5 takeaways from the WMC outdoor track championship

With conference championships complete, athletes look ahead to next week’s state meet.

Greely’s Victoria Zandan lands in the pit in the long jump at the Western Maine Conference track and field championship on Saturday in Naples. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)

NAPLES —After winning her final event Saturday afternoon, Greely junior Victoria Zandan walked off the Lake Region High track and found a spot to lay down and close her eyes.

With three wins and a second-place finish at the Western Maine Conference outdoor track and field championship, Zandan’s five-minute nap a few yards away from the active finish line was well-earned.

Sleep was a common topic of infield conversation by the end of the meet, which was pushed to an afternoon start because of morning rain, but anyone trying to steal a wink before the bus ride home was awoken. Maybe it was the cheers for the Freeport girls and boys in their come-from-behind 1,600-meter relay races, or any of the four team champions celebrating with their makeshift duct tape and cutting board plaques.

The York boys (168 points) and Yarmouth girls (153 points) won the Division 1 team titles, while the Poland boys (150 points) and North Yarmouth Academy girls (137 points) staked their claim in Division 2.

Here are five takeaways from the 2026 WMC outdoor track and field championships:

ZANDAN SET FOR STRONG STATES

The Class B state meet is Saturday, and the defending outdoor champion in the long jump, 100-meter hurdles and 300 hurdles is excited to perform next weekend at Freeport High. Zandan lowered her times and bested her marks from last year’s conference and state meets despite the sub-optimal weather conditions (high 40s, overcast and breezy at the start) and continuous scrambling from event to event.

Zandan won the 100 hurdles (15.79 seconds), the long jump (17 feet, 11 inches), placed second in the triple jump (35-4) to Yarmouth freshman Hayden Aines (36-5.25), then finished with a win in the 300 hurdles (47.98).

“The weather for me is a very big part in my performance, so when it was very cold out, hurdles didn’t go that great, my long jumps didn’t go that good. The second it turned sunny, I did very well,” she said.

FAST KICK FALCONS

Alex Gilbert calls his approach to the 800 “very tactical”, so when the Freeport senior saw NYA sophomore James Vaillancourt build a substantial lead in the first of two laps, Gilbert didn’t worry. Even though he felt like his legs were slow and sore earlier during the 1,600 — a race Gilbert won comfortably (4:30.22) — he knew he had enough juice for two laps in the 800.

Freeport’s Alex Gilbert races to victory in the boys Division 1 800-meter run with a time of 1:59.57 at the Western Maine Conference track and field championships on Saturday in Naples. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)

“I never stress too much when someone gets a big lead, because I’m super confident in my kick,” he said.

With about 200 meters left, the 15-meter gap between first and second began to close, and with about 75 meters to go, Gilbert (1:59.57) and junior teammate Ian Guzman (1:59.98) overtook Vaillancourt (2:00.21). All three times were personal records, and Gilbert called the result, with two runners under 2 minutes, “super special.”

Jack Brogan’s 400-meter speed was instrumental to the Falcons’ 1,600 relay win. The senior overcame a slow handoff with Mungu Tussing, going from third place in the heat at the beginning of the second leg to taking the lead midway through the lap. Brogan also outkicked Wells senior Landon Fifield in the final 50 meters to win the individual 400 dash (52.36).

Four hours after anchoring Freeport’s 3,200 relay win, Lucy Huggett outkicked surging York senior Zoe Carroll, who won 1,600, 3,200, by one-hundredth of a second to hold on to the lead and win the 800 crown (2:19.61). Huggett also anchored the 1,600 relay win in which Maddy York brought the team from fourth to second, and Lilah Hall brought the team to the front. Megan Ritz opened the relay.

YORK DEPTH

The Wildcats won the boys title with impressive depth with multiple scorers in the 110 hurdles (Jackson Walker won at 15.82), race walk (Henry Mails won at 8:49.13), 400, 300 hurdles, 3,200, long jump, triple jump, javelin (Seth Banakos won with 132-3) and shot put (William Fagan won with 56-6.5).

Christopher Dimino, a senior, won the 100 (11.09) after setting a PR in the prelims and then again in the finals, and Casey Raymond won the discus (137-4). York also won the 400 relay.

“Competition definitely helps,” Dimino said. “The finals is definitely the most competitive race I’ve had so far this year. Having all these other athletes besides me, it’s just a really big motivator to try and do better. I think that’s what sports is all about, you know? Just push each other to do better.”

YARMOUTH RECORD BREAKERS

Yarmouth senior Ella Cameron was the only competitor to break a conference record, posting a mark of 127-11 in the javelin on her fifth attempt, which was also a facility record. Cameron additionally won the discus (124-4) and placed fourth in the shot put.

“There’s definitely a feeling that you get as you’re throwing the jav where you know that it’s going to be a good flight, a good throw, and I felt it there,” Cameron said. “It was really rewarding. I didn’t know that was the meet or regional record, so that was super exciting to get.”

Yarmouth teammates Abby Noble, Hayden Aines, Lilah Pernal and Miah Jacobs broke the Lake Region High facility record in the 400 relay (49.97). Jacobs, a junior, also posted the statewide season best in the 100 (12.21).