What a difference a year made for Makenna Drouin.

As a junior at Edward Little High, the highly talented sprinter – she’d been named Varsity Maine Girls’ Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year as a sophomore – was disqualified in both the 55- and 200-meter dashes at the Class A indoor track championship. A win in the 55 hurdles was only minor satisfaction.

But this year as a senior at Lewiston High, where she had transferred prior to the 2023 outdoor track season, it was all smiles at the Class A indoor championship. Drouin said she woke up that morning feeling like it was going to be a great day.

It sure was.

Drouin repeated as the 55-meter hurdle champion with a personal-best time of 8.41 seconds and also won the 55-meter and 200-meter dashes while wearing Blue Devils blue. In the 55-meter dash, Drouin broke Anna Connors’ 2022 Class A meet record with a 7.11-second time in her heat and lowered the mark to 7.08 in the final.

Only one high school girl in Maine has ever run the 55 dash faster. That would be Kate Hall, who ran a high school best of 6.94 at the 2015 New Balance Nationals and went on to win two NCAA long jump titles.

Add in Drouin winning all three of her events at the KVAC meet, and placing sixth in the 55 meters and ninth in the 55 hurdles at the New England Championships and you have the resume that makes Drouin the 2024 Varsity Maine Girls’ Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.

Drouin had some tough competition for the honor, notably distance runners Cary Drake of York and Teanne Ewings of Greater Houlton Christian Academy.

Drouin said she had difficulty embracing indoor track, noting she had never competed indoors until her sophomore year.

“Many who know track know indoor and outdoor are not the same by any means, and teaching needs to be done and that is what Lewiston indoor track and field coaches have done. They taught me to love indoor track just as much as I do outdoor,” Drouin said.

Lewiston Coach Craig John said when Drouin joined the Lewiston track program his emphasis was on building a relationship with Drouin and making sure that she enjoyed herself.

“We wanted to make track fun and productive for her and it seems like that’s kind of what happened,” he said.

Drouin said it definitely happened.

Asked what she was proudest of this indoor season she said, “my times and that I had a whole season of happiness and joy.”

John said there are many reasons why Drouin is successful, including her diligent strength training, a good sense of humor, and the ability to be lightning-quick out of the starting blocks.

“The first five meters she’s so far ahead of most people because she’s so good getting out of the box,” John said.

Next year Drouin will be attending Elon University in Elon, North Carolina, a NCAA Division I program, on a full track scholarship. Elon has won three straight Colonial Athletic Association outdoor track and field championships.

Drouin said she chose Elon, in part, because “the coaches were committed to me before I even committed to them.”

But before she begins her college career Drouin has one more high school season, and the 18-year-old Lewiston resident sounds ready.

“I wanna leave my last outdoor track season with the high school division like I did indoor season – with a bam,” she said.

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