Youth is served at Distance Festival Young teen Dron surprises older field

BRUNSWICK – Oriana Farley walked off the Bowdoin College track at the Maine Distance Festival Saturday and over to the winner of the 800-meter race.

“Great race,” the soon-to-be Hampden Academy junior, still trying to catch her breath, said to Chantelle Dron of Candia, N.H., “How old are you?”

Dron turned to Farley.

“I’m 13,” Dron said.

Neither Farley, the second-place finisher – nor Anne Hessberg of Academy of Holy Names in Albany, N.Y., last year’s winner who came in third despite leading much of the way – could believe Dron’s effort.

“I had no idea how old she was. I asked her because I wanted to know if she was going to be back next year,” Farley said with a laugh.

Dron, who runs with sunglasses on and her long, light brown hair pulled into a ponytail, may not be in high school just yet, but she had more experience – and kick – in her than the competition realized.

Dron’s victory came in one of four high school races at Saturday evening’s meet. The high schoolers competed before the open events, which involved some of the nation’s top distance runners.

The girls 800 was a showcase for the state’s top runners in that event, including Farley, Old Town’s Katie Laverdiere, Maria Millard of Orono, Emily Sheffield of Marshwood, Deering of Portland’s Kim Whipkey and Mandy Bowden of Greely in Cumberland Center.

Dron starts at Manchester Central High this fall, and she’s really almost 14 (Aug. 26 is the big date).

Despite her age, Dron has plenty of experience. She’s a three-time Hershey track and field national champion in the 800 for age 12 and ages 13-14. Her recent winning time in the Hershey meet was a 2:21.35, but she clocked a 2:17.56 Saturday.

Dron said she didn’t really have much of a race plan, but knew because of her seed that she had a shot at winning.

“I run different each time,” said the quiet, unassuming teenager. “I was just hoping I would win.”

Farley was pleased with her race, but her time was off her 2:16.95 at the New England Championships last month, the first time all season she ran the event fresh.

Farley clocked a 2:18.06 and outkicked Hessberg (2:18.16) at the finish line. Dron, Farley and Hessberg battled back and forth in the final 100. Millard was fourth at 2:19.62.

“I just wanted to go out and stay with the leaders,” Farley said. “I didn’t want to get boxed in and I made a move after the first lap. I was definitely pushing all-out [at the end]. [Hessberg] was right on me. I took a plunge right at the end.”

Bridget Gagne of North Yarmouth Academy completed a fine senior season with a win in the girls mile. Gagne ran a sub-five minute mile at the Class C state championships last month, but she hasn’t been focusing on dropping her times this summer.

“My legs were really tired,” said Gagne, who is headed to Brown University. “I’ve just been trying to keep my fitness level up and not really train to improve.”

Gagne led the entire way but second-place finisher Caroline Tuck of Canada stayed close at times.

“I like to start out really fast, but [having Tuck so close] wasn’t exactly what I wanted,” Gagne said. “I just tried to pick it up as much as I could.”

McAuley of Portland’s Sarah Marshall was fourth in the mile, while Carolyn Shea and Sarah Bard, both of Waterville, rounded out the field with fifth and sixth place finishes, respectively.

Russell Brown of Hanover came from behind in the final 200 meters to win the boys 800 with a time of 1:57.12. Waterville’s Kyle Masse was second (1:59.02). E.J. Hughes of Bangor High was sixth and George Stevens of Blue Hill’s Jeff Baroody finished in seventh place.

Matt Maline of Oakton High School in Virginia won the boys mile in 4:17.96. The top Maine finisher was Jeff Gaudette of Biddeford, who was fourth. Jeff Alden of Caribou finished in eighth place.