Bangor sweeps rival> Brewer second

BANGOR – With a couple of events left in Tuesday’s yearly regular season brawl between the Bangor and Brewer track teams, Rams senior standout Sara Kates-Chinoy was beaming after a solid day of jumping and sprinting.

“We’re getting better,” Kates-Chinoy said after itemizing the additions and improvements that had put the Bangor girls into a close battle with the Witches.

“I hope we can beat Brewer eventually.”

Well, Sara, your long wait ended Tuesday.

For the first time in five years, Bangor turned back Brewer in a regular season track meet.

The Rams out-gritted the Witches in events all around Cameron Stadium, withstood the pounding they expected from Brewer’s potent distance crew, and won the four-team meet with 115 points.

Brewer was second with 106 1/2, while Mount Desert Island (43 1/2) and Bangor Christian (5) rounded out the field.

In the boys meet, Bangor got two wins from Zach Capehart, two more from Nick Loukes, and completed the sweep with 111 points. Brewer compiled 99 1/2, MDI had 56 1/2 and Bangor Christian scored 3.

Bangor coach Gary Capehart spread his hands wide, gesturing at his athletes when the girls win became imminent.

“I can’t make up much of a story,” Capehart said. “They were incredible.”

And Capehart reminded, “Michelangelo started with a good piece of marble.”

Bangor sculpted a win with help from double-winner Julie Dawson (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles), and strong efforts in the throws and jumps.

Dawson said the win against a team she regards as a friendly rival came as a total surprise.

“For a while we thought that we were ahead, and then the Brewer pole vaulters took quite a few points, and their distance team scored a lot in the [3200]. So we thought we lost,” Dawson said. “But I guess we didn’t. So that’s cool. It makes our efforts worthwhile.”

Brewer coach Dave Jeffrey admitted that his team was a little banged up entering the meet, but said that wasn’t the big problem.

“I think the best team won,” he said, pointing out that the Bangor girls seemed to want the win more than his team.

“I didn’t think that we fought,” Jeffrey said. “I thought we kind of let it happen and didn’t dig down and fight. That’s what I think bothers me most.”

The Witches were paced by junior star Jen Puiia, who won the long jump (15-10), 200 (27.6) and 400 (1:01.2).

In the boys meet, the team battle overshadowed a monster day by MDI’s star thrower Jeff McDaniel.

McDaniel, owner of two indoor and one outdoor Class B shot put titles, threw a personal best 53-7 in that event to win by eight feet and won the discus with a toss of 136-4.

Brewer’s Josh Schwartz won the 100 and 200 and anchored the victorious 400 relay team.

The Witches lurked in contention until the end, but the disqualification of their 1,600-meter relay squad after a stirring duel with the Rams ended any hope of a win.