John Bapst sweeps PVC ‘Small’ titles Girls cruise; boys edge FA

DOVER-FOXCROFT – Ryan Lena didn’t win any individual races at the Penobscot Valley Conference Small School Track and Field Championships held Monday at Foxcroft Academy.

But the John Bapst sophomore ran four miles to epitomize the depth that lifted the Crusaders to a sweep of the team championships.

Lena was part of a 3,200-meter relay team that earned the John Bapst boys their only event victory, placed second in both the 800 and 1,600, and overcame leg cramps to place third in the 3,200.

“I just go out as hard as I can in every event,” he said, “but I usually know how to pace myself depending on the way it feels and how fast I’m going.”

Lena’s performance, and John Bapst’s ability to score points in 11 of the 12 running events, enabled the Crusaders (107.5 points) to slip past Foxcroft (92) and Bucksport (74).

“To me, Ryan had the outstanding performance of the day, because we could have let him go out of any one of those events and we don’t win the meet,” said John Bapst coach Bruce Pratt. “We told all the kids that if they were going to win, they were going to have to load up, and to see him with that cramp with three laps to go in the 3,200 and gutting it out like that was positively inspiring.”

John Bapst dominated the girls’ meet, amassing 157 points to top Orono (92) and surprising Greenville, which despite being the smallest school in the 16-team field placed third with 56 points.

In the boys meet, the battle among John Bapst, defending champion Foxcroft and Bucksport was decided in the next-to-the-last event. David McCourt placed second for John Bapst in the 3,200, while Lena was third and Zach Whited fifth to give the Crusaders the lead for good.

That trio had similar finishes in the 1,600, with Lena second, McCourt third and Whited fifth, and teamed with Andrew Willey to give Bapst its win in the 3,200 relay. The Crusaders also got top-three finishes from John Malloy (second in the 1,600 race walk), Corey Pattison (second in the 400), Jake Antworth (third in both hurdle races), Sam Heathcote (third in the 200), Tyler Yeo (third in the javelin) and Conor Campbell (third in the 800).

“Last year I thought we sort of stepped down at this meet, and this year I thought we really stepped up,” Pratt said.

Foxcroft’s Brandon Hall swept the jumping events and was voted outstanding performer of the boys meet. The senior cleared a PVC-record 6-81/4 in the high jump – then narrowly missed at 6-101/4. Hall also set a personal best in the long jump (21-21/2) and triple-jumped 41-11 to win that event by more than two feet.

Foxcroft also got victories from James McPhee in the shot put and Brian Twitchell in the 1,600 race walk.

Bucksport dominated the sprints and hurdles. Josh Johnson won the 100 and 200, Nick Tymozcko won the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles, Deven Eaton took the javelin and those three teamed with Chris Woodman to claim the 400 relay.

Ryan O’Keefe of Sumner was the meet’s only other double-event winner, taking the 1,600 and 3,200. Peter Graves of George Stevens Academy won the 400, while teammate Travis Rieley won the 800.

Other champions were Brad Chase of Dexter (discus), Adam Haggerty of Hermon (pole vault) and the Orono 1,600 relay team of Sam Walton, Lance Cowan, David Silk and Matt Whorton.

In the girls meet, the John Bapst 3,200 relay team of Courtney Martin, Nicole Lavertu, Maddy Glover and Sara Miller set a PVC record of 9:59.39 to the meet’s first event, and the Crusaders never looked back.

“A lot of people are doing better than they have before,” said Bapst junior Katie Andrle. “It’s an individual sport, but we really emphasize the team aspect of it, and that’s how we win.”

The Crusaders won five other running events, highlighted by Andrle’s PVC-record 46.85 clocking in the 300 hurdles.

John Bapst also got a 1-2 finish from Lavertu and Martin in the 1,600 and 1-2-3 finishes in the 100 hurdles (Elaine Colwell, Andrle and Erica Dougherty), the 800 (Evelyn Sharkey, Lavertu and Miller) and 3,200 (Glover, Lavertu and Martin).

Orono senior Olivia Alford was named outstanding performer of the girls’ meet after sparking two PVC-record relay teams and winning two other events.

She teamed with Kate Kelley, Rachel Bergman and Emily Artesani to win the 1,600 relay in 4:08.22 and the 400 relay in 51.56, tied the PVC mark in the 100 (12.83) and finished 1-2 with Artesani in the 400.

“I PR’d in everything, so that was good,” said Alford.

Orono also got victories from Bergman in the pole vault and Marie Lint in the shot put.

Greenville was sparked to its strong showing by Beth Bartley, who won both the high jump and triple jump, and Hannah Breton, champion of the long jump.

Penquis Valley of Milo used first-place finishes by Erin Beasley in the 200 and Desiree Hogan in the discus to place fourth in the team standings with 43 points.

Sandra Klausmeyer of Sumner won the javelin while Mahala Stewart of Narraguagus won the 1,600 race walk.