NAPLES — Kate Hall of Lake Region hadn’t competed in the triple jump since the seventh grade, but even with just one day of practice last week she set a meet record Saturday in the Western Maine Conference track and field championships at Lake Region High.

Hall, a junior, also set a meet record in the long jump, one of her signature events, while adding wins in the 100 and 200 meters.

“I was hoping to perform this well because it’s been kind of a rough season with the bad weather,” said Hall.

“The long jump and the 100 have been a challenge because there’s been a lot of wind and it’s been cold. I was hoping to get a good 10 days of training in and a good day to run like today. There was a little bit of wind, but not too bad. I was really happy with my performances.”

Hall was named the meet’s outstanding girls’ performer in the field events.

Team winners were York in Division I boys, Greely in Division I girls, Sacopee Valley in Division II boys and Traip Academy in Division II girls.

Advertisement

Other performers of the meet were Will Shafer of Gray-New Gloucester in the track events, Kirsten Sandreuter of Greely in the track events and Ryan Moulton of Sacopee Valley in the field events.

Hall said she used to do the triple jump in middle school but had issues with her ankles, so she shelved the event until she got older and stronger.

Last week, she decided to try it again.

“Randomly, I said why not do the triple jump? I wanted it to be my fun, extra event,” she said. “I got in one day of practice and it went pretty well. I didn’t want it to be all serious. I just wanted to have fun with it and I did. I’m really happy.”

Hall went 19 feet, 33/4 inches in the long jump to break her own meet record. She leaped 36-61/4 in the triple jump, and after a break passed on her other attempts when the event resumed.

“On my last jump, I hit my mark,” said Hall. “The other jumps would have conflicted with the 200 and my legs were already tired, so I decided to hold off.”

Advertisement

Hall’s 100 and 200 times weren’t as good as last year in this meet. She won the 100 in 11.97, as opposed to a record 11.68 last year. Her 200 time was 25.59, shy of her record-setting 24.69.

“Last year, I had one of my best days in this meet, especially in the 100,” she said. “I knew it would be hard to come back and do it again.

“I’m hoping to match my 100 and 200 times before the season is over.

Hall plans to compete in the same events Saturday in the Class B state meet at Brewer High. She will compete in the nationals in Greensboro, North Carolina, in two weeks.

While in North Carolina, she said she will pay unofficial visits to the University of North Carolina and Wake Forest, two schools she may be interested in attending.

Shafer set a record in the 800 meters with a time of 1:56.59. He ran the opening leg on Gray-New Gloucester’s winning 1,600 relay.

Advertisement

Sandreuter won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. Moulton won the long and triple jumps.

Shelby Strickland of Kennebunk set a record in the girls’ high jump at 5-5, breaking a 17-year old meet record.

Tom Chard can be reached at 791-6419 or at

tchard@pressherald.com

Twitter: TomChardPPH


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.