BELFAST – On a day where Western Maine teams dominated, it seemed at least one Eastern Maine team was destined to come out on top during Saturday’s state cross country championships.

That team of destiny turned out to be coach Dick Balentine’s Hampden Academy Broncos.

Led by third- and sixth-place finishes from Molly Balentine and Amanda Gervasi, respectively, the Broncos edged rival John Bapst of Bangor 90-94 with Cape Elizabeth close behind (96). Greeley of Cumberland Center scored 109 and Yarmouth 140 to round out the top five on a warm day at the Troy Howard Middle School 5K course.

EM champ Ellsworth was seventh with 151.

Sanford won the Class A title, Freeport captured the Class C crown and Elan of Poland Spring won in Class D.

The Broncos, who had been battling the Crusaders and Eagles all season, got the better of their foes on this day.

“Strange things happen in states,” said Dick Balentine, whose team placed third in the EM Class B regional meet last week.

On this day, good things happened for Hampden.

“The girls remained optimistic,” Balentine said. “They’ve worked hard all year, and it’s great to see hard work pay off.”

Balentine also said it was nice to have an Eastern Maine team come out on top. Hampden was the only East team to win – in the girls and boys races.

“All the coaches [from Eastern Maine] were pulling for each other,” Balentine said.

Also contributing to Hampden’s state title were Molly Peverada (14th), Amelia Potvin (29th) and Margrethe Hassell (38th).

Capers freshman Elise Moody-Roberts, who turned in the day’s best girls time, didn’t complain about the mucky course.

“It’s fast,” she said.

She admitted it was good to get the experience.

“I tried to run an even pace, and ran the first mile in 5:40,” she said. “I tried to hold that, but got a little excited.”

Who wouldn’t be excited? She shattered Jessie Wilcox’s course record by more than 40 seconds. Moody-Roberts toured the mucky 5K loop in 18 minutes, 34 seconds.

She was pleased with her team’s efforts, too.

“We tried hard, and that’s what matters,” she said of Cape Elizabeth’s third-place effort in Class B.

In Class A, the Eastern Maine champion Mount Ararat Eagles of Topsham got a 1-2 finish from Jessie Wilcox and Beth Wilcox but didn’t have the pack power to overcome Sanford.

Sanford tucked Jess Violette (5th), Allison St. Jeanos (6th) and Kim Krupsky (11th) in the top 11, hence cruising to a 76-102 win. Scarborough (107), Deering of Portland (122) and Mt. Blue of Farmington (171) completed the top five. Bangor was eighth with 203.

Sanford was one of few teams unhappy with the change in venue from a very wet UMaine-Augusta course to Belfast.

“They were shocked and upset [when they heard],” said coach Matt Ferry. “They have state meet experience [at Augusta], and it would’ve been the last meet there for the seniors.”

Jolene Belanger and Casey Dunn finished third and fourth for Bangor.

In Class C, in coach Cathy McGuire’s six years at Freeport High School, she had never fielded a full girls team until this year.

The Falcons, led by the first- and fourth-place punch of Dani O’Rourke-Saschoff and Abby Samuelson, respectively, snuck past runner-up George Stevens of Blue Hill 57-69. Eastern Maine champ Sumner of East Sullivan was third with 81, followed by Wiscasset (86) and Foxcroft (93).

GSA coach Tim Farrar felt good about his team’s effort. “Freeport ran well, but we feel good for finishing second,” he said.

McGuire’s Falcons felt like they had a good shot coming in.

“It was beyond our wildest dreams [to win states],” she said. “We were bouncing off the fact that Freeport hadn’t won in a long time.”

In Class D, Shead of Eastport’s Helen Pottle captured the individual title, but Elan was too much for the Eastern Maine champs.

The Buccaneers avenged a loss to Monmouth in last week’s Regional meet, their first loss in four years, with a 38-63 thumping of the Mustangs. The Tigers finished third with 90 while Lee Academy and Woodland tied for fourth with 96.

Coach Peter Rowe’s Bucs, who captured their fourth straight state crown, were hungry for another shot at Monmouth.

“Our team has character,” he said. “The girls rose to the occasion. Cross country doesn’t come down to execution. It comes down to sprit, and the girls had sprit of champions.”