OLD TOWN – In cross country, pack times win championships.

The pack time is the difference between the times of the first and fifth runners. How do you come up with a solid pack time? Ask the Mount Desert High Island boys and John Bapst girls for further instructions after their respective victories in the 55th annual Sectional Meet Saturday.

The MDI boys put together a pack time of 21 seconds to easily outdistance runnerup Brewer 40-102. Hampden (104), Caribou (105), and John Bapst of Bangor (126) rounded out the top five.

The Crusaders’ top finisher, Madeline Glover (19 minutes, 28 seconds), finished third overall and was only 1:33 ahead of fifth runner Courtney Martin as the John Bapst girls topped the Hampden Academy Broncos 43-66, followed by Old Town (82), Bangor (88), and MDI (127)

Individual titles went to Old Town sophomore Cassie Hintz, who toured the 3-mile loop in 18:28 to break the record set last year by Brewer’s Heather Clark (18:45), and senior Ben DeMerchant of Fort Fairfield, who held off County rival Chris Blackistone of Presque Isle to win the boys crown in 16:22.

In the girls meet, Hintz, who had the home-course advantage, didn’t have to go out hard.

“It’s always the plan to let the pack go,” said Hintz, who averaged a 6:09 mile, which was also her time after the first mile. “The home-course advantage really helped. I have lots of confidence [heading into October]. I’m not worried.”

Old Town coach Rod White said his team is looking forward to this Saturday’s Festival of Champions meet in Belfast.

“The southern Maine and Rhode Island kids will help [Hintz] move on,” White said. “She’s been running fast but hasn’t been pushed yet.”

Meanwhile, the Crusaders gave the Broncos a taste of their own winning recipe: a strong pack time.

“Winning is good for us. We’re a very close team,” said senior Sara Miller, who was John Bapst’s sixth runner, placing 17th and clocking a 21:31. “Hampden is a very good team,” she added. “We’re finally coming together. [Coach Bruce] Emerson gets you going.”

Maggie Jones said the Crusaders have a deep team and a solid JV team.

“We were struck with heat, but grouped up in the woods,” said Jones, who finished 11th overall and fourth on her team in 21:01. She was followed by teammate Courtney Martin, who placed 12th.

“We always try to stay close,” said Emerson. “The kids can work hard and have fun at the same time [in practice].”

“The flavor ice is the key in practice,” Jones added with a chuckle.

Even though his Broncos were second, coach Dick Balentine was still pleased.

“The girls ran well, and Molly [Balentine] had a good run, and [Amanda] Gervasi had her first big race,” he said.

Molly Balentine, the coach’s daughter, finished second (19:20) and Gervasi eighth (20:09).

In the boys meet, the Trojans’ motto, “Fear the Pack,” was clearly relevant as only 21 seconds separated the team’s first runner, Jake Emlen, from its fifth-place runner, Jordan Robinson.

“It helps to be around each other, and it’s nice to have depth,” said Emlen, who finished third overall in 16:55. “Our top five are seniors, but the younger runners have some varsity experience.”

MDI coach Bruce Merrill was pleased with his runners.

“I was thrilled with the performance from top to bottom,” he said. “We’re looking to be challenged next week by the Rhode Island team, and seeing the regional course helps.”

The “Fear the Pack” design was printed up by the father of MDI’s third runner, Aaron Stevens.

DeMerchant, who has raced against Blackistone before in the County, wasn’t sure what to expect on the Old Town course.

“I just went out and followed the pack,” he said. “It’s a nice course. I came down to look at competition, and am hoping for a top five at the Festival of Champions.”

JV honors went to the John Bapst girls and Hampden boys.

Mainers strong in Manchester

At Manchester, N.H., Maine boys took five of the top seven spots at the Manchester/Coca-Cola-Adidas Cross Country Classic on Saturday.

Greeley of Cumberland Center’s Ben True was the overall winner in the large school race while South Portland’s Eric Giddings was third. Falmouth’s Brandon Bonsey and Belfast’s Levi Miller were fourth and fifth, respectively. The Rangers won the team title by more than 100 points. In the small school meet, brothers Joey and Corey DeWitt of Ellsworth took first and seventh. Their Eagles finished third in the team competition with Hanover, N.H., taking first.