Yerxa paces Red Riots to repeat regional title> Piscataquis boys top Sumner for championship

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ORONO – For the past four years, it has been impossible to talk about high school shot put throwers without dropping the name Kate Yerxa.

Yerxa, a senior at Orono High School, had claimed the Eastern Maine crown in the event for the past three years and was the top qualifier at Saturday’s Class C Eastern Maine track and field championships. In addition to the EM titles, she captured state championships in each of the last two years.

So, with all this history, what did Yerxa do on Saturday?

She placed second – by a quarter of an inch.

Hall-Dale’s Emily Garofalo claimed the title.

Despite not winning by the narrowest of margins, she remained in good spirits. “It’s good to get second place,” she said. “It builds character.”

And she also knew that she would find redemption in the form of a discus title and a team championship – both of which she received.

The Orono girls stole the show on Saturday, piling up impressive numbers on the way to their second consecutive Eastern Maine Class C title. The Red Riots racked up 157 points, more than double the 76 that runner-up Narraguagus of Harrington posted. Piscataquis Community High School of Guilford took third place with 75 points while Hall-Dale of Hallowell (68) and Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln (62) rounded out the top five.

In the boys meet, Piscataquis won the championship, pulling out a 114-100 win over Sumner of East Sullivan. Narraguagus placed third with 95 points and Hall-Dale took home fourth place with 55. Orono finished fifth by scoring 42 points.

The Orono girls had a strong all-around day, but dominated the field events, scoring 66 points in just seven events.

Yerxa was a big reason for Orono’s advantage in the field. Before placing second in the shot, she took second in the javelin, behind Hall-Dale’s Jessie Despres, for a total of 10 points between the two events. Part of the reason she was so accepting of second place in the events was her lack of practice.

“I didn’t even practice the shot last week,” she said. “It was a crazy week because we had our senior trip.”

The senior trip was a rafting expedition on the Kennebec River and Yerxa admittedly still felt sore from all the paddling.

That soreness didn’t affect her arm when the discus event came around. Her confidence entering the event could have propelled her to a championship by itself, considering her qualifying throw was nearly 15 feet ahead of her closest competitor.

However, following the first round of throws, Yerxa didn’t appear happy with her performance, grimacing as she hid from the sun under her parasol and turned on Garth Brooks on her walkman to get pumped up.

Whatever she did after the qualifying round, it worked. Yerxa went out and threw the discus 115-2, easily outdistancing Penquis of Milo’s Shannan Newbert, who had a toss of 97 feet.

Following the event, Yerxa was satisfied with the way she threw.

“I don’t get upset,” she said, “just a little tiffed. I just really wanted this (Eastern Maine) record.”

Although she fell short of the record, Yerxa took her fourth eastern Maine discus title and knew that Orono was on its way to a team championship. “This is our year,” she offered.

The Red Riots had three other team members win five individual crowns on the way to the championship. Caroline Tjepkema was a double winner, capturing the triple jump (32 feet, 1/2 inch) and long jump, with a distance of 14-9 1/2.

Freshman Maria Millard posted impressive victories in the 400 meter dash and high jump, picking up important points for the Red Riots. Ellen Vollmers won the pole vault, clearing a height of 7-6.

The win in eastern Maine will make it easier for Orono coach Gerhard Skall to step down. He’s leaving his post after 14 years with the Red Riots to “take time off to enjoy my kids.”

He added that he considered retiring after the Orono boys won a state title two years ago, but he “wanted his girls to be on top in something.”

The boys meet went down to the final event, and mathematics proved to be on the side of the Pirates from Guilford.

Following a delay caused by a severe thunderstorm which drove runners and spectators alike into the Orono High School gymnasium, Piscataquis knew what it had to do in order to win. The Pirates needed second place in the 3,200 and the 1,600 meter relay.

After Mike Chilly took second in the 3,200, it was up to the Pirates’ relay team to finish the job. Piscataquis placed second in the relay and the team let out a collective cheer, standing on the flooded ground at the edge of the track.

Although the team realized the goals it set during the delay, the championship never would have been possible without the efforts of Mike Johnston.

Johnston won all three throwing events on the day, including a surprise win in the javelin. He had just the fifth-best qualifying throw, nearly 12 feet shorter than the top qualifier. His throw of 140-6 edged out Randy Pagels of Narraguagus, whose toss of 138-7 was good for second place.

His victories in the discus and shot put were more overwhelming as he won each event by six feet.

Johnston, last year’s winner in the state shot put, was surprised with his winning throws.

“I didn’t have my best throw in either event,” he said following the shot put and discus. “But I thought I’d place first or second if I threw well enough.”

Sumner’s Brendan O’Keefe and Lau Ricci also had big days. O’Keefe won three events and Ricci took two. O’Keefe was a runaway winner in the 1,600, 800 and 3,200 meter races while Ricci sprinted his way to titles in the 100 and 200.