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Sumner High junior Parker Pruett is hoping his weekend performance at the Junior National Track and Field Championships will change his status from a standout Maine high school runner to a national item.
“It will open doors. I’m ranked seventh in the nation as a junior. That’s a good spot to be in. I’m hoping colleges will take a look at that and give me a call,” Pruett said.
Pruett finished seventh out of 24 runners in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the Junior National Track and Field Championships in Delaware, Ohio.
Elite runners from around the country under age 20 competed in the meet that put together the U.S. Junior Team that will compete in the Junior World Championships this summer in Sydney, Australia. Pruett made his way into the Top 10 ranking of U.S. juniors in the steeplechase with a time of 9 minutes, 37 seconds.
“He did very well, I’m excited,” said Sumner coach Chuck Whitney who accompanied Pruett to Ohio.
“They were all the top prep runners in the country. Many people at the meet had competed in the Olympic Trials. He was running against the best of the best.”
And yet, the ubiquitous competitor in Pruett hoped that in only his third running of the steeplechase – an event that is not run at Maine high school meets – he would prove the best.
“I really didn’t know what the field would be like. I just had the goal to run 9:10 to go to the world championships,” Pruett said. “Doing my workouts, I realized it probably wasn’t going to happen. But it was still my goal. It might have been able to happen.”
Pruett was the first high school runner to finish in the steeplechase and one place away from earning a medal. Had Pruett finished in the top two or run 9:10, he would have qualified for the U.S. Junior Team.
Based on his high school season, Pruett has been awarded the GATORADE Circle of Champions Maine High School Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year Award.
Pruett and 50 other male athletes representing 50 states and the District of Columbia, have received the award.
Morse High School middle distance runner Margie Van Orden was chosen as the female track and field athlete from Maine awarded the GATORADE Circle of Champions award.
The GATORADE Circle of Champions award program, now in its 11th year, honors outstanding high school student-athletes in eight sports.
The Bangor High School basketball floors at Red Barry Gym which were replaced because of water damage have been completed and the gym will be open for summer basketball July 8.
“The contract called for us to be able to use the floors on July 8 and the contractor came through,” said Bangor athletic director Steve Vanidestine. “It ended up the floor was completed a week and a half early.”
The basketball recreational league that runs for three weeks and the pickup games between local teams in the evening will move to Barry Gym next week.
The basketball program has been held at Garland Street while the Barry Gym has been under construction.
The East and West teams for the fourth annual Senior All-Stagame to benefit the Ronald McDonald Houses of Maine have been chosen. Among the stars on the East squad is Cony High basketball star Amy Vachon who has accepted a scholarship to play on the University of Maine women’s basketball team next year.
The Maine Field Hockey Association has donated approximately $3,000 to both the Bangor and Portland houses, which help to support a home for families of hospitalized children.
This year’s game will be held at 7 p.m. on July 12 on Hoch Field at Gardiner Area High School.
Adam Lambert of Pittsfield was inadvertently omitted from Monday’s list of winners from this weekend’s Regional Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships held at Cony High School in Augusta.
Lambert won the 17-18 year old javelin competition with a toss of 189 feet. He will join the team going to the national championship in Houston July 23-28.
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