Maranacook ran inspired on Friday at the KVAC cross country meet at Leavitt High Area School as the boys’ team finished third and the girls’ team took home first place.

Thursday evening, their teammate Colin Liscord was involved in a crash in Fayette. On Friday, the Kennebec Journal reported he was listed in critical condition at the Maine Medical Center.

“This morning they said they can’t race, they can’t do it,” Maranacook coach Rosalea Kimball said Friday after the meet. “They made the decision to race for their teammate. They race for him and they looked very, very good.”

Kimball went to some recent history to get her team prepared for the meet.

“I brought up the example of Boston and Meb,” Kimball said. “I brought a picture of him today and showed them of the picture of Meb.  I said he did this for America after what happened.”

Meb Keflezighi won the 2014 Boston Marathon and was the first American to win the Marathon since 1983. In 2004, he came in second in the marathon at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.   

Leavitt meet showcase the state’s elite talent

If you ask the athletes, the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference has some of the best boys talent in all of Maine.

“As of now, the top four people who finished today, are the top four people in the state,” Mt. Blue’s Aaron Willingham said after taking first place on Friday.

His teammate Dan Lesko, who finished in third, said it might be “a sign of things to come” with the Festival of Champions in Belfast, which will be taking place in Belfast on Oct. 4.

Lewiston’s Osman Doorow finished second on Friday, while Isaiah Harris came in fourth place.

Besides Lesko, the other three have a victory this season. Isaiah Harris won one of the premier preseason meets the Scott Laliberte Invitational as he passed Willingham down the final stretch for the victory. Lesko and Doorow finished fourth and fifth respectfully in the race.

“I think this proves, there’s going to be so much competition at the top this year,” Dan Lesko said. “It’s not going to be like last year where Josh Horne won a lot. It’s going to be a lot fighting for that one spot. It’s going to come down to the end.”

Willingham has won all three regular season meets this season. Lesko finished second in two of those races along with the third place finish at Leavitt.

Doorow won the meet versus Edward Little and the home meet on Sept. 12.

Willingham and Lesko said don’t sleep on Leavitt’s Harrison Knowlton, who finished fifth on Friday.

“Harrison Knowlton is a lot faster this year than last year,” Lesko said. “Everyone is.  Class A is stacked this year.”

Sudeep Stauble takes up cross country

Sudeep Stauble, an Oxford Hills track and field athlete who was profiled by the Sun Journal in the spring, is now racing on the wooded trails.

The senior, who was born blind, has made a nice transition to cross country.

“It definately adds some challenges, but with a lot of good communication, he has done very well so far,” said Oxford Hills coach Kristin Dacko, who also coached him on the track and field team. “We were a little nervous at first, but we had our first race (on Sept. 5) and I guided him. He did very well.”

Stauble has ran in two of three Oxford Hills’ regular season meets so far.

“He’s very excited about it, he’s eager to improve his times, and get out on more courses,” Dacko said.

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