DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Orono High School girls dominated the Class C track and field state championships at Foxcroft Academy on Saturday.

The Orono boys had a closer meet, but the result was the same as last season – a pair of state title for the Red Riots.

The Orono girls scored 168.5 points to easily win their fifth consecutive state crown. Runner-up Sacopee Valley finished with 62 points, while George Stevens Academy was third (43.75).

The Orono boys scored 78.6 points to edge Washington Academy (63). Lisbon took third with 48 points.

Orono won nine girls’ events, including all three relays, setting state records in the 400-meter relay (50.18 seconds) and 1,600 relay (4:05.00). Orono’s Tia Tardy set a state record in the 800 (2:13.03), leading a Red Riot sweep of the top three spots in the event.

Three boys’ meet records fell.

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Orono’s Jake Koffman shattered the discus record, throwing 189 feet, 9 inches. Four of his throws beat the previous record of 169-1 set by Winthrop’s Justin Whitney in 1980. The Red Riots also shattered the 3,200 relay record by four seconds, winning in 8:17.36.

In the 300 hurdles, Traip Academy’s Evan Porter set a record of 39.57 seconds. That was one of three victories for Porter, who also won in the 110 hurdles in 15.21 seconds and repeated as champion in the 100 dash (11.11), leading Traip to a fourth-place finish.

Maine Central Institute senior Curtis McLeod won the shot put with a throw of 52-10 3/4. His winning throw came in the preliminary round and held up through the finals. Koffman, who has been bothered by a wrist injury, took second at 52-2 3/4.

“It was close, again. It’s always close with us,” said McLeod, who took second in the discus. “I knew he was going to throw well today.”

Orono’s Lauren Stoops, Sacopee Valley’s Morgan Carpenter and Telstar freshman Kaity Killam all won two individual events in the girls’ meet. Stoops placed first in the 100 (12.72), as well as the 300 hurdles (45.71). Killam won the long jump (16-5 1/4) and 200 (26.69), and Carpenter paced Sacopee Valley with her victories in the high jump (5-0) and triple jump (33-7 1/2) and second-place finish in the 100 hurdles (16.31).

Orono’s other individual champions were Allison Pickering in the pole vault (10-0), Hannah Steelman in the 1,600 (5:23.92) and Kylie Gray in the 1,600 racewalk (8:43.93).

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Kents Hill senior Anne McKee won the 3,200 with a time of 11:45.23. It was the second title in the event for McKee, who also won as a sophomore. McKee pulled ahead on the first lap and steadily increased her lead throughout the race, finishing 33 seconds ahead of Ella Brown of St. Dominic.

“I wanted to see around 100 (meters) if anyone would take the lead, but everybody wanted to hang back. So I decided to take what I could and live in the moment, go for wherever it takes me,” McKee said. “I was really nervous the whole time. I think that fueled me to keep going. I guess they were trailing a lot more than I thought.”

Hall-Dale’s Jon Whitcomb won the high jump at 6 feet. While pleased with the win, Whitcomb said he never felt comfortable with his marks, which affected his performance.

“I tried for 6-2, but my mark was feeling off all day. It just wasn’t happening. I was having trouble mentally, because my mark felt so weird,” said Whitcomb, whose personal best is 6-3.

“It was hard to just go with it and trust my mark. It just didn’t feel right.”

Seeded third in the discus, Shenciaray Black of Carrabec said she didn’t expect to win. But when her first throw in the finals went for a school record of 108-6, Black knew she had a shot at the state title.

She beat Orono’s Lauren Melanson by eight feet.

“It felt like one of the best throws I’ve ever had. They announced it, and I just lost it. I was so excited,” Black said.


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