ORONO – This time of the year, as high school indoor tracks teams get into their winter schedules, Brewer track coach Dave Jeffrey looks for improving times, distances, and heights.

And if a team happens to win a meet or two along the way, it’s all the better.

Not only did several members of the Brewer boys and girls teams see improved results, but both Witches squads also took first place in Friday’s Eastern Maine Indoor Track League meet at the University of Maine.

The Brewer girls scored 153 points to roll over Foxcroft, which scored 70 points. Ellsworth was third with 27, and Sumner of East Sullivan and Mattanawcook of Lincoln each scored 14 points.

In the boys meet, Brewer racked up 135 points. Sumner was second with 45, holding off Mattanawcook, which scored 40. Foxcroft and Ellsworth had 35 and 28, respectively.

“We’re looking for great gains,” Jeffrey said. “We got a lot tonight, we really did. Our distance runners really improved dramatically and our second-tier sprinters had huge gains.”

In the boys meet, the Witches had their share of first-place finishes, thanks in big part to David Patrick’s victories in the 60-yard and 200-meter races and the high jump.

But Brewer’s depth also made a huge difference. The Witches had at least one – and in most cases more than two – finishers in each event.

Brewer swept four places in the pole vault, with Michael Parker’s 10-foot-6 vault winning the event.

In the two long distance races, the one-mile and two-mile, the Witches didn’t put anyone in the top two places (Ellsworth’s Kris Tracy won both of those events). But Brewer runners finished third, fourth, and fifth in both races.

“We’ve had quite a few people take first place, but we had a lot more [in lower places],” said senior Joey Caron, who was fourth in the 60-yard dash, second in the 200, and fourth in the pole vault.

“That gives us more points. We have freshmen and sophomores coming up through and it means they’re getting stronger and faster. I didn’t feel like I did great, but we did sweep the pole vault and that helps us big time.”

Caron was one of four Brewer point-scorers in the 60 and 200 events.

Other top finishes for Brewer included Peter McGuire’s win in the 800.

Foxcroft’s Ben Page took the long jump and the triple jump. Adam Hanson got a win for the Ponies in the 400. Cole Averill of Mattanawcook was victorious in the shot put. Herbie Ryan won the hurdles.

In the girls meet, the Witches got individual wins from their standout athletes, including Heather Clark and Danielle Lainez.

Lainez picked up wins in the pole vault, the triple jump, and the 60-meter hurdles, but she wasn’t quite happy with her finishes. Nagging ankle and muscle injuries haven’t helped her this season.

“That’s pretty much the major reason I didn’t do well today,” Lainez said. “I ran a really slow time [in the hurdles] because I didn’t have anybody next to me. At states last year, I got a 9.03 because McKenzie Rawcliffe [of Hampden] was running next to me and she made me go faster.”

Clark was in the same position for her events. She didn’t have anyone to push her in the in the 800 and the two-mile, in which she beat the second-place finisher by two minutes.

“They had a good meet, but they need people with them,” Jeffrey said.

Brewer racked up a number of first-place finishes. Rebecca Breau earned wins in the 200 and the long jump. Joslynn Pelletier took the 400, Erica Commeau won the high jump, and Candace Wilcox was first in the shot put, an event in which only 2 inches separated first through third.

Foxcroft’s Leslie Nelson anchored the winning 440 relay team and also won the 60-yard dash. Gina Luchini of Ellsworth was first in the mile.

Foxcroft coach George Rolleston was concerned about how his team would perform after the death of three students in a car accident last Saturday.

“They’re disappointed in their times and distances, but it’s been an emotional week for them,” he said. “Anytime you can be close to [Brewer] or your kids run well against them, it’s a plus.”