After a year without a postseason due to COVID-19, Cheverus, Deering, Portland and Waynflete athletes more than made up for lost time at the state meets for indoor track, swimming and skiing last week.
Here are the highlights:
Indoor track
Cheverus’ Frank Morang finishes a close second in the boys’ triple jump at the Class A state track and field meet last week. Carl D. Walsh / Portland Press Herald
At the Class A indoor track state meet in Gorham, Cheverus’ boys tallied 37 points and finished third behind perennial champion Scarborough (75) and runner-up Lewiston (72). The Stags got a win from Frank Morang in the long jump (21 feet, 9.25 inches). Morang was also second in the triple jump (44-2). Andrew Griffiths was fourth in the 400 (42.32 seconds) and fifth in the 55 hurdles (8.25). Jesse Cadigan was fifth in the 800 (2 minutes, 4.02 seconds). Brendan Rogers came in seventh in the 400 (53.3). Cheverus’ 4×200 relay team (Griffiths, Morang, Reagan Bossong and Rogers) was second to Scarborough in 1:35.25.
Portland (12 points) came in 14th. Nathan Blades finished fourth in the 800 (2:04.38). The Bulldogs 4×800 relay team (Jason Hargesheimer, Benjamin DiYenno, Ben Prestes and Blades) was runner-up to Mt. Ararat in 8:33.22.
Waynflete (3 points) tied Massabesic for 23rd place. Bryan Stark-Chessa finished fifth in the mile (4:36.26).
Deering (2 points) tied Bangor for 25th. Haytham Ramadan was sixth in the 2-mile (10:30.40).
In the Class A girls’ meet, won by Bangor with 82 points, Cheverus (16 points) tied Windham for 10th place. Freshman Annie Vigue was runner-up in the 800 (2:21.43). Leska Whitmarsh tied for third in the pole vault (8-0). The Stags 4×200 relay team (Maddie Hom, Caolinn Durkin, Vigue and Norah Slattery) placed fifth (1:52.70).
Portland (10) was 14th. Vanessa Connolly finished third in the shot put (34-3.5). Samantha Moore was fourth in the 2-mile (11:38.08).
Deering (3.5) finished 20th. Claire Dunn tied for fourth in the high jump (5-0).
The New England championships wrap up the indoor track season this weekend in Boston.
Swimming
Deering/Portland’s Maria DelMonte wins the 500 freestyle at last week’s Class A girls’ state swim meet. Ben McCanna / Portland Press Herald
Cheverus’ Taylor Belanger wins the 100 breaststroke at the Class A girls’ state swim meet. Ben McCanna / Portland Press Herald
In the pool, at the Class A girls’ state meet, Cheverus tallied 191 points and was third (Camden Hills won the title with 287 points). The Stags were led by Taylor Belanger, who won the 100 breaststroke in 1 minute, 8.9 seconds and the 50 freestyle in 25.49 seconds.
“On my third 25, I knew I could pull ahead,” Belanger said of her breaststroke victory. “(The) 50 is just all or nothing. I just knew if I wanted it, I had to go.”
Delilah Hastings came in fifth in the 100 backstroke (1:05.18). Bianca Cunningham was sixth in the 50 free (26.59) and sixth in the 100 free (58.45). Cheverus’ 200 medley relay team (Reese Belanger, Cialy Charbonneau, Hastings and Taylor Belanger) finished fourth in 2:00.19. The 200 free relay squad (Hannah Derrig, Charbonneau, Cunningham and Julia Olson) came in seventh in 1:56.91. The 400 free relay team (Cunningham, Reese Belanger, Hastings and Taylor Belanger) also placed seventh in 4:02.33.
The Deering/Portland co-op team scored 160 points and finished fifth. Maria DelMonte earned wins in the 500 free (5:09.60) and 100 backstroke (58.27).
Despite the backstroke being her favorite event, DelMonte said she felt better in the 500 free.
“The stroke felt smooth and I felt consistent throughout it,” she said.
Althea Hoag placed seventh in the 100 breaststroke (1:16.67). Deering/Portland’s 400 free relay squad (Hadley Hoag, Kaia West, Althea Hoag and DelMonte) finished fourth in 3:58.23. Its medley relay team (Katie Gallagher, Althea Hoag, DelMonte and Hadley Hoag) was fifth in 2:00.60.
In the Class A boys’ swim meet, won by Scarborough with 348 points, Deering/Portland (167) was fifth. Chase Gagnon came in fourth in the 200 individual medley (2:04.65) and placed sixth in the 100 backstroke (58.72). Fox Fernald came in fourth in the 50 free (23.06). Kiron Das was eighth in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.47). Deering/Portland’s medley relay team (Gagnon, Das, Fernald and Beo Endicott) placed third in 1:46.05. The 200 free relay squad (Endicott, Das, Gagnon and Fernald) was fourth in 1:35.24.
Cheverus, which won the prior eight state titles, came in 12th with 76 points. Oliver Womer came in seventh in the 500 free (5:27.51). Brady Hale was eighth in the 500 free (5:30.81).
In the Class B boys’ meet, won by Cape Elizabeth with 409 points, Waynflete finished 10th with 63 points. The Flyers’ medley relay team (Ty Davin, Oscar Herrera, Nico Herrera and Ellijah Gallagher) placed seventh in 2:03.05. The 200 free relay squad (Davin, Gallaher, Nico Herrera and Oscar Herrera) also finished seventh in 1:46.88.
The Class B girls’ meet was also won by Cape Elizabeth with 338 points. Waynflete (32.5) came in 13th.
Skiing
Deering’s Megan Cunningham competes in the Class A Nordic state race last week. Daryn Slover / Sun Journal
Nordic skiing produced some terrific results as well.
In the Class A girls’ competition, Mt. Blue was first while Cheverus and Deering tied for second. Portland placed eighth.
In the classic, Cheverus’ Leska Whitmarsh came in fifth with a time of 20 minutes, 39.6 seconds. Teammate Annabelle Brooks was seventh in 20:46.2. Deering’s Megan Cunningham placed 10th (21:18.0). Meribel Collin led the Bulldogs with an 19th-place showing (23:21.6).
In the freestyle, Deering’s Cunningham moved up to third (14:08.8), Cheverus’ Brooks was fourth (14:11.9) and Portland was paced by Tenley Flint (20th, 16:14.4).
In the pursuit standings, Brooks came in fourth (197 points), Cunningham was sixth (195), Whitmarsh seventh (194) and the Bulldogs’ top finisher was Collin (21st, 182).
On the boys’ side in Class A, Portland finished second to Mt. Blue, while Deering finished fifth and Cheverus 11th.
In the classic, Portland’s George Theall came in fifth (18:11.5). Teammate Daniel Niles was seventh (19:12.5). Zeke Zelonish led the Rams with an 18th-place showing (20:01.6). The Stags’ top finisher was Padraic Keane (43rd, 21:59).
In the freestyle, Portland’s Ben Horrisburger was fifth (12:35) and Theall was 10th (13:06.7). Keane moved up to 24th in 13:58.2. Zelonish was 29th (14:19.9).
In the pursuit standings, Theall was fifth with 196 points, Horrisburger came in eighth (193) and Niles was 10th (191). Zelonish finished 22nd (180) and Keane placed 32nd (171).
In Class C, the Waynflete girls were second to Fort Kent. Sarah Morgan was fourth in the classic (23:00.8) and sixth in the freestyle (16:34.2). Julia Werner placed fifth in the freestyle (16:28.3) and sixth in the classic (23.33.3). Keegan Dolan was seventh in the freestyle (16:37.2).
In the pursuit standings, Morgan was fourth (197 points) and Werner sixth (195).
The Class C boys’ title was captured by Mt. Abram. Waynflete was third behind Fort Kent. Henry Wagg finished fourth in the classic (19:38.7). Joe Powers was seventh (19:58.9). Reed Robinson placed 10th (20:23.3). Wagg was sixth in the freestyle (13:23.9) and finished fourth in the pursuit standings (197). Powers was ninth (192).
In the Class A Alpine championships, Cheverus’ boys came in 14th (Freeport/Brunswick was first). Reis Stamaris was 12th in the slalom (49.79 seconds). William Ray was 28th in the giant slalom (a two-run combined time of 1 minute, 57.58 seconds).
Cheverus’ girls came in 15th (Mt. Blue was first). Maddie Marcisso came in ninth in the GS (1:53.04) and 10th in the slalom (54.99).
Boys’ hockey
The boys’ hockey playoffs get underway this week.
In Class B South, the Cheverus/Yarmouth co-op squad earned the No. 3 spot after finishing 12-5 with wins last week at Kennebunk (4-0) and at home over York (4-1). Cheverus/Yarmouth hosts No. 6 York (6-10-1) in the quarterfinals Wednesday afternoon (see theforecaster.net/sports for game story).
In Class A, the South Portland/Waynflete/Freeport co-op team wound up third after closing with a 3-0 home win over Biddeford to finish 11-6-1. The squad hosts No. 14 St. Dom’s (1-17) in the state preliminary round Wednesday. Back on Jan. 5, SP/Waynflete/Freeport won, 7-2, at the Saints.
Portland/Deering closed the regular season with five straight victories, capped by 2-1 home wins last week over St. Dom’s and Marshwood, and finished 6-10 and 10th in Class A. Portland/Deering is at No. 7 Scarborough (9-8-1) in the state preliminary round Wednesday. The Red Storm won the regular season meeting, 7-1, Jan. 24.
The playoffs continue this weekend with the Class A state quarterfinals and the Class B South semifinals. Those games will be played on the home ice of the higher seeds.
Press Herald staff writer Travis Lazarczyk contributed to this story.
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