When Caribou High School cross country hosts an invitational meet this weekend, it will do so with a new boys coach for the first time in decades.
PJ Gorneault has taken the reins for longtime coach Roy Alden, who led the cross country and track teams at the Aroostook County school for 40 years.
Gorneault, a 1997 Caribou graduate, is a familiar face at the school. He won multiple eastern Maine titles in cross country and track, was an assistant coach when Caribou won a state championship in 2010, coached Nordic skiing at the school and knows students from his job as an elementary school physical education teacher.
“He’s certainly invested in the kids and has seen them grow,” said RSU 39 Athletic Administrator Evan Graves. Graves said Gorneault knows that the success of student athletes and the community doesn’t boil down solely to winning.
“It’s about building these kids up into adults,” Graves said.
Gorneault called Alden “such a staple in the running community” for Caribou.
“You don’t necessarily want to be the first person to replace him, but I had him as a coach as a high school runner and was an assistant coach for him after college,” Gorneault said. “I bring a lot of the same training philosophies he had so I hope that helps with the transition.”
This year’s team is smaller and young, according to the new coach.
“But this group has already shown me they are ready to work hard,” he said. “My priorities this year are getting to know the runners on a personal level and building trust with them and their teammates.”
In addition to eastern Maine and state titles he has participated in as both a runner and an assistant coach, Gorneault also led the school’s girls and boys Nordic teams to a state championship as coach.
“So I know what it takes to achieve success at a state championship level and I hope to instill that work ethic and commitment in our team, to help the Viking runners have success as well,” Gorneault said.
And he appreciates the community and its support for Viking runners.
“I tell everyone, we have the best, most supportive community for running,” Gorneault said. “If our program or one of our athletes needs something, there is a list of people who are always asking to help out. It is because of this community support that our program has had a history of almost 30 years being competitive in Maine running, either individually or as a team.”
He remembers being on the receiving end of that generosity in high school, which gave him pride and gratitude to be a Caribou Viking. And he feels that current runners recognize that community support as well.
Caribou participated in the Ellsworth Invitational meet on Saturday. The boys finished fourth out of 11 teams, and the girls finished third out of seven teams.
The girls cross country team is led by coach Thomas Beckum.
The Vikings will host the Caribou Invitational at 12 p.m. Saturday.
