George Stevens runner pulls off big upset at North cross country regionals
Caribou Rides to Victory at Northern Maine Cross‑Country Championships
Belfast, N.H. — Under a clear October sky, a field of 160 high‑school runners took to the rugged hills outside Troy Howard Middle School for the annual Northern Maine cross‑country championships. In a day that mixed record‑setting performances with quiet moments of triumph, Caribou’s boys and girls teams emerged as the most dominant force, claiming both Class B and Class C team titles while its athletes captured five of the six individual honors.
Individual triumphs
The highlight of the meet was the Class B boys race, where sophomore Pierce Gorneault of Caribou crossed the line in 16:01.03, a time that outpaced the best in a B North boys meet since Medomak Valley’s Connor Daigle ran 15:53.52 in 2021. Gorneault, who had already defended his regional title, said he was “really happy with how my teammates performed, and I hope to see them grow in the future even more.” He added that he would have liked to shave a second off his time, but felt proud of the finish.
Caribou’s second‑place runner, Tewolde Stewart, finished at 16:59.73, while the 17‑year‑old Peyton Gorneault—Pierce’s brother—took third at 17:12.04. Together, their performances gave Caribou the 61‑point haul that secured the Class B boys team championship.
In the Class C boys race, Brady Cox of Orono won in 16:48.44. The Shiretowners were trailed by a strong Houlton‑Greater Houlton Christian Academy (GHCA) quartet that included Malachi Witmer (16:52.80), Brayden Drake (16:59.00), Wyatt Quint (17:01.89) and Logan Witmer (17:13.72). GSA’s 48‑point tally fell just short of the 71‑point GHCA squad, leaving the Class C boys title to Houlton/Greater Houlton Christian Academy.
The Class A boys race was dominated by Bangor’s Sam Bergmark, who ran 15:51.07 to defend his Northern Maine title. He was followed by Lucas Demarco and Wyatt Oliver of Mt. Blue (16:09.98 and 16:33.25, respectively), and Camden Hills’ Noah Seigh (16:55.77). The 63‑point Hampden boys team claimed the Class A championship, led by third‑place finishers from Caribou and Camden Hills.
Rising stars in the girls’ races
The Class B girls race was led by Caribou’s Emma Graves, who finished in 18:44.40, edging out Mount Desert Island’s Kulani Granholm (18:54.88). Graves told reporters, “I had hoped (I could beat Granholm) because I had beaten her or gotten close to her at some of the other meets. The weather was great, and the course was in good condition. Our team did really good; one of my teammates (Isabella Albert) got a PR.” Her performance helped Caribou secure the Class B girls team championship with 40 points.
In the Class C girls race, the most emotional moment came
