Souviney signs with UMaine track program

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Katie Souviney, who has starred in three sports at Winslow High School and will make indoor track her fourth sport this winter, has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Maine where she will focus on a track career.

Souviney said she chose Maine over Cornell University (N.Y.) and the University of Pennsylvania.

“I liked the idea of staying closer to home so I’m not too far away from my family and I liked the track program at Maine,” said the 18-year-old Souviney, an East Vassalboro native. “The coaches at Maine are great and all the people are really nice there.

“I’m looking forward to it,” added the oldest of James and Janice Souviney’s three children.

In preparation for her college career, Souviney has decided to run indoor track for the first time after playing basketball for her first three seasons.

“I want to better my times,” said Souviney. “I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be a different experience.”

She will focus on the heptathlon at Maine in addition to individual events. The heptathlon consists of the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meters, long jump, javelin and 800 meters.

She has also helped lead the Black Raider field hockey team to three Class B state championships in her four years and has had a stellar outdoor track career.

Souviney won four events at the Class B Eastern Regional last spring, breaking her own previous state record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.83 seconds. She led Winslow to the regional title.

She then won the 100- and 300-meter hurdles and the 200-meter dash at the Class B state meet in helping the Raiders to a third-place finish.

Souviney proceeded to win the 100 hurdles and take third in the 300 hurdles at the New England Track and Field championships in Hampton, N.H.

Last summer, she won the heptathlon and the 100 hurdles in the young women’s division (ages 17-18) at the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics Region I championships in Orono and placed third in the javelin.

That qualified her for her third consecutive National Junior Olympics and she placed seventh in the heptathlon at Sacramento, Calif.

“That was a lot of fun,” said Souviney, who has lifted weights since eighth grade.

She said she will miss field hockey and basketball “but I love doing track.”

Maine track coach Jim Ballinger and assistant Rolland Ranson are happy to have Souviney on board.

“We’re very fortunate to have signed such an accomplished athlete,” said Ballinger. “And her being from Maine is special.”

Ranson said, “Katie’s very competitive. She’s very positive and will be great for the other athletes to work with.”

Black Bear Invitational slated

Montreal’s McGill University will return to defend its men’s and women’s championships in the third annual Black Bear Invitational swimming and diving meet at the University of Maine’s Stanley Wallace Pool in Orono on Friday and Saturday.

Friday’s competition begins at 6 p.m. with Saturday’s events beginning at 10 a.m. There will be an afternoon break with swimming scheduled to resume at 3:00.

Joining McGill and Maine will be Boston University along with Canadian schools the University of New Brunswick, Dalhousie University of Halifax, Nova Scotia, the University of Sherbrooke and Laval University. Sherbrooke and Laval are both in Quebec.

“I haven’t seen the entry list yet but I would expect McGill to be the favorites in both again,” said Maine men’s and women’s coach Jeff Wren. “McGill set four pool records in the men’s division and those records weren’t seriously challenged at the America East championships.

“Dalhousie is bringing a lot more swimmers than last year but I don’t know if they’re good or medium or what,” added Wren.

“What is unique about the meet is it allows New England and Canada to get together. We swim in meters [used in Canada] on Friday night and in yards on Saturday. The Canadians enjoy swimming yards because it’s shorter for them. It’s hard for us to go up to meters,” said the Bear coach.

All events are timed finals rather than a trials-and-finals format and the events will be measured in meters.

“We wanted to keep the meet to a day and a half to keep the expenses reasonable. This way it will involve a single overnight stay,” explained Wren.

He said the timed finals format allows swimmers to swim more events and reduces the amount of lag time. They will be allowed to enter five individual events and two relays.

Wren is looking forward to the meet.

“It grew a little bit from the first year to the second and this year it looks like it will take another jump forward in numbers,” added Wren.

The Maine women are 3-2 so far this season and three of the swimmers who could notch significant point totals will be senior Krystal Fogler in the freestyle, butterfly and backstroke; sophomore Stephanie Smeitana in the 50- and 100-meter backstroke, and freshman Karin Feldman in the freestyle and butterfly events.

The Maine men are 2-3 and three of their top swimmers include senior Brian Forrestall in the freestyle and individual medleys, senior Jon Dewitt in the 100 and 200 freestyle, and junior Nick Baser in the breaststroke.