Nelson wins third straight Pony Pride 5K during Foxcroft Academy Alumni Weekend

DOVER-FOXCROFT — For the last 22 years Foxcroft Academy graduates, community members and visitors to the region have been able to kick off the Saturday of Foxcroft Academy Alumni Weekend/Dover-Foxcroft Shiretown Homecoming by running in the Pony Pride 5K. For the third year in a row on Aug. 4 the course started in front of the main school building, traveled across several streets in town as well as a trail before concluding with over a half a lap on the track to end at the finish line.

2016 Foxcroft Academy graduate Cooper Nelson, a rising junior on the University of Maine track teams, won the Pony Pride for the third year in a row. Nelson bested a field of 18 other runners in a time of 18 minutes, 11 seconds, crossing the finish line nearly a half minute ahead of second place.

As the only first-place finisher for the on-campus course, Nelson is now in a three-way tie for the second most all-time Pony Pride 5K first-place finishes. He also stands alone in second place for the longest winning streak, trailing only the four consecutive first-place runs from 2012-15 for 2009 Foxcroft Academy graduate Graham Pearsall.

Diane Keenan ran a time of 19:22 to earn the 2018 Pony Pride women’s title. Kennan earned top female honors for the second time in three years and third time overall. Keenan is tied for second place on the list of most career Pony Pride women’s victories. Her 19:22 set a women’s record for the newer course starting and ending on the Foxcroft Academy campus.

The full 2018 Pony Pride results are as follows: 1. Cooper Nelson, 18:11; 2. Shawn Keenan 18:40; 3. Jacob Olson 19:01; 4. Diane Keenan 19:22; 5. Peter Cannon 20:38; 6. Michael Raymond 21:36; 7. Justin Hogan 21:42; 8. Nicholas Daneman 22:53; 9. Brian Mailhot 23:20; 10. John Lemieux 24:13;

11. Robert Bickmore 24:51; 12. Raul Siren 25:44; 13. Jerrod Smith 25:48; 14. Heather Mailhot 25:59; 15. Rob Laskey 26:20; 16. John Simko 27:10; 17. Peter Devine 31:06; 18. Judy Snow 33:11; and 19. Janice Rockwell 49:50.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
SOME SOGGY HOOVES — Rainy weather may have reduced the number of entrants from years past, but 19 runners still galloped through Dover-Foxcroft during Foxcroft Academy’s 22nd annual Pony Pride 5K on the morning of Aug. 4 during the Alumni Weekend. 2016 graduate Cooper Nelson won the race for the third year in a row, finishing with a time of 18:11 in 2018.

Age group winners (women’s and men’s when applicable): 11-19: Nelson.

30-39: Keenan and Hogan.

40-49: Mailhot and Keenan.

50-59: Cannon.

60-69: Snow and Devine.

70-plus: Rockwell and Lemieux.

All-time Pony Pride winners (year, men’s winner and time, women’s winner and time): 1997 Tim Wakeland 16:20 Jana Crocker 21:26; 1998 John Chase 17:05 Sunshine Weinrich 20:30; 1999 Justin Bates 17:06 Amanda Thompson 22:14; 2000 Wakeland 17:00 Dana Frasz 20:39; 2001 Dave Nelson 16:16 Frasz 20:31; 2002 Mike Chilly 17:21 Katherine Carroll 21:35; 2003 Bates 16:24 Cassie Hintz 18:40; 2004 Wakeland 16:24 Hintz 17:15; 2005 Eric Rudolph 17:02 Hintz 17:13; 2006 Greg Hammett 16:50 Hintz 18:07 (due to bridge construction on Essex Street course was 3.19 miles); 2007 Hammett 16:16 Elizabeth Brunton 19:11; 2008 Rudolph 16:17 Brunton 19:36; 2009; 2009 Rudolph 16:25 Katie Herbine 19:37; 2010 Shawn Keenan 17:20 Brunton 18:24; 2011 Jerod Hayes 16:55 Hintz 19:22; 2012 Graham Pearsall 16:42 Meghan Keane 21:53; 2013 Pearsall 17:11 Diane Keenan 20:13; 2014 Pearsall 16:47 Heather Mailhot 24:31; 2015 Pearsall 16:41 Jenny Clawson 23:41; 2016 Cooper Nelson 17:20 Keenan 20:21 (new course); 2017 Nelson 18:22 Angelina Teachout 23:01; and 2018 Nelson 18:11 Keenan 19:22.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
TOP RUNNER AND ALUMNUS — Cooper Nelson, a 2016 graduate of Foxcroft Academy who is a rising junior on the University of Maine track teams, three-peated as the Pony Pride 5K winner on Saturday morning. Nelson won in 18:11 to tie for the second most wins in race history and to become only the second runner to three-peat.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
PONY PRIDE RUNNER-UP — Shawn Keenan finished as the 2018 Pony Pride 5K runner-up in 18:40.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
NINETEEN MINUTES FOR THE 2018 GRAD — Recent Foxcroft Academy graduate Jacob Olson came in third on Saturday with a time of 19:01.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
WOMEN’S WINNER — Diane Keenan earned top female honors in this year’s Pony Pride with her time of 19:22. Keenan won the women’s title for the second time in three years and third overall.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
FIFTH PLACE OVERALL — Peter Cannon finished in fifth place at 20:38, winning the men’s age 50-59 division in the process.