BRUNSWICK HIGH SCHOOL track athlete Seth White (front) takes the baton from teammate Hunter Parker during the 4×100 relay race at the State Class A Track and Field Championships at Massabesic High School on Saturday. The team finished third as the Dragon boys claimed 10th overall. See full meet results on page B4.
EMILY SMITH of Mt. Ararat launches herself during the pole vault. The Eagle girls finished 19th and the boys 17th.
White was the Dragons’ top performer heading into Saturday’s State Class A Track and Field Championships at Massabesic High School, and when he came up with an apparent pulled hamstring on the long jump, Brunswick coach Dave DeLois didn’t know what to think.
“We thought it was going to be done,” DeLois said. “So he came back and did great, considering.”
EMILY LAROCHELLE of the Brunswick High School track and field team leaps over a hurdle during the 300-meter hurdle race at the State Class A Track and Field Championships on Saturday.
In his first event after a disappointing 18th spot in the long jump, White lined up with teammate Jaznel Burns in the 100-meter dash. His time of 11.42 was slightly slower than his 11.23 winning time at the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Championships last week, but third place is always approved.
MT. ARARAT’S Matthew Donovan takes on a hurdle during the boys 300 hurdle race.
Burns finished fifth at 11.49, which was a pleasant surprise.
“It’s awesome,” White said. “I know we’re always close, so it feels good to have one of us pull ahead. We were just hoping one of us would place and both of us did.”
In the 4×100 relay, White and Burns teamed up with Jack Harvey and Hunter Parker, and had reasonable expectations. The winning Scarborough team (103 points) had a time almost two seconds faster than second place Thornton Academy (50).
“We just knew, ‘OK, we’re not going to win,’” White said. “But we’re going to try. We’re going to try to get second or third and that’s what we did. Pretty close.”
The Dragons finished third at 44.58. In another notable finish, Parker placed fourth in the 300-hurdle race.
“Hunter had a good day,” DeLois said. “He ran about what his seed time was. He’s new at it, so he did well.”
Samuel Cenescar placed third in the high jump and to DeLois’ surprise, Zachary Boyle threw the javelin 151 feet, good for fourth place.
“Zach Boyle in the javelin ends up fourth, came from nowhere,” DeLois said. “Threw 12 feet further than his best distance ever. You’re going to pick up stuff like that.”
There were a couple more surprises on the girls side (24th overall), including Isabella Pols finishing fifth in the 1,600 run with a time of 5:27.53.
“She wasn’t supposed to be there and she ends up fourth overall,” DeLois said. “That’s the way it works at these things.
”We did fairly well overall. There were some places we lost some points, but we also gained some.”
Messalonskee took third in the boys meet with 49 points, followed by Westbrook (47) and Brewer (50) to round out the top five.
Sam Rusnak of Scarborough matched the state mark in the pole vault with a vault of 16 feet, tying former Brunswick standout David Slovenski.
Mt. Ararat
The Eagle girls, who placed 19th overall, were paced by a pair of standout performances from junior Katherine Leckbee and freshman Wyley Fitzpatrick.
Leckbee used a late surge to scoot in front of Hampden Academy’s Helen Shearer and finish fourth (11:28.26) in the 3,200 run.
“She’s one mentally tough young lady. She never gives up,” Mt. Ararat coach Diane Fournier said of Leckbee. “I just like her whole attitude in terms of how she approaches each race. I never have to tell Katherine how to run. I just let her do her own thing.”
Fitzpatrick, competing in her first state meet, posted Mt. Ararat’s best finish of the day with her third-place (1::00.99) spot in the 400 dash.
“I felt pretty good,” Fitzpatrick said. “I wanted to get second. I almost did, but I got beat right at the end. But I felt good because I have three more years.”
“For a freshman, she’s very tough-minded,” Fournier said. “Although, she’s got the freshman jitters at times. She’s still learning a little bit about positioning in terms of upright running, but I just like her mental attitude.”
Fitzpatrick admitted competing in such a large meet was overwhelming, but she stayed focused on her own goals.
“My biggest focus today was time, because I knew there was a girl that was seeded that got like a 56 last year,” Fitzpatrick said. “I knew I wasn’t going to get that, but I had ran a 1:01 and that was my PR. I just got my PR today with a minute, so I’m pretty happy.”
The girls 4×800 relay team of Sara York, Josie Miller, Katie Lynch and Leckbee also reached the podium with a sixth-place finish.
On the boys side, Dalton Streeter came up with the best individual finish (fourth in the long jump) and led the Eagles to 17th place overall.
Cameron Meier nabbed fifth in the 3,200, while Streeter also took sixth in the triple jump and Hunter Beebe surprised in the high jump with a sixth-place finish.
“Hunter Beebe, I never expected him to place in the high jump,” Fournier said.
The 4×800 relay team (Meier, Eagan Eldridge, Devin Hoskins, Jonas Loden-Kemper) grabbed fifthat8:25.48,the4x100 (Cole Guerin, Jason Halliday, Streeter, Travis Nadeau) took seventh at 45.02 and Eldridge had another solid run in the 800.
“Eagan Eldridge didn’t place, but for him to run a 2:05, that was really impressive,” Fournier said. “He’s come a long ways.”
As with Brunswick, there were some points lost here and there, but overall, Fournier left happy.
“I think we did what we should have done,” she said. “They did what they should have done and some of them actually exceeded, so it’s a good day.”
Cheverus captured the girls Class A title with 74 points, edging past Thornton Academy (60.50), Falmouth (60), Scarborough (52) and Hampden Academy (38).
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