BATH – Traip Academy rode a stellar individual performance by Carley O’Brien and a clutch race by its 1,600-meter relay team to capture its first girls’ track and field state championship in 17 years, knocking off perennial power John Bapst in the Class C meet at McMann Field.

O’Brien won the 100 hurdles and long jump, placed second in the triple jump and anchored Traip to a victory in the 400 relay. The Rangers needed all those points to hold off John Bapst, which had won the last three Class C titles and eight of the last nine.

Going into the final track event, the 1,600 relay, Traip needed a third-place finish or better to clinch the championship. The Rangers were seeded seventh in that event, but the quartet of Jocelyn Lorrey, Hailey Frisbee, Selena Lorrey and Mary Lambrecht placed third behind Sacopee Valley and John Bapst.

“It was an amazing day,” Traip Coach Larissa Simonds said. “The girls just stepped up.”

Traip finished with 79 points, three more than John Bapst. Sacopee Valley was third with 52 points.

Maranacook (75 points) won the boys’ meet in a three-way battle with Orono (69) and Sacopee Valley (68), the defending champion.

O’Brien got the Rangers off to a good start by winning the 100 hurdles in 15.88 seconds. She teamed with Jessie Batchelder, Jocelyn Lorrey and Lambrecht to win the 400 relay in 52.46, and contributed 10 more points with her victory in the long jump (16-8¼), which was taking place at the same time as the 400 relay. She finished second behind Maranacook’s Madeline Nazar (36-11¼) in the triple jump.

“Carley had a great day,” said Simonds. “She went into this with the pressure of being ranked first in four events, including the relay, and it’s hard knowing that your team’s chances depend on you getting the points that everyone expects. But she did a great job handling the pressure.”

Maranacook junior Abby Mace was the only other double winner, sweeping the 1,600 and 3,200 for the third straight year. She ran the 1,600 in 5:19.76, the 3,200 in 11:37.89.

“I was hoping to get my times down, but I am happy,” she said. “I pushed myself today.”

Other individual winners included Katie Hatch of Old Orchard Beach in the 100 (13.06), Lindsey Whitney of Lisbon in the racewalk (8:42.53), Amberle Bennett of Seacoast Christian in the javelin (106-7), Briana Moore of Lisbon in the shot put (33-5) and Evelyn Staples of Sacopee Valley in the pole vault (9-6).

The Maranacook boys also ended a long championship drought, earning their first state title since 1992. The Black Bears had enough depth to overcome a few setbacks, getting victories from Evan Vincent in the racewalk (6:42.16), Taylor Watson in the 300 hurdles (40.71) and Chris Pelletier in the triple jump (44-9¾), as well as from the 3,200 relay team (8:28.75).

Pelletier also finished second behind Lisbon’s Morgan Reeves (20-7¾) in the long jump.

“It was just a great job by all the kids,” Maranacook Coach Ronn Gifford said.

North Yarmouth Academy’s Mohamed Dahia took advantage of a stumble by Watson, the top seed, to win the 110 hurdles in 16.48.

 

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