BATH — Falmouth senior Connor Piers knew toward the end of the Class A track and field state meet, before he took fourth place in the 3,200 meters, that his team had a real shot at its first Class A championship. So he did what his mom always has told him to do in a race.

“She tells me, ‘Buddy, go to the pain cave. You’ve got to want to hurt,'” Piers said in reference to his mother, Sheri, a three-time Olympic marathon trials qualifier and long one of Maine’s best road racers. “The heat today was brutal and the wind was bad. But I just felt different, and it’s because of my coaches and my team.

“I’m not running in college, so this was my last day on the track. To have all these people counting on you and to have the opportunity to come through for all of them on one day, it’s just an incredible feeling, probably one I’ll never have again.”

Falmouth eventually caught Thornton Academy, as both teams finished with 67 points to share the state title. Cheverus took third with 64 points at McMann Field in Bath.

In the girls’ meet, Cheverus won five individual events and the 1,600 relay to capture its second-straight Class A title. The Stags finished with 84 points, well ahead of Thornton Academy (64) and Gorham (49).

While the Thornton boys won five individual events, Falmouth’s only victory was the 400 relay (44.16), with junior Ethan Ali, freshman Alvaro Fuentes, sophomore Adrian Friedman and junior Kyle Bouchard.

But Falmouth also picked up a bunch of points with second-place finishes from Douglas Cooke in the 400 (52.13) and Fuentes in the 200 (22.76), as well as the 3,200 relay (8:28.79) and 1,600 relay (3:30.69).

“We’ve been talking about it all day,” Falmouth Coach Danny Paul said of the title.

Thornton was led by junior standouts Travis Snyder, who won three events, and Jason Montano, who won two.

Snyder won the 110 hurdles (14.96), 300 hurdles (41.53) and pole vault (14 feet, 9 inches). Snyder, who has cleared 16-1 indoors, said the gusting wind made the pole vault difficult. But he was most disappointed with the long jump, in which he took sixth (20-10) to finish the day with 32 points.

“I tied my (best mark) in the long jump, but I would have liked to have finished better than sixth,” Snyder said. “We knew the meet would be really close. We saw this chance coming. Everyone on the team has been so supportive all season – we’ve pushed each other.”

Montano won the shot put (55-2 3/4) and discus (145-7) with ease.

Montano said he thought of nothing but the team title all season, and he was pleased the Trojans won a piece of it, but he hinted he wants more next year.

“This is my first team title and I’m really proud of this team, they really pushed it. But I’m pretty sure we’ll do some great things next year,” Montano said.

Cheverus sophomore Sean Tompkins also won two events, capturing the 100 (11.06) and 200 (22.64). And Mt. Ararat sophomore Lisandro Berry-Gaviria won the 1,600 (4:26.66) and 3,200 (9:56.43). Windham senior Alex Wilkins was another double winner, in the triple jump (44-1 1/4) and the long jump (21-9 1/2).

In the girls’ meet, Cheverus freshman Victoria Bossong won the 100 in 12.18 and the 400 in a personal-best time of 56.95. Bossong’s previous best in the 400 was more 58.85.

“(Cheverus sophomore) Emma (Gallant) has been right there in the 400 all year, it’s really helped,” Bossong said. “I could see her coming off the turn. We were neck-and-neck, but I felt great.

“I can’t wait to see what this team does the next three years.”

Emma White, a junior, also powered Cheverus by winning the long jump (17-5) and triple jump and taking third in the 100 hurdles (15.52). In the triple jump, she went 37-4 to upset top-seeded Westbrook junior Nyagoa Bayak, who also jumped 37-4 (White’s second-best jump was longer than Bayak’s).

“We didn’t talk much about the (title),” White said. “And I think that helped. I went into the jumps without any pressure. We knew it was a possibility, but I just went with the mindset ‘we’d see what happens.’ I think that’s why I did well. I (got a personal-best mark) in the triple jump.”

Bayak did capture the high jump with a state-record leap of 5-11, which surpassed the 10-year-old mark of 5-9 set by Jesse Labreck of Messalonksee and her own all-time state best of 5-10 1/4 set last week at the SMAA championships.

Cheverus also got points from Gallant – a double-event winner last year as a freshman – who won the 200 (25.57) and took second in the 400 (57.43). And Cheverus won the 1,600 relay (4:05), with White, Bossong, Gallant and freshman Hellena Bolduc.

Falmouth junior Malaika Pasch captured the 1,600 (5:14.18) and 800 (2:21.95).

Deirdre Fleming can be reached at 791-6452 or:

dfleming@pressherald.com

Twitter: FlemingPph

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