BANGOR – As her Hampden Academy teammates gathered under a tent at the finish line, MacKenzie Rawcliffe picked up a camcorder and panned over a pack of purple-clad runners.

Some puffed. Some panted.

Then someone asked the question.

“Did we win?”

The answer wasn’t officially available for quite some time. But the already smiling Broncos had a pretty good idea how things had turned out during Saturday’s Penobscot Valley Conference cross country championships.

The Broncos got an individual win from junior standout Oriana Farley and rode a strong pack performance to a 54-57 win over improving Ellsworth in the large-school competition.

John Bapst of Bangor took third with 109 while Old Town scored 111 and Caribou tallied 127.

In the small-school competition, which was determined by scoring the one varsity race as if only Class C and D schools were involved, Foxcroft Academy topped five full teams with 37 points. Sumner of East Sullivan scored 51 and Bucksport had 76.

The Broncos and Eagles have met four times already this year, and will likely face each other two more times – in the regional and state championship meets.

Farley, who set a course record of 18 minutes, 20 seconds on the 2.9-mile course, helped the Broncos prevail in familiar fashion: Hampden faced a similar weekly challenge from Class B foe Old Town a year ago.

“Last year it’s Old Town and this year it’s Ellsworth,” Farley said. “There’s always a team you have to be aware of and make sure you keep everything in check.”

Leading the Eagles was freshman Lacie Dow, who forced the pace early and finished second in 18:26, which also surpassed the course record.

Dow, who arrived at Ellsworth with a solid running reputation she forged in middle school meets, said her early strategy wasn’t necessarily to lead the race. Things just worked out that way.

“I don’t know what was with my beginning,” Dow said. “I didn’t even know I was going that fast until I realized I was in front. And then I felt like I was back in middle school again.”

Dow briefly led the race again with 600 meters to go, but Farley kept contact and used a strong kick to win comfortably.

Hampden’s true strength, however, may be its versatility: Junior Shelly Estes finished second for the Broncos and 10th overall, while classmate Rawcliffe was 12th. Molly Balentine took 15th and Amelia Potvin was 20th.

At some point during the season, all four of those Broncos have run in the No. 2 slot for the team.

The result: The Broncos thrive on a constantly changing pack environment and work with each other.

“I didn’t think I would stay in front of them,” Estes said. “I thought that they would be up next to me pretty soon.”

They never passed Estes, but did finish close behind.

In the small-school meet, Foxcroft Academy coach George Rolleston said his team’s title was entirely unexpected.

The Ponies Sarah Bellemare, Rachel Almy, Melissa MacAlister, Kate Duncan and Alyssa Robinson went 3-5-6-11-12 in the small-school division.

“We’re really shooting for regionals, because I really didn’t know what the competition would be like in Class C,” Rolleston said.

“This is a bonus. I’m really pleased, and tickled pink for what they’ve accomplished. Now, I hope we can build and take this and go to next week.”