Masters’ 3 wins pace Bangor boys to EMITL crown

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ORONO – The last two winters, Riley Masters watched and admired as former teammate Casey Quaglia won all three distance events in the Eastern Maine Indoor Track League championships, winning the Outstanding Performer award and leading his team to glory.

This time, it was Masters’ time to shine on the big stage. The Bangor High School senior was unchallenged Saturday in winning the mile, 800 meters and 2-mile, racking up 30 points and leading the Rams to their fourth consecutive EMITL title at the University of Maine field house.

“I’ve been watching Casey get that award the last three years, so I thought it was my turn,” said Masters, whose Rams piled up 100 points to runner-up Hampden Academy’s 71.

Brewer finished third with 61 points, Orono was fourth with 45 and Ellsworth (32) was fifth among 13 scoring teams.

Unlike last year, when they breezed through this meet en route to their first Class A state championship in program history, the Rams were in a battle with tough Broncos and Witches squads.

In fact, Brewer led the meet 53-43 heading into the 800, where Bangor’s Masters and Stephen Salinas were seeded 1-2.

Not only did they wind up first and second, with Masters finishing in 2 minutes, 2.22 seconds and Salinas 2:04.24, but Shea Patterson came in a strong sixth, clocking a 2:12.24.

Those efforts gave the Rams 19 points and a formidable cushion heading into the meet’s homestretch.

“Going into the 800, we knew that was an event that we had to pick up the points,” said Masters, who won the mile in 4:29.31 and 2-mile in 10:10.92.

“Steve and Shea both ran ridiculous races, I’m very proud of both of them,” Masters added. “They just stuck to their spots and got the places we needed.”

Masters was especially pleased with his 800, as he went into Saturday’s competition looking to get himself in better position for the state meet.

“I definitely needed to move up in that 800. Down in southern Maine, [guys] are running great times right now,” Masters said.

After pumping his fist and smiling upon finishing the 2-mile, Masters knew his Outstanding Performer dreams had come true.

“I knew if I got that, it was MVP for me. When I crossed that finish line, it was just the sweetest moment,” he said.

Coming in, Bangor coach Maynard Walton figured his team’s main competition would come from Brewer but not necessarily from Hampden.

“I was surprised at Hampden. Hampden did a very good job, they had some outstanding athletes,” Walton said.

Brewer was put at a slight disadvantage in the final events, as sprinter Ben Sinclair, who earlier won the 400, was disqualified from the 200 and the 4×220 relay because he failed to check in for the 200.

In a championship meet, if an athlete fails to check in for an event, they are automatically disqualified for the remainder of the competition, but their previous performances – like Sinclair’s 50.71 clocking in the 400 – stand up.

After the Rams’ 19-point showing in the 800, Lonnie Hackett and Chris Illingworth picked up seven more points with a 4-5 finish in the 200, followed by Masters’ win in the 2-mile. Then Hackett, Kyle Vanidestine, Matt Kenny and Illingworth captured an exciting 4×220 relay in 1:37.48.

Illingworth outsprinted Orono’s Matt Claar and Steven Rice of Brewer down the homestretch, which is the type of effort Walton has come to expect from him.

“Illingworth, really, really he is a tough bugger,” Walton said. “In that relay, we could’ve lost that easily.”

The Rams didn’t have the top seeds they have been accustomed to in big meets – Masters was their lone individual winner – but athletes such as Hackett and Illingworth, who finished second and fourth in the 400, and Sean Seekins, who was third in the triple jump and second in the high jump, came through when needed.

“They were ready to run, they were ready,” said Walton.

Hampden’s Matt Toothaker and Jariden Cousens enjoyed strong days for the Broncos.

Toothaker captured the 200 in 23.55 seconds and the long jump (20-11/2) and finished second to Cousens in the triple jump in 40-5.

Cousens had a winning mark of 40-11 in the triple jump, adding to a victory at 6 feet in the high jump.

John Bapst of Bangor’s Chris Fogler turned in an outstanding effort as he won two races in a span of about 10-15 minutes, taking the 55-meter hurdles in 8.11 seconds and coming back to capture the 55 dash in 6.94.

Other individual victors were Hermon’s Tim Kenerson in the shot put (44-9) and Chase Daniels of Brewer (12-0) in the pole vault.

Central of Corinth’s Mike Viani won Coach of the Year honors. That was voted on by the conference’s coaches.

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