Barkac runnerup in N.E. wrestling Old Town’s Maxim fourth in mile

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Dexter High senior Jeremiah Barkac placed second Saturday night in the 112-pound weight class of the 43rd annual New England Interscholastic Wrestling Championships held at Hillhouse High School.

Barkac outpointed his first three opponents in the two-day competition to earn a berth in the championship match against sophomore Sean Boyle of Lowell, Mass.

Barkac struck first, scoring an early takedown to take a 2-0 lead, but Boyle then scored an escape and built a 3-2 lead by the end of the first period en route to a 6-4 decision.

Boyle finished his season with a 51-0 record in leading Lowell to the New England team championship.

Barkac, a four-time Class C state champion from Parkman who finished third at the New England championships at 112 pounds last year and fifth at 103 pounds as a sophomore, finished this year’s New England meet with a 3-1 record and his senior season at 48-1 overall with 42 pins.

Barkac compiled a 189-6 record during his four years at Dexter, marking a state record for career victories. He also was undefeated against instate competition during his high school career.

Barkac was one of two Maine wrestlers to earn a second-place finish at this year’s New Englands, as Josh Eon of Class A champions Massabesic of Waterboro placed second at 171 pounds.

While Maine does not send full teams to the New Englands, Massabesic’s individual performers amassed 41 points, enough for the Mustangs to finish sixth in the team standings.

Seven other Maine competitors were medalists after earning top-six finishes at the New Englands.

Joey Eon, Josh Eon’s brother, placed third at 140 pounds, while Jesse Rayworth of Noble of North Berwick was fourth at 189. Jacob Berry of Camden Hills of Rockport (152 pounds) and Sam Webber of Mt. Blue of Farmington (125) each finished fifth, and Jake Longley of Noble (112), Chris Smith of Deering of Portland (119) and Jon Hussey of Marshwood of Eliot (152) each placed sixth.

O’Brien wins N.E. shot put

Becky O’Brien, a junior at Greely High in Cumberland Center, won the girls’ shot put Friday night during the 20th New England Interscholastic Indoor Track & Field Championships held at the Reggie Lewis Track in Boston.

O’Brien had a best effort of 46 feet, 3 inches to defeat second-place Brynn Smith of Thornton Academy in Saco (41-1 1.4). Bethany Karter-O’Brien of Waterville was seventh in the event with a best of 37-5 3/4.

Among top Eastern Maine finishers in the girls meet, Old Town junior Hilary Maxim placed fourth in the mile with a time of 5 minutes, 11.91 seconds. Maxim was among three top-eight finishers from Maine in the event. Abby Iselborn of McAuley of Portland was fifth in 5:12.99, while Ellsworth junior Shauna Lynch was eighth in 5:16.51.

Jesse LaBreck, a junior from Messalonskee High in Oakland, placed fifth in the high jump (5-3) and eighth in the 55 hurdles (9.89 seconds).

Maine’s best finishes in the boys meet came from Kent St. Charles of Wells, second in the long jump at 21-1 3/4, and Lewiston’s George Foster, third in the 600 (1:27.61).

Bangor’s Casey Quaglia finished fifth in the mile with a time of 4:28.49, while teammate Cam Cormier placed sixth in the 300 in 35.52 seconds. Bangor’s 4×200 relay team of Tony Martinez, Tyler Seekins, Chris Illingsworth and Curtis Coleman placed seventh in 1:33.42.

Jonathan Lenz of Hampden Academy finished tied for sixth in the high jump at 6-1, while Sam Petrie of Old Town tied for 10th in the same event, also with a best of 6-1.