also third in the shot put at 45-07.25.
Freshman Joesph Knapp came in fourth in the 800 with this time of 2:12.18.
Vandermast placed fifth in the 200 at 24.29 seconds and sixth in the 100 finals at 11.72 seconds to round out the 82 points for Foxcroft.
QUICKEST TO 100 — Foxcroft Academy junior Alexis Heretakis, left, and PCHS sophomore Jazmin Channon, right, were two of the eight qualifiers for the girls 100-meter finals at the conference championship. Channon came in fourth at 13.30 seconds while Heretakis was eighth at 13.85 seconds. Also pictured, from left, are Central senior Kacey Tyrrell, Bucksport sophomore Madison Rose, Houlton senior Ariana Ardell, Bucksport sophomore Haley Rose, and Orono sophomore Addie Duran.
The Penquis Valley High School boys scored 10 points to place 10th in the team standings.
Patriot sophomore Jareth Williams had the meet’s second fastest time in the 100 as he ran the event finals in 11.41 seconds.
Williams also anchored the fifth-place 4×100 relay team. Penquis juniors Lucas Chai and James Chenkin, sophomore Ethan Lewis, and Williams together finished in 48.54 seconds.
TWO-TIME HURDLE WINNER — Senior Jack Kingsbury of Foxcroft, right, won the 110 hurdles in a time of 16.30 seconds, and he earned top 300 hurdle honors in 43.24 seconds. Running with Kingsbury in the 110 finals were, from left, Pony sophomore Aiden Bryant, Mattanawcook Academy senior Kaiden Friend, Orono sophomore Conner Moeykens, and George Stevens Academy senior Sayer Williams.
The Dexter Regional High School boys picked up six points to tie the Houlton High School/Greater Houlton Christian Academy cooperative for 11th place.
Tiger sophomore Brady Jerome scored the half dozen points by finishing third in the discus with his distance of 123 feet.
The Orono High School boys won the team title with 106 points and Bangor Christian came in second with 87. The Red Riots won the small school championship for the third year in a row and 10th time in the last 14 seasons.
THIRD-PLACE THROW — Foxcroft Academy senior Hunter McSorley was third in the shot at 45-07.25 and he won the javelin title in 153-11.
In the girls’ competition Piscataquis Community High School led the region by placing fourth among 14 schools picking up points. PCHS had 45 points and the fourth-place finish is the highest for the program in the online records going back to 2003 at https://sub5.com/youth-pages/outdoor-track/.
The Pirate girls previous top finish in the last two decades-plus at the conference finals was sixth place in 2023 as well as sixth place in 2021.
Sophomore Ava Goulette led her team by winning both the shot put and the discus.
ON POINT — Sophomore Brooklyn Decker of Penquis had a sixth-place throw in the javelin at 89-11.
Goulette threw the shot 37-10.50 to win by 18.25 inches over the 36-03.25 for Orono senior Dez Seeley.
In the discus Goulette earned top honors with her throw measuring 113-05. This was nearly 11 feet further than the 102-08 for George Stevens senior Maranda Pert.
Sophomore Jazmin Channon picked up 15 PCHS points.
HALFWAY THERE — PCHS sophomore Sadie Kelly completes her first two laps of the 1,600 racewalk. She would finish third with a time of 9:25.57.
Channon came in third in the long jump at 15-08. She finished fourth in both the 100 and 200 with respective times of 13.30 and 28.08 seconds. Channon also was sixth in the triple jump at 30-10.
Sophomore Sadie Kelly had a third-place performance in the 1,600 race walk with her time of 9:25.57.
Sophomore Molly Goodwin had a fourth-place throw in the javelin at 92-03.
PASS THE BATON — Foxcroft Academy senior Hilary Howard hands off to senior Paige Weidman during the first exchange of the 4×100 relay. The two and juniors Ingrid Berling and Alexis Heretakis came in fourth at 56.53 seconds.
The Foxcroft girls were 10th in the standings with 17 points.
Freshman Jasmine Hall had the team’s highest finish by coming in third in the shot put at a distance of 32-07.75.
Junior Ingrid Berling had a hand in nine Pony points. She was fourth in the high jump at 4-06 and ran the third leg of the fourth-place 4×100 relay. Seniors Hilary Howard and Paige Weidman, Berling, and junior Alexis Heretakis combined for a time of 56.53 seconds.
SIX LAPS — Foxcroft freshman Joesph Knapp ran to a ninth place finish in the 1,600 at 4:54.84. Knapp was also fourth in the 800 at 2:12.18.
Berling finished sixth in the 400 with her time of 1:09.17.
Heretakis came in fifth in the long jump with her distance of 14-10.
The Penquis Valley girls were 14th at the PVC meet with one point.
Sophomore Brooklyn Decker placed sixth in the javelin with her throw measuring 89-11.
The girls from Dexter had no score, but freshman Brookelin Dorman had three top 10 performances. She was seventh in the triple jump at 30-08.25, eighth in the 200 at 28.77 seconds, and 10th in the 100-meter prelims at 13.93 seconds.
The Bucksport High School girls won the team title with 146 points, followed by 131 for Orono and the 64.5 for third-place Houlton/GHCA. The Golden Bucks earned the championship for the second year in a row and third time in the last four seasons. Bucksport and Orono have combined for the last 12 small school crowns, dating back to 2012.
A PVC record was eclipsed twice in the 3,200 — conference records include times and distances from both the small and large school divisions.
Houlton/GHCA junior Teanne Ewings won the 2024 race in 10:35.65 and Orono senior Ruth White came in second at 10:43.79 as both eclipsed White’s previous PVC mark of 10:52.97 set in 2021. White also won the event in 2023 and she placed in the two in the 3,200 at the conference championship all four of her high school seasons.
Full PVC small school and large school meet results are available at https://sub5.com/youth-pages/outdoor-track/2024-outdoor-results/.
TRACK
2024 PVC small school championships
Boys: 1. Orono 106 2. Bangor Christian 87 3. Foxcroft Academy 82 4. George Stevens Academy 75 5. Bucksport 74 6. Sumner 57 7. Central 34 T-8.Narraguagus, Washington Academy 17 10. Penquis Valley 10 T-11. Dexter, Houlton/GHCA 6 13. Mattanawcook Academy 3 14. Jonesport-Beals 2
Girls: 1. Bucksport 146 2. Orono 131 3. Houlton/GHCA 64.50 4. PCHS 45 5. Central 39.5 6. George Stevens Academy 30 7. Bangor Christian 23 8. Washington Academy 21 9 Sumner 18 10. Foxcroft Academy 17 13. Mattanawcook Academy 13 T-12. Jonesport-Beals, Narraguagus 4 14. Penquis Valley 1