But you still need to activate your account.
TURNER – In October of 1982, Ronald Reagan was in his first term as President, Bob Barker’s hair was still brown, and Amanda Ohmeis wasn’t even born yet.
That’s when the Mount Desert Island girls cross country team last won a state championship.
Fast-forward more than two decades and Ohmeis, an MDI senior was at Leavitt Area High School celebrating the Trojans’ first team championship in 24 years.
“It’s very exciting, we were looking for it least year, but this year we had a much better chance,” said Ohmeis after helping lead the Trojans to an 85-88 victory in a Class B showdown with Cape Elizabeth on a cold, but sunny Saturday.
Brunswick captured the Class A title while Freeport won in Class C.
The Trojans struggled early in the race, but broke up the packs of the Capers, York and Waterville during the middle portion of the race.
“Like our strategy has been all year, we are usually not doing so well the first mile, but then [after that] we pick everybody off one by one,” Ohmeis said.
The Trojans’ lead horse Saturday was sophomore Heather Spurling, who finished fourth in 20 minutes, 20 seconds. Freshman Jessica Swanson was 13th, seniors Liela Banks and Sue Falt 23rd and 26th, respectively and freshman MacKenzie Curtis 28th.
Ohmeis was 34th and freshman Lily Madeira 40th for first-year coach Kate Goupee.
Curtis gave her coach kudos for guiding the Trojans to the top.
“She’s been there [for us], she’s been helping us, she’s been the best coach I’ve ever had, personally,” Curtis said.
Ohmeis added winning a state title – particularly after coming in second to Cape Elizabeth a year ago – is the perfect way to cap her high school career.
“As a senior its just like the icing on the cake, we had an awesome season, then we’re state champs. It’s an awesome way to go out,” Ohmeis said.
York finished third with 106 points, Waterville fourth with 137 and Maranacook of Readfield fifth with 147.
John Bapst of Bangor took sixth (159) and Old Town (185) seventh.
The Coyotes were paced by junior standout Hilary Maxim, who went on to win the individual crown in 19:55.4 over a tough, 5-kilometer course.
Maxim battled Cape’s Emily Atwood, who finished second in 20:11.4.
“We were back and forth through the two-mile mark. I passed her around the hill, just before it,” Maxim said.
She didn’t let the hill, known as “Satan’s Inferno,” deter her championship quest.
“Once I got to the top I was really out of it, and then going down I got back into my stride,” Maxim said. “It made my stride longer, and I just went and didn’t look back.”
Hannah Saunders of Caribou was sixth overall and Waterville’s Cynthia Hunter eighth.
In the Class A race, a battle with strep throat didn’t keep Scarborough senior Erica Jesseman from posting the fastest time of the day in 19:39.0, running unchallenged from start to finish.
She said her throat was giving her trouble the night before the meet.
“[Friday] night I felt a pain in my throat. I thought it was just something minor,” Jesseman said. “Then I couldn’t swallow and I couldn’t breath then I was like, oh great.”
Jesseman, who led the Red Storm to a third-place team finish, had a few doubts whether she was going to get through the race, but after winning her first state individual crown, she was giving thanks.
“Casey Quaglia [of Bangor] and I are really close, he helps me through. And this girl right here, Kaitlynn Saldanha, helped me. She’s my best running buddy,” she added after teammate Saldanha gave Jesseman a congratulatory hug.
Brunswick overcame a strong effort from Catherine McAuley of Portland to win its second straight state crown with 78 points to the Lions’ 85.
Scarborough scored 113, Cheverus of Portland took fourth with 139 and Mount Ararat of Topsham fifth with 146.
Hampden Academy, led by a strong fifth-place effort by senior Molly Peverada (20:09.8) was ninth while Katie Snow placed 22nd to lead Brewer to 10th place while Bangor placed 14th.
In Class C, Freeport tucked all five scorers in the top 16 to win its fourth straight state title with 45 points.
Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln, led by Renee LaFlamme’s first-place finish (20:37.6), came in a solid second, 19 points behind the Falcons. Casey McCloskey and Hannah Ruhl joined LaFlamme in the top 10, finishing fifth and seventh, respectively.
Waynflete of Portland was third, Monmouth Academy fourth and Hall-Dale of Farmingdale fifth.
Comments
comments for this post are closed