Huard’s Sport Karate team members, from left to right, Tyler Bard, of Fairfield, Tyler Martin, of Winslow, and Haeden Landry, of Vassalboro, all captured first place titles at the Battle of Maine Martial Arts Championships on March 25.
Huard’s Sport Karate team members, from left to right, Tyler Bard, of Fairfield, Tyler Martin, of Winslow, and Haeden Landry, of Vassalboro, all captured first place titles at the Battle of Maine Martial Arts Championships on March 25.
Huard’s Sports Karate team members Eli Ker, 9, left, of Waterville, and Logan Levesque, 8, of Clinton, captured first place titles, respectively, at the 37th annual Battle of Maine Martial Arts Championships on March 25, held at Thomas College, in Waterville.
Right photo, Huard’s Martial Arts student Jackson Hineman, 11, of Vassalboro, captured first place in forms at the Battle of Maine Martial Arts championships on March 25.
Skowhegan youth wrestling tournament action with Elijah Wilkinson, top, attempting to pin his opponent.
Pre-K wrestler Conner Nadeau gets the upper hand on his opponent.
The St, Michael School boys basketball team, in Augusta, are the 2017 Sheepscot Valley Athletic Conference champions. High scorers for the team were Kaleb Stred, with a total of 317 points this season, averaging 15 points per game, Kyle Douin, 300 pts., 14 avg., Bryton Kieltyka, 99 pts., 6 avg., and Casey Gallant, 77 pts., 4 avg. The team went 22-0, completing the undefeated season. Coaches are Gary Hawkins, and member of the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame, and assisted by Denise Douin and Rob Flannery.
Students from Huard’s Martial Arts collected funds for the Battle of Maine, to benefit Help Save Children’s Lives Project. Together, these young martial artists raised close to $5,000 to help support the Children’s Miracle Network.
The 37th annual Huard’s Battle of Maine Martial Arts Championships were held on March 25 at Thomas College, in Waterville. Over 350 competitors from all over New England and Canada, and lots of specttors, enjoyed a full day of martial arts demonstrations, competition and friendship. The battle has raised over $75,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network and that total keeps rising each year. At left, Huard’s Sport Karate Demo team performances Mikey Stewart, left, of Fairfield, and Landon Nunn, of Skowhegan, show some Bo staff during the opening Battle of Maine Demo.
WINSLOW — The Winslow eighth grade boys travel basketball team won the 2017 Bob Messier Basketball Tournament held at the Old Town-Orono YMCA. This championship capped a successful season when the team went 15-4. They also captured third place at the 38th annual Boothbay Region YMCA Basketball Classic. Team members, front row, from left to right, Joseph Lopes, Jameson Carey, Jake Berard, Marek Widerynski and Cameron Cobb. Back, Hunter Gagne, Robbie Clark, Holden Dart, Reid Gagnon, Jack Bilodeau and Colby Genest. Not pictured are coaches Chris Biolodau, Jay Carey and Mike Gagnon. Contributed photo
by Roland D. Hallee
Alysia Farrington training with Atlas Stones, one of the implements of the strongman competition. Contributed photo
CHINA — On April 8, two women from China will compete in the 10th annual Central Maine Strongman Competition to be held at GEvolution Gym, 9 a.m., at 16 Edison Dr., in Augusta.
Alysia Farrington, of China, mother of a 14-year-old daughter, has been a longtime member of GEvolution gym, in Augusta, where strongman training is one of the components of the gym.
Chele Fuller, is the mother of three boys, 10, 15 and 17 years old, and lives in South China.
Chele trains in what is called the “basement,” a term coined simply because they train with a fellow strongman leader in his . . . basement.
Gina LoMonaco, the owner of the gym, encouraged Alysia. As a former winner of Central Maine’s strongest woman competition, Gina influenced Alysia to take on the same challenge . However, a hip replacement surgery slowed down her plans. “I needed a hip replacement at the time, but I decided then and there I would return at some point to compete,” said Alysia. “My hip has been replaced and I am ready to go.”
A group of about 20 women, who also compete, are helped along by four coaches, meet three times a week for two hours, for 12 weeks. On Saturdays they train with the implements with which they will be competing, also for two hours.
The training is intense, involving commitment, heart, endurance and grit. They have a specific lifting schedule to build strength and stamina.
Chele Fuller training with Atlas Stones, one of the implements of the strongman competition. Contributed photo
“The coaches give us our plans each week,” said Alysia, “and we train in small groups throughout the week. It’s exhausting but so rewarding to see your progress throughout the 12 weeks.”
“I look to the entire strongman community to support my training,” Chele said. She has been forever influenced by GEvolution co-founder Gina LoMonaco who has been with her from the start of her strength journey in August 2013.
“I sat in front of her as an obese woman who couldn’t even do one pushup on my knees,” Chele admitted. “Much has changed since then.”
This will be Alysia’s first strongman competition. “I have always been physically active.” She has done triathlons and biathlons, and has run the Boston Marathon. She has also done 500-mile treks across Iowa twice. In high school and college, she did competitive cheerleading.
She plans to train with her daughter this summer for more competitions.
Chele went to a strongman competition to support a friend, and was impressed. “I felt it was the first sport I observed where athletes were genuinely supporting each other,” Chele stressed. “I knew I wanted to compete in a strength sport, I just didn’t know which one.” It only took one time of watching the sport of Strongman and she was hooked. “The first time I almost signed up to compete right there and then.”
Good sense prevailed and she trained for eight weeks, and entered her first competition in the Central Maine Strongman 8, placing third in the novice class. In the past two years she has competed in a total of eight contests and has competed all over the country, including Oklahoma and Connecticut, culminating in competing in the Masters National Championship, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, in September 2016.
Chele continued, “Until I began strongman, the only physical activity was as a high school cheerleader.“
Chele says commitment and belief in yourself, combined with consistency of training and nutrition, have to be made to succeed.
Chele has dedicated herself to the sport. “I will forever continue to show my passion for the strongman sport in our community and beyond, as an athlete, coach and its biggest cheerleader.” Her goal is to someday expand into judging, scorekeeping and other behind-the-scenes functions.
The godmother to her children, Amy Farrell, engaged in strongman competition, but Chele never saw her compete until she became a competitor herself.
Alysia Farrington, training in the Hercules Hold.
Strongman competitions vary in the choice of implements. For this competition they will be doing Conan’s Wheel of Pain, which consists of carrying a yoke and walking in a circle as weight is added. Starting weight is 270 pounds. The Hercules Hold is holding 120 pounds in each hand for time. The Powerstairs is carrying specific amount of weight upwards on five stairs for time. Atlas Stones are cement balls of 150 pounds that need to be lifted over a bar for time and then overhead medley which is four overhead stations, consisting of the log, axle, bar and keg, each with two repetitions for elapsed time.
According to their website, Willie Wessels, president of United States Strongman, Inc., states they use old school tradition with a new blood attitude. United States Strongman, Inc. is dedicated to the growth of strongman through the education and development of athletes and promoters. Their mission is to work with veteran promoters and provide high quality contests. They guide new promoters through their mentorship programs at the state and national levels. Their high quality contests and performance seminars help develop amateur strongman competitors by providing opportunity and instruction. They attract fans by hosting entertaining, well run events; these events offer affordable marketing opportunities with measurable return on investment for sponsors.
The Winslow sixth grade boys basketball team recently won the Mustang March Madness Tournament, held in Thorndike. The team went 4-0, including a 34-30 victory over Newport in the championship game. Team members include Braden Laramee, Andrew Poulin, Lucas Boucher, Jason Reynolds, Dylan Bouchard, Tim Lessa, Michael McCullough and Caleb Marquis. The team is coached by Kris Reynolds, Bruce Poulin and Kyle Marquis.
Contributed photo
The Central Maine Youth Hockey U-10 Tier 4 Hornets honored their top scorers at a banquet on March 5. From left to right, Katlyn Bourque, of Benton, led the team with 32 goals, while Sophia Sullivan, of Winslow, and Ethan Gillis, of Belgrade, tied for the team lead with seven assists.
Contributed photo
This group of third and fourth graders won the PAL Hoops Classic at Lawrence High School recently. From left to right, Kylie Delile, Haylie Woods, Lilly Gray, Madisyn Niles, Makenzie McAvoy, Layla Dubois and Riley Paquet. The team is coached by Rob Gray and Olivia Gray.
Photo by Central Maine Photography