February vacation week is anything but a week off for local winter sports athletes and this year’s round of indoor track, swimming and skiing state meets once again produced an abundance of stellar performances.

If that wasn’t enough for the high school sports connoisseur, the boys’ hockey playoffs have begun as well.

Here’s a glimpse:

Swimming

Cape Elizabeth’s boys’ swim team has long produced great athletes, but until last week, it had been 18 years since the Capers celebrated a championship.

At the Class B state meet, Cape Elizabeth posted 275.5 points to hold off Morse (241) for its first ever title in Class B (the last one in 1997 came in Class A).

Harry Homans won the 200 individual medley (1 minute, 58.78 seconds) and the 500 freestyle (4:48.12), setting a new school record in the latter event in the process.

The Capers also scored a lot of points in the relays, as Homans, Reese McFarlane, Kyle Long and R.J. Sarka were second in the 200 medley (in a new school record time of 1:42.28), Sam Loring, McFarlane, Alex Mukai and Sarka were fifth in the 200 freestyle (1:36.76) and Long, Loring, Mukai and Homans came in fifth in the 400 freestyle (3:32.29).

McFarlane finished third in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.47). Loring was third in the 200 free (1:53.11) and tied for fourth in the breaststroke (1:07.03). Mukai came in third in the 500 free (5:03.00) and was fourth in the 200 free (1:53.75). Sarka finished seventh in the 50 free (23.88). Long was seventh in the 100 backstroke (1:00.25) and came in eighth in the 100 free (51.67).

“Wow! What a performance,” said Cape Elizabeth coach Ben Raymond. “Our boys could not have swam any better then they did. Everyone dropped time and moved up in their events. All of the boys swam extremely well. Our boys worked hard all season in the pool and in the weight room, they love to race and compete and that showed yesterday at the meet. It’s that competitive nature that I love to see the most in our boys. When it’s time to race, they don’t shy away and their performance level picks up. I expect to see that in our boys in all sports.”

Cape Elizabeth’s girls had 181 points and were third behind Greely and Mt. Desert Island. 

Sadie Stiles was the champion of the breaststroke (1:07.95). Michaela Pinette finished third in diving (252.20 points). Sierra Bates was eighth in the 50 free (26.77). 

Katie Connolly, Stiles, Rose Baillie and Bates were third in the 200 free relay (1:47.65). Taylor Herrera, Stiles, Bates and Connolly came in fifth in the medley relay (1:59.78). Arden Wing, Phoebe Coburn, Lexis Bakke and Sarah Loring finished seventh in the 400 free relay (4:10.58).

“The girls finished off an outstanding season,” Raymond said. “There was a huge gap between Greely and MDI, then everyone else, and we were the best of everyone else. The girls had some very good swims and a lot to be proud of. They worked well as a team and fought for every point right up to the end of the meet. Sadie Stiles had the most exciting race of the night winning the 100 breast in what was an extremely close race. The girls accomplished a lot and are already looking toward next year.”

In the Class A boys’ meet, won by Cheverus with 360 points, Scarborough (103.5) was ninth and South Portland (40) placed 15th. 

The Red Storm were paced by Kyle Ankermann, who tied for seventh in the 50 free (23.67). Scarborough’s medley relay team (Sam Greenberg, Tristan DeYoung, Nate Howard and Ankermann was eighth (1:51.95). 

The Red Riots featured Nick Alvarez, who finished sixth in the fly (56.78).

In the girls’ meet, won by Brunswick with 246 points, South Portland (100) was 10th and Scarborough (59) came in 14th. 

The Red Riots were led by Sophie Chase, who came in third in the breaststroke (1:14.39) and fourth in the fly (1:02.51). Laurine German was seventh in diving (257.60 points). Dima Karakitukova finished eighth in diving (256.70). South Portland’s 200 free relay team (Chase, Kristina McCarthy, Grace Goodwin and Sarah Micucci) was eighth in 1:51.35. 

Hannah Griffin led the Red Storm with a fourth-place finish in the 500 free (5:34.76). Griffin was also seventh in the backstroke (1:03.69). 

Indoor track

Scarborough’s boys’ indoor track and field team came oh so close to another Class A championship last week. The Red Storm held the lead going into the final event, the 4×200 relay, but Falmouth won the race, allowing the Yachtsmen to edge the Red Storm for the title, 59-56. South Portland (21 points) finished 10th.

Scarborough got wins from Jacob Terry in the two-mile (9 minutes, 49.76 seconds) and Hugh McSorley in the shot put (51 feet, 4.25 inches).

Griffin Madden finished runner-up in the 55 hurdles (7.83). Edward James was third in the pole vault (13-0). Maxim Doiron was fourth in the 55 hurdles (8.12). Colin Jones finished fifth in the 800 (2:04.97). Jerry Kenney was sixth in the 400 (53.14). Jacob Bloom placed seventh in the 800 (2:05.62). 

In the 4×800 relay, William Fowler, Lucas Foerster, Bloom and Jones were second to Falmouth in 8:21.53. In the 4×200 relay, Kenney, Madden, Chris Dionne and Matthew Blaisdell were fourth in 1:36.32.

The Red Riots wins from Michael Cuesta in the long jump (21-2.25) and the triple jump (45-00.25). South Portland’s 4×200 relay team (Cuesta, Henry Curran, Isaiah Anderson and Noah Blake) finished seventh (1:39.36).

In the girls’ meet, won by Thornton Academy with 53 points, Scarborough (42) was third and South Portland tied Bonny Eagle for fifth with 31 points.

The Red Storm were led by runners-up Laura Volan in the mile (5:23.33) and Sarah Rinaldi in the high jump (5-2). Volan was also fourth in the two-mile (12:06.03). Ellen Shaw finished fourth in the 55 hurdles (8.9) and fifth in the high jump (5-0). Emma Koukos came in fourth in the 800 (2:31.09). Rinaldi placed fifth in the triple jump (34-00.50). Kacey Foerster was sixth in the pole vault (8-6). Bethany Sholl was seventh in the mile (5:40.81). Scarborough’s 4×800 relay team (Marisa Carbone, Jenna Douglas, Koukos and Kayla Griffis) placed third (10:14.13). 

The Red Riots’ 4×200 relay team (Callie O’Brien, Edita Isakovic, Juliana Selser and Lauren Magnuson) was runner-up to Lewiston (1:51.7). Magnuson finished second in the 55 (7.52) and was sixth in the 200 (27.61). Lingdong Bol was fourth in the high jump (5-0). Isakovic and O’Brien tied for sixth in the high jump (4-10). Casey Loring placed sixth in the two-mile (12:10.8). Serena McKenzie was seventh in the two-mile (12:11.04). South Portland’s 4×800 relay team (Loring, McKenzie, Janey Blackwell-Orr and Selser) wound up fifth (10:23.44). 

In Class B, Cape Elizabeth’s girls had 16.33 points and placed 10th (Waterville won with 74.83). Eva Brydson was runner-up in the 800 (2:25.01). Katie Oberholtzer finished in a three-way tie for third in the high jump (4-10). Samantha Feenstra finished fourth in the mile (5:48.24). 

The Capers boys had 12 points to tie Traip Academy for 12th (York was first with 71). Mitch Morris won the two-mile (9:46.10). Harry Queeney was sixth in the high jump (5-10). 

Skiing

Cape Elizabeth’s girls’ Alpine ski team repeated as Class B champion last week.

The Capers had 60 points, which was 18 better than Camden Hills.

The two Emmas led Cape Elizabeth to the pinnacle. Emma Landes was runner-up in the giant slalom (47.05 seconds) and came in third in the slalom (46.67). Emma Dvorozniak placed second in the slalom (45.43) and third in the GS (47.43). Also scoring for the Capers were Caroline Paclat (fifth in the GS, 48.76; ninth in the slalom, 50.80) and Kinnon McGrath (17th in the GS, 52.15; 19th in slalom, 54.96).

“I think our girls were focused and just eager to race,” said Cape Elizabeth coach Jeff Davis. “With our race cancelled on Monday, we had been in Presque Isle since Saturday killing time. All of our racers had really solid clean runs. I was proud of all six of our racers for finishing both of their runs. Because of the races on Monday being canceled, each girl only had one run in giant slalom and one run slalom, as opposed to two runs in each Tuesday. Given that format, there wasn’t the opportunity for a second chance. The girls knew to be a little bit conservative but also ski fast.”

The Capers girls’ Nordic squad finished ninth (Yarmouth was the champion). Amelia Morrissey placed 27th in the freestyle (21:19.1). Rhoen Fiutak finished 31st in the classic (23:45.1). 

Combined, Cape Elizabeth placed fourth behind Yarmouth, Maranacook and Freeport.

Dvorozniak was fourth in the skimeister standings with 108 points (Yarmouth’s Abby Condon was first with 59). 

The Capers Nordic squad finished seventh in Class B (Maranacook was first). Daniel Menz placed 18th in the classic (18:02.4) and was 19th in the freestyle (17:01.7). 

Cape Elizabeth’s boys Alpine team didn’t score, but Jon Fiutak came in eighth in the slalom (46.03) and 10th in the GS (47.50).

Fiutak was runner-up in the skimeister standings with 78 points, four behind Camden Hills’ David Flint. 

In Class A, Scarborough’s boys’ Alpine team finished third behind Mt. Blue and Edward Little. Andrew Mills came in third in the slalom (1 minute, 17.28 seconds) and 15th in the GS (1:34.78). Nate Gehrke placed eighth in 1:22.04 and was 11th in the GS (1:33.25).  

The Red Storm didn’t score in Nordic, but Camden Jepson had the 17th-best time in the freestyle (15:07.1) and the 20th-fastest time in the classical (17:44.1)

Scarborough’s girls’ Alpine squad finished sixth (Falmouth was first). Sarah Hassler was sixth in the slalom (1:30.79) and 15th in the GS (1:52.43).

The Red Storm didn’t score in Nordic, but Brady Stolz had the 42nd-best time in the classic (25:55.3). 

Boys’ hockey

The boys’ hockey playoffs got underway Tuesday with the quarterfinal round.

In Western A, Scarborough’s season-ending 1-0 loss dropped it to 10-5-3 and fourth in the standings. The Red Storm had the daunting task of battling No. 5 Biddeford in a game played in Auburn. Scarborough took a 2-0 lead behind goals from Matt Caron and Jack Callahan, but the Tigers rallied late to tie the score and force overtime. There, Callahan scored again, 87 seconds in, and the Red Storm survived and advanced, 3-2. 

Scarborough will next battle top-ranked Falmouth (14-5) in the semifinals Saturday. The teams split this season. The Yachtsmen beat the Red Storm in the past two Western A Finals.

Speaking of the regional final, it will be Tuesday of next week in Lewiston. The Class A Final is Saturday, March 7, at 6 p.m., in Lewiston.

South Portland closed with a 6-3 home loss to Noble/Wells and its 10-8 mark gave it the No. 6 seed in Western A. The Red Riots went to No. 3 Noble/Wells for the quarterfinals Tuesday and again lost, 6-3, despite goals from Andrew Whipple, Max Winson and Aidan Schifano, as they finished 10-9.

In Western B, Cape Elizabeth finished 9-8-1 after a 9-1 win at Leavitt in the finale. The Capers earned the No. 5 seed and went to No. 4 Camden Hills for the quarterfinals. After two scoreless periods, Cape Elizabeth went up, 1-0, on Matt Riggle’s goal, but the Windjammers tied the score. Then, with 1:34 to play, Carter Brock scored his first varsity goal and the Capers prevailed, 2-1.

Friday, Cape Elizabeth meets top-ranked Kennebunk (14-2-2) in the semifinals in Lewiston. The Rams won both regular season meetings: 2-1 in Portland and 3-1 in Kennebunk.

The Western B Final is Wednesday of next week in Lewiston. The Class B state final is Saturday, March 7, at 1 p.m., in Lewiston.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter:@foresports.