BANGOR – Intense training is starting to pay off as cross country runners round into championship form.

Two teams in particular, the Ellsworth girls and Mount Desert Island boys, showed it Saturday by winning the Penobscot Valley Conference championships.

Sumner of East Sullivan captured both boys and girls team crowns in the Class C competition.

The MDI boys, who lost to Ellsworth by one point t week’s Hancock County championship meet in Blue Hill, fended off their county rivals in the big-school competition despite a 1-2 finish from Ellsworth brothers Joey and Corey DeWitt. MDI finished with 56 points, just ahead of Ellsworth’s 61. Brewer (123), Caribou (139) and Hampden (163) rounded out the top five on a blustery day on the course behind Bangor Mental Health Institute.

Joey DeWitt won with a time of 16 minutes, 30 seconds.

The Ellsworth girls, meanwhile, tucked five runners in the top 17 to outdistance runner-up John Bapst of Bangor, 48-68, followed by Hampden (78), Bangor (149), and Sumner of East Sullivan (178).

The girls individual crown went to Crusaders’ sophomore Maddy Glover, who toured the muddy 3-mile loop in 19:20.

Old Town sophomore standout Cassie Hintz did not run due to illness. She was “resting for regionals,” according to coach Rod White.

In the boys meet, MDI’s motto, “Fear the Pack,” was evident as the Trojans posted a pack time of 18 seconds between top runner Berkeley Wanner, who was seventh overall, and fifth runner Jake Emlen, who was 14th overall.

“Our pack is our strength,” said MDI coach Bruce Merrill. “Ellsworth has the 1-2 punch.”

The Trojans and Eagles were among the top five teams – all from Class B schools – in this week’s state coaches poll. Others in the top five are Scarborough, York and Greely of Cumberland Center.

“We’ll go as far as our pack takes us,” Merrill said. “The boys are looking forward to states.”

Merrill also acknowledged that cross country is a sport where you don’t “control your own destiny.

“We run our race, we run well and we run our way,” he said.

The DeWitts had completely different days. Senior Joey DeWitt remained unchallenged while freshman Corey DeWitt outsprinted Presque Isle’s Chris Blackistone and Sumner’s Ryan O’Keefe to the finish line.

“I didn’t think I’d catch them [Blackistone and O’Keefe] with a half-mile to go,” said Corey. “I figured I’d settle in and try to run them down.”

The 1-2 finish is a good confidence builder for the Eagles, according to the younger DeWitt.

“MDI has the better pack,” he said.

His older brother, meanwhile, didn’t have his best day.

“I didn’t feel too good, and the course was pretty wet,” said Joey, who went out slower than usual. “I went out in about 5:15, and I usually go out in the low 5s.”

Joey DeWitt doesn’t know what to expect next week against a familiar foe on a familiar course – the Class B regional meet at Belfast.

“Levi [Miller of Belfast] is tough to beat, and he’ll be on his home course,” he said.

In the girls meet, Glover, who was running on her home course, was aware that Old Town’s Hintz wasn’t competing.

“I don’t really focus on her,” she said.

Glover beat Bangor sophomore Jolene Belanger to the finish line by less than a second.

“I think she [Belanger] was with me the whole way,” Glover said.

Glover said the home-course advantage helped.

“I knew every step of the way, and knew the hills,” she said. “I was glad to be on my home course.”

She also said it was “hard to tell” who was the top runner without Hintz competing.

“There are so many talented runners in this league,” she said. “We hadn’t run against Ellsworth yet, so we didn’t know what to expect [team-wise].”

Coach Andy Beardsley’s Eagles managed to hold off the Crusaders, the return of veteran Lacie Dow from knee problems helped.

“Having Lacie back helps,” said freshman Jana Piazza, who was the Eagles’ top finisher in fourth place. “John Bapst and Hampden have been recognized a lot, and it feels good to beat them.”

Dow finished sixth.

“Lacie was able to finish, and we’re finally able to have a full team,” Beardsley said. “I’m real happy with the way we ran, and hopefully we can run well when everyone is healthy.”

Beardsley also said the same three teams will battle at next weekend’s regional.

“We’ll be facing the same two teams,” he said. “Our freshmen are learning, too.”

One of those freshmen, Shauna Lynch, who was feeling sick, ran a gutsy race to finish 10th. Jessica Buckingham (11th) and Gina Luchini (16th) rounded out the Eagle scorers.

In Class C, Sumner tucked Kelsey Linscott, Vanessa Brunton and Sandra Klausmeyer in the top 10 to easily outscore runner-up Foxcroft Academy 42-59. George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill was third with 72, followed by Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln (124) and Lee Academy (125).

Sumner’s boys were led by O’Keefe, a senior who finished third overall and first in the Class C competition. Greg Young was fourth and Victor Jacques 10th as Sumner bested Orono, Schenck of East Millinocket, Central of Corinth and Mattanawcook.

Junior varsity team titles went to the John Bapst girls and MDI boys.