BATH – Waterville continued its domination of the Class B track and field state championships Saturday.

The Waterville girls, bolstered by a record-setting performance from senior distance runner Bethanie Brown, cruised to their seventh consecutive state title, while the Waterville boys edged Falmouth to capture their fifth state title in eight years.

“Both teams pay attention to the points at the state meet,” Waterville Coach Ian Wilson said. “The girls have had the better of it the last few years. It’s a healthy competition and it’s all in fun.”

In the boys’ meet, the top five teams were Waterville 96, Falmouth 87.5, York 66, Belfast 53.5 and Ellsworth 41.

In the girls’ meet, it was Waterville 136, Lake Region 64, Winslow 60, Greely 58.5 and Old Town 43.

Brown, who will attend the University of Connecticut in the fall, started her day by winning the 1,600 meters with a time of 4:56.34, less than a second off her record-setting pace of a year ago.

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Later, Brown turned back a challenge from defending champion Aleta Looker of Ellsworth to set a Class B record in the 800. Her time of 2:16.5 shaved 1.33 seconds off a mark set by Melissa Blackstone of Presque Isle in 2001.

Brown also won the 3,200 in 10:36.36, less than two seconds off the record she set a year ago, and ran the anchor on the Panthers’ winning 1,600-meter relay team.

Sophomores Sarah Shoulta, Kellie Bolduc and Lydia Roy also helped pile up points for the Panthers.

Shoulta won both hurdles events. Bolduc finished second in the 100 hurdles and third in the 300 hurdles. Roy scored points in the 200 and 400 and two relays.

“As freshmen last year we saw their potential,” Wilson said. “I tried to bring them on fairly gently and not put them in pressure situations, but they’re just the kind of kids who I knew could handle being put in pressure situations. Those three kids are tigers.”

Waterville nosed out the Yachtsmen for the boys’ title despite a coaching gaffe by Wilson involving thrower Nick Danner.

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“We were seeded for a lot of points and I made a horrible coaching blunder with our thrower,” Wilson said. “I had him as our anchor in our 400 (meter) relay. He was the top seed in all three throwing events, and our relay team was not seeded well.”

Despite being the top seed, Danner didn’t score in the discus.

“He had to check out to run the relay,” Wilson said. “He comes back and has to rush through his throws, and doesn’t even make the finals.

“I should have been smarter than that. Let him focus on his throwing.”

Danner won the javelin with a Class B record throw of 192 feet, 9 inches, shattering the mark of 179-1 set by Ryan Staples of Leavitt in 2005.

Despite the hot and muggy weather, Lake Region sophomore Kate Hall continued her assault on the record book.

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She won the 100 in 12.15 to cut .18 off the Class B record she set a year ago.

Hall, who also won the 200 and ran the third leg on the Lakers’ victorious 400 relay team, won the long jump with a leap of 18-53/4 inches, shattering the overall state record of 18-1¾ set by Maria Curit of Biddeford in 2011.

In the boys’ mile, Dan Curts, a junior from Ellsworth, outkicked top-seeded Will Shafer, a junior from Gray-New Gloucester, and cut more than two seconds off the Class B record with his time of 4:14.02. Shafer also finished faster than the meet’s previous best of 4:16.38, by Levi Miller of Belfast in 2005. Both finished a half-lap ahead of the rest of the field.

In winning the 100 for the second consecutive year, Denzel Tomaszewski of York came within a 10th of a second of matching former Wells sprinter Justin Vigeant’s Class B record of 11.0. Last Monday, he clocked 10.76 seconds in the event at the Western Maine Conference meet at Naples, but state records can only be set at state meets.

“It was hot and there was a slight headwind,” Tomaszewski said. “I just try to do the best I can.”

Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at:

pbetit@pressherald.com

Twitter: PaulBetitPPH

 


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