Bangor, Brewer are favored in EMITL

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This year’s Eastern Maine Indoor Track League championship will be similar to those contested in the past in many ways.

Fast times. Exciting, late-night races. Superior competition. Two teams going home with a championship plaque.

The one difference: It’s on a Monday night this year.

Due to a UMaine hockey game being played at Alfond Arena Saturday, the 32nd league championship meet will be contested Monday night at the field house on the Orono campus.

It starts with the girls pole vault and long jump along with the boys high jump and shot put at 6:45 p.m. with the first running event, the 4-by-880 relay, going off at 7:15.

“The [two-week] layoff should affect the kids the most,” said Bangor coach Maynard Walton of the Monday start and the gap between the last meet. “Other than that, they’ll be ready.”

On paper, the Brewer boys appear favored to capture their first EMITL title since 2001 and the Bangor girls their second in three years, the last coming in 2002.

Anything can happen in a championship meet, however.

“We can’t make mental mistakes and beat ourselves,” said first-year Brewer coach Matt Collins.

One of the runners to watch in the boys meet will be Old Town senior Camden Gould, who is the top seed in all three distance races: the mile, 800 and 2-mile.

“He’s had a great season, and has really stepped it up this winter,” said Indians coach Rod White. “Cam and [John] Garrity have been huge keys.”

Garrity is seeded first in both the 60 and 200 and will run on Old Town’s 4-by-220 relay, which is seeded second behind Brewer.

“It [the 4-by-220] should be a thrash [between Old Town and Brewer],” White said.

Gould may have a shot at top meet performer as well, according to White.

Collins’ Witches are led by their depth of sprinters, pole vaulters and hurdlers.

“Our sprinters are our biggest strength,” Collins said. “We’re also counting on our corps of pole vaulters and sprinters.”

Both those crews are led by multiple threats in seniors Matt Quimby, Chip Haskell and Mike Parker in the pole vault while Dan Peterson, Josh Hawkes, Tony Schwarze and Tyler Stewart head up the hurdle crew.

The Witches also boast the top 4-by-880 relay squad, which will be made up of David Haluska, Peter McGuire, Brendan Carr and John Snow. Haluska will also run the mile and 2-mile. Chris Fox and Mike Ford are seeded 2, 4 in the 60 while Chris’ twin brother Dan is fifth.

Hampden’s Brad Simms and Trainor Kapler should do well, also. Simms is the top seed in the 60 hurdles and third in the pole vault while Kapler is third in the 60 and second in the 200.

Ellsworth’s Kris Tracy and MDI’s Jordan Robinson should be tough in the distance races, particularly the mile while Scott Dorritty, another Bronco, should be strong in a well-balanced 800-meter race.

Walton’s Bangor girls look like the best team on paper but White’s Indians may push them.

“Anything can happen,” Walton said. “Rod always has his team ready, and I told my kids they’d better be ready.”

Walton fields a team of young stars such as sprinters Jolene Belanger and Kelly Krapf and multi-talented veteran Danielle Lainez.

“We have a good strong group of freshman,” Walton said.

Lainez, a senior, has a good shot at top meet performer, which she shared with Heather Clark, Oriana Farley and MacKenzie Rawcliffe last year.

“She’s been very good and consistent, and helpful with the younger kids,” said Walton. “The hurdles are her strong point. She should break 9 seconds.”

Lainez is the top seed in the hurdles, pole vault and triple jump.

Belanger is the top seed in the 400, third in the 200 and second in the long jump. Krapf is second in the 200 and sixth in the 60. Teammate Kaitlin Dirrig is the top seed in that race.

“The strong points are in the sprints and jumps,” said Walton. “Old Town is very strong in the distance races.”

In all three distance races, the top spots are occupied by Indians: Cassie Hintz in the mile and 2-mile and Sharon Fuller in the 800. Fuller’s also seeded fourth in the 60 hurdles.

“Sharon Fuller’s hurdling much better,” said White.

Hintz has had an exceptionally fine season as well, clocking an impressive 11-minute, 14- second 2-mile in the first meet of the season.

“We’ve held her [Hintz] back a bit,” said White. “It’ll be her first double of the season.”

The Indians also boast the second seed in the shot put in Kristen Paul, who is right behind Brewer’s Sarah Hodgins.

“It should be a good battle,” said White.

Other girls to watch out for are Hampden’s Molly Balentine in the 4-by-880, mile and 2-mile, and teammate Amanda Gervasi in the 800 and 4-by-880.