The Riots looked strong across the sports board this spring; though they didn’t pick up any team  titles, they remain contenders on many fields, and did bring home a trio of individual wins from the Class A Outdoor Track State Championship.

Those belonged to Juliana Selser in the 800 (2:20.48), Ruay Bol in the triple jump (45-01.00) and Danny Guiliani in the shot put (a record 67-03.25); whereas Selser and her rostermates finished ninth as a collective, Bol, Guiliani and Co. piled up enough points for third.

Softball, under the tutelage of Alexis Garrison (in her second year on the job), suffered a setback compared to 2015: Whereas they went 11-5 last year, they finished with the reverse record this year, 5-11. They nevertheless snuck into the playoffs, though, ranked 12th. 

Interestingly, Garrison’s girls had firm control of their prelims opponent, Windham, when the teams first met; thunder and lightning, however, decreed the teams should postpone their matchup till the following day, when the Eagles turned the tables completely, dominating to a 9-0 result.

Mike Owens’ baseball boys were once more a powerhouse in A South. The team dropped just a pair games through the regular season – one to Thornton and the other to Portland, both themselves very strong – for a 14-2 record and the tournament two-seed. After a bye through the prelims, they slid past Marshwood 6-4 in the quarters and Scarborough 8-5 in the semis. Alas, the A South final pitted them against undefeated Falmouth; the Riots fell in that bout 4-2.

On the lax front, Leslie Dyer’s girls went 7-5 through the regular season for a No. 5 playoffs berth. Their quarters matchup, against No. 4. Gorham, turned into one of the best games of the tournament: Down early, the Lady Riots battled back, tying the score at 10-10 with roughly 3 seconds remaining in regulation. They went on to upend the Rams 11-10 at the start of OT2. Alas, No. 1 Marshwood quelled Dyer’s outfit with comparative ease in the semis, 14-3.

“[We] saw many successes this season,” said Dyer. “It started off with beating Scarborough for the first time since 2004, then clinching the fifth seed (by 0.1 Heal Point over Biddeford), which is the highest [we’ve] been in quite some time. Then, coming back from a four-goal deficit to beat Gorham (who beat us 9-5 in the regular season) and make it to the semifinals for the first time in the program’s history.”

“I had three fantastic seniors leading the way,” Dyer said. “Mary Cronin (captain), who ended the season with 51 goals and 49 draw controls; Maddie Hasson, who had 44 goals and 50 draw controls; and Ingrid Boyce, who played in the back end and was the voice and led the defense.

“They were a young team this fall, but very coachable – and they possess so much talent. Mary Cronin made First-Team All-Conference, Maddie Hasson made Second Team All-Conference and Ingrid Boyce was an Honorable Mention. I am proud of this team for all the amazing accomplishments, and for taking the next step in our programs history.”

Tom Fiorini’s gentlemen laxers remained a persistent threat, though they did not quite achieve the heights they’ve achieved in recent years. Their 7-5 regular-season record earned them the tournament five-seed. In the first round, they dispatched No. 4 TA 11-8; their second-round draw, however, was the eventual victors of it all, mighty Scarborough. The Riots hung up their cleats after that bout, which went against them 16-4.

Girls tennis, after finishing 6-6 in the regular season, entered the bracketing ranked ninth. But their first-round opponent, No. 8 Deering, trumped them 4-1, and they retired till 2017 at 6-7. Their counterparts on the boys’ courts fared somewhat better, going 8-4 in the regular season for a No. 7 berth. The team then blasted No. 10 Cheverus 5-0 in the prelims before falling 5-0, impaled on No. 2 Falmouth’s thirsty rackets, in the quarters.

Ingrid Boyce, one of three seniors on the Riots’ girls lacrosse squad, led the team’s defense.

South Portland’s Nick Mezzanotte played a key role in building another successful season for the team.