SCARBOROUGH – Sweltering hot days do great things for fast runners, and Saturday at Scarborough High, the sprinters and jumpers set a record-setting pace in the 88-degree heat, chief among them the meet’s MVPs.

The Southern Maine Activities Association Conference meet was won by the Sanford boys, who collected 87 points ahead of Gorham’s 83; and the Scarborough girls, who totaled 93 points to top Gorham’s 71.

The Sanford boys won it with their sprinters dominating right up until the last relay, when they clinched it with a come-from-behind win, complements of the 1600 relay anchor leg, Daniel Webb.

“This is a little taste of what we hope next week has to offer,” said Webb, who won the 200 in 22.94 seconds, and whose team will be gunning for its first outdoor state title next Saturday.

Sanford also got a lift from the meet MVP, Alex Shain, who upset the top-seeded Ethan Beaulier of Noble in the 100 meters to win in 11.34 seconds, a personal-best time by .10 seconds.

Shain also improved by a foot in the long jump to win the event in 21 feet, 5¾ inches, and also won the triple jump (42-8¾).

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“It was crazy,” Shain said. “It felt good. It was a nice, warm day. All this year we’ve had meets on cold or rainy days. We’re looking good for states. That would be amazing to win. It’s been a while since Sanford has been this competitive.”

In the girls’ meet, Sarah Perkins of Gorham won the 100 hurdles (15.18) and set a meet record in the 300 hurdles (44.49) — winning by a full three seconds — to earn girls’ MVP honors. Perkins erased the old SMAA record of 45.32 set by Nicole Motil of Thornton in 2011.

She then finished second in the 200 with an impressive time of 25.48.

“She’s very focused, trying to win the 300 hurdles next week. Today she reached down to win the event by that much,” said Gorham girls’ coach John Caterina.

The 200 was won by Scarborough sprinter Nicole Kirk, who lifted her team to the meet title with two individual wins and two big relay legs. Kirk set a conference record of 25.28 in the 200, erasing her record of 25.58 set last year.

Kirk also captured the 100 by more than a half-second with her time of 12.48, a personal best by .10 seconds.

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Kirk then anchored the 400 relay to the win (51.54), and brought the Red Storm from behind in the 1,600 relay to help them take second in the event with two new runners (4:15.03).

“All year we’ve run in not-so-great weather. And all year we haven’t had meets where we could push each other. This was exciting to have (Gorham’s Perkins and Scarborough’s Emily Tolman) and all of us pushing each other in the 200. In the 1,600 relay, Emily and I just want to chase everyone down,” Kirk said.

It was the blistering relay legs and individual wins by speedsters Kirk and Tolman that paced the Red Storm.

Tolman took third in the long jump (15-10) and won the 400 by a full second in 58.16. And her legs on the 400 and 1,600 relays were integral in Scarborough taking first and second, respectively, in those events.

“I really wanted to go under 58 in the 400, but it’s hard when you don’t hear feet behind you. I wanted to secure lane three at states. But Brewer’s Teal Jackson (at the Penobscot Valley Conference meet) ran 57.39. That’s amazing. It’s fun knowing I’ll be going against her next weekend,” Tolman said.

Staff Writer Deirdre Fleming can be contacted at 791-6452 or at:

dfleming@pressherald.com

Twitter: Flemingpph

 


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