While much attention has been focused on the high school basketball tournament in recent days (see story), local athletes have done their share of stealing headlines in the other winter sports.
Here’s a recap of the best of championship week, a week which saw plenty of triumph for Forecaster Country athletes:
Scarborough’s Kyleigh Record tries to keep up with Portland’s Samantha Moore in the Class A girls’ 800 at last week’s state meet. Record was second in the race, but the Red Storm wound up first as a team.. Carl D. Walsh / Portland Press Herald
Somewhere Paul Brogan is smiling, as South Portland’s boys’ indoor track team made history last week, capturing the Class A state title for the first time since 2002. The Red Riots, who last won a championship under Brogan, the program’s legendary coach who retired in 2008, finished with 53 points, edging Mt. Ararat (48.5), Lewiston (46), Portland (45) and Gorham (43) for the crown.
Arnaud Sioho won the triple jump (setting a new record with a top jump of 46 feet, 10.75 inches). Sioho was also runner-up in the long jump (22-7) and third in the 55 hurdles (8 seconds), scoring almost half of his team’s points.
“It’s a great feeling to win states,” said Sioho. “We were seeded fourth or fifth, and now we get first. It’s amazing.”
“Arnaud had a heck of a meet,” said South Portland coach Dave Kahill.
Evan Small placed third in the two-mile (9 minutes, 49.52 seconds). Henry Risch came in fourth in the shot put (50-7). Fischer Petrlik came in fifth in the mile (4:36.16). Tyler Bryant was fifth in the triple jump (41-2.25) and fifth in the high jump (6-2). Michael Lawlor was seventh in the 800 (2:03.23). Gavin Nicholson finished eighth in the triple jump (40-2).
South Portland also placed seventh in the 4×800 relay (Small, Patrick Heffernan, Lawlor and Petrlik, 8:50.2) and was eighth in the 4×200 relay (Gedeao Buanza, Mathew Berry, Che-Hao Saito and Caleb Ramsell, 1:36.83).
“Throughout the meet, we matched our seeds or were slightly better than them,” Kahill said.
Scarborough, which had won the last seven indoor championships and 11 of the past 12, wound up eighth this time around with 34 points. The Red Storm were led by John Read, who was runner-up in the 55 hurdles (7.87) and third in the long jump (20-9.5). Nate Murray finished fifth in the shot put (49-9). Atticus Merriam finished fifth in the two-mile (10:00.52). Baxter Merriam was sixth in the 800 (2:02.91). Cooper Mallar came in eighth in the high jump (6-0) and eighth in the long jump (20-00.75).
Scarborough’s 4×800 relay team (Noel Heath, Colin Anderson, Landen Springer and Atticus Merriam) finished fourth (8:31.66). The Red Storm’s 4×200 relay squad (Matthew Booth, Kevin Collins, Read and Mallar) placed seventh (1:36.58).
In the girls’ meet, won Scarborough won its first crown since tying for the title in 2018. The Red Storm tallied 63.5 points, holding off runner-up Bangor (57), which had won the past three championships. Scarborough was led by Laurel Driscoll, who came in second in the mile (5:06.44), third in the 800 (2:25.99) and third in the two-mile (11:43.33), and Kyleigh Record, who placed second in the 800 (2:25.04) and fourth in the mile (5:24.27). Bailey Stoddard-Baughman was third in the 55 hurdles (9.05) and came in fourth in the triple jump (33-4.5). Isabella Harmon finished third in the pole vault (9-0) and fifth in the high jump (5-0). Maiya Marquis placed fourth in the shot put (31-2.5). Caroline Benson tied for fifth in the pole vault (8-6).
The Red Storm’s 4×800 relay team (Sarah LeFebvre, Madeline Wolfgram, Avery Pettingill and Maya Taylor) was seventh in 10:56.0.
“It was very much a team effort,” Driscoll said.
South Portland (11.5 points) came in 16th. Makayla Edwards-Burrell was runner-up in the shot put (32-4.5). Iris Young tied for seventh in the high jump (4-10). Olivia Bean placed eighth in the triple jump (32-3).
The Red Riots’ 4×800 relay team (Christie Cole, Bean, Ellie Bisson and Des Milandu) was eighth (1:54.97).
In Class B, Cape Elizabeth’s girls had 16 points and came in 13th (York was first with 63 points). Sloan Gardner placed third in the shot put (33-6). Emma Young finished fourth in the 800 (2:23.21). Reagan Gajan placed fourth in the high jump (5-0).
In the boys’ meet, won by Greely with 72 points, Cape Elizabeth (1) tied Nokomis for 30th place. The Capers’ point came from Sebastian Hesser, who was eighth in the 800 (2:11.7).
Swimming
Scarborough swimmers Ryan Vigue, center left, Jacob Ducey, and Owen Kasper, in pool, celebrate their victory in 400-yard freestyle relay which also garnered Scarborough its third straight Class A team title last week. Gregory Rec / Portland Press Herald
Scarborough’s boys’ swim team won Class A for a third straight season, but it wasn’t easy. The Red Storm tallied 275 points to hold off Edward Little/Leavitt/Poland (257.5). Scarborough had to finish ahead of ELP in the final event, the 400 free relay, and did so and more, as Stephen Ranger, Jacob Ducey, Ryan Vigue and Owen Kasper posted a first-place time of 3 minutes, 28.03 seconds.
“It was just … yeah … speechless,” Kasper said. “To see my teammates faces light up and celebrating, arms in the air, was just the greatest feeling ever. We did the math, we knew we were behind. I was not about to go home losing this.”
The Red Storm were also third in the 200 medley relay, as Vigue, Kasper, Ducey and Ranger had a time of 1:46.27, and fifth in the 200 free relay as Connor Killip, Hanniel Nyanutse, Cam Zsiga and Nolan Green finished in 1:40.81
Individually, Scarborough was led by Kasper, who placed second in the 200 individual medley (2:05.69) and third in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.57), Vigue, who was runner-up in the 200 free (1:52.95) and third in the 500 free (5:03.9), and Ducey, who placed third in the 200 free (1:54.04) and finished fourth in the 500 free (5:11.89). Ranger placed fourth in the 100 backstroke (1:02.19) and Green came in sixth in the 100 butterfly (58.96 seconds) and seventh in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.4).
“That just shows as individuals, we have enough talent to score high, but together, we do better,” Vigue said. “We knew coming in it was going to be a hard-fought battle.”
“Either way, it’s satisfying,” said Red Storm coach Morgan Royle. “But this, it’s like icing. They knew every single point counted. They fought for every single race they had. I’m so proud of them.”
South Portland had 89 points and wound up 12th. Gavin Olsen was fifth in the 500 free (5:25.39). Iker Penaloza finished seventh in the 100 fly (59.56).
In the Class A girls’ meet, won by the Deering/Portland co-op team with 222 points, South Portland (172) was fifth. Ali Maksimova finished fourth in the 50 free (25.64) and seventh in the 100 breaststroke (1:12.4). Mina Dagorova came in sixth in the IM (2:21.72) and seventh in the backstroke (1:05.03). Amelia Hughes placed seventh in the 500 free (5:55.47).
The Red Riots’ 200 free relay team (Dagorova, Lola Strom, Maddy Fitzherbert and Maksimova) came in third (1:48.37). The 200 medley relay squad (Dagorova, Maksimova, Hughes and Fitzherbert) wound up sixth (2:03.22). The 400 free relay team (Fitzherbert, Chloe Kierstead, Hughes and Strom) placed eighth (4:14.89).
Scarborough (101) finished ninth. Emerson Johnson led the way with a third-placing showing in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.52). Lyla Pobrislo came in sixth in the 500 free (5:54.15).
The Red Storm came in seventh in the 400 free relay (Nadia Grinyuk, Sam Lanoue, Pobrislo and Johnson, 4:14.36) and eighth in the 200 medley relay (Pobrislo, Johnson, Meghan Robinson and Lanoue, 2:06.47).
In Class B, Cape Elizabeth’s boys dominated and won the title, their third in a row, with 436 points. The Capers got things started with a win in the 200 medley relay, as Jack McCormick, Cormac McKenney, Graham Plourde and David Steinbrick had a time of 1:39.28. Cape Elizabeth also captured the 400 free relay (Plourde, McCormick, McKenney and Steinbrick, 3:18.38) and was runner-up in the 200 free relay (Logan Schwartz, Tiger McCormick, Spencer Shaw and Weston Lowe, 1:35.12).
Individually, Steinbrick won the 200 free (1:45.81) and the 500 free (4:37.32) and was named Performer of the Meet. McKenney captured the 100 fly (51.99) and the 100 breaststroke (59.37). Plourde was first in the 200 IM (2:01.59) and second to McKenney in the 100 fly (53.65). Jack McCormick finished second in the 100 backstroke (55.69) and fourth in the 50 free (23.5). Lowe was runner-up in the 500 free (4:58.26) and placed fifth in the 200 free (1:52.06). Shaw was fourth in the IM (2:08.81) and fifth in the backstroke (58.09). Will Harmon finished fourth in the 500 free (5:12.49) and eighth in the 200 free (1:55.44). Tiger McCormick finished sixth in the 100 fly (55.74). Schwartz was seventh in the 50 free (24.06). If that wasn’t overwhelming enough, Logan McVeigh won the diving title with a score of 321.70. Seamus Jennings was fifth (223.90).
“We don’t always have a lot of meets (during the regular season), so it’s always ‘How’s it going to go?’” said Steinbrick. “We always do what we need to do, but it’s really the team that does it. We train hard and then we’ve got to execute.”
“It’s super special,” said McKenney. “We’ve been swimming together forever. When we were eighth graders, we were looking at all the school records and stuff, and thinking ‘When we get to senior year, we’re going to go after these.’”
“It’s a really special group, especially the seniors who have been instrumental in having this (be) one of our larger number of boys qualify,” added longtime Capers coach Ben Raymond. “They are going to leave a legacy of some really quality swimming, but more importantly, they leave the program better than when they started here.”
Cape Elizabeth’s girls also three-peated in dominant fashion, tallying 372 points. The Capers swept the relays, as the 200 medley team (Cookie Mahoney, Hope Taylor, Audrey Alberts and Dove Brown) had a time of 1:51.02, the 200 free squad (Hadley Mahoney, Brown, Alberts and Lucy Shaw) posted a time of 1:41.16 and the 400 free team (Hadley Mahoney, Shaw, Taylor and Cookie Mahoney) finished in 3:38.44.
Individually, Cookie Mahoney won the 200 free in 1:55.53 and the 100 free (53.14) and was named Performer of the Meet. Taylor won the 500 free (5:15.02) and finished third in the 200 IM (2:12.41). Shaw was second in both the 200 IM (2:08.79) and the 100 fly (58.58). Alberts finished second in the 200 free (2:00.06) and third in the 100 fly (1:00.33). Brown was runner-up in the 50 free (25.45) and fourth in the 100 fly (1:00.75). Hadley Mahoney was second to her sister in the 100 free (55.16) and placed sixth in the 50 free (25.66). Elisa Dew finished sixth in the 100 backstroke (1:06.8).
“Everybody we entered in the meet scored points today and that’s huge,” Raymond said. “That’s a big deal, The girls, they compete really well. We didn’t need to focus on times today, but more on how you’re going to place, catching somebody else next to you, and just keeping the energy up. I was hoping to be up by 50 (points) after the 200 free relay, knowing we weren’t sitting all that well for scoring in the (backstroke) and the (breaststroke), but our kids in the back in the breast scored some big points there to help with that cushion.”
Skiing
Cape Elizabeth’s Logan Schwartz competes in the Class B Alpine championship last week. Schwartz was runner-up in the giant slalom. Andree Kehn / Sun Journal
While this wasn’t the winter that snow aficionados were hoping for, there were still plenty of local skiers who excelled at the state meet.
Cape Elizabeth’s boys’ Alpine team finished second to Fort Kent. Keegan Lathrop won the slalom with a two-run combined time of 1 minute, 18.6 seconds and was third in the GS (1:37.13). Logan Schwartz was second in the GS (1:32.95).
The Capers girls placed sixth (Fort Kent was first). Laura Clark was 21st in the GS (1:54.38). Ella Riley finished 27th in the slalom (1:55.31).
Scarborough’s girls came in 14th and the boys were 19th in the Class A Alpine standings.
Wrestling
The Scarborough/Gorham wrestling team tallied 22 points and tied Deering for 17th place at the Class A state meet. Massabesic (114.5) took top honors.
Luke Burns won the state title at 190 pounds beating Mt. Blue’s Jason Bagley in the final.
Hussein Ali of the Portland/South Portland co-op team was runner-up at 165 pounds.
Boys’ hockey
The boys’ hockey regular season has come to a close and the playoffs begin this week, but just one local team qualified.
In Class A, the Portland/South Portland/Deering Beacons co-op team ended up 9-8-1 and seventh following losses at Marshwood (4-2) and at home to Marshwood (4-3, in overtime).
The Beacons go to No. 2 St. Dom’s (13-3-2) Friday for the state quarterfinals. The Saints won the lone regular season meeting, 4-2, Dec. 7 in Portland.
The Class A state semifinals are Wednesday of next week at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.
Scarborough finished 2-15-1 and 11th in Class A, but only eight teams qualified for the tournament. The Red Storm dropped their finale, 2-1, to St. Dom’s.
In Class B South, reigning state champion Cape Elizabeth wound up 2-16 and ninth, but only eight teams qualified. The Capers closed with losses to Gorham (6-0) and Brunswick (2-1).
Portland Press Herald staff writers Drew Bonifant, Steve Craig, Glenn Jordan and Travis Lazarczyk contributed to this story.
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. For game updates and links to game stories, follow him on Threads: @foresports2023
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