Ryan Weston must have a large trophy case at his home.
After all, the Bangor High School senior has accomplished a great deal in athletics in his three years at the school on Broadway: Two Eastern Maine championships and one state championship in basketball, three consecutive Penobscot Valley Conference championships and the 2007 Class A state title in outdoor track and field.
“Being able to experience all these different things, it really helps you appreciate all the hard work you put in through the season,” said Weston, who transferred to Bangor from Bangor Christian at the beginning of his sophomore year.
Weston and the Rams head to Presque Isle on Saturday in search of their fourth consecutive PVC boys championship.
Meet time is 11 a.m.
While track and field is certainly different than football and basketball in the sense most team members are competing in their individual events through the duration of a meet, Weston pointed out that one similarity still sticks out: Every piece of the puzzle is needed in order for the team to have success.
“In track everybody’s getting their own individual glory for their events, but you still need everybody in order to win the meet,” Weston said. “Track is unique because everybody’s got their individual events but it’s still a team thing at the end of it. It really helps you appreciate all the different talent that everybody has.”
While the Rams have won the conference crown the last three seasons, they’ll certainly face formidable challenges in the Star City.
Caribou, Hampden Academy and Brewer are all threats to knock the Rams off their pedestal, but they are only worried about staying focused.
“You’ve got to take care of yourself, you’ve got to execute what you control, you can only control what you do,” said Weston, who will be among the top seeds in the shot put and discus.
“Our focus this week in practice is going to be huge. We want to get all our techniques down and really finish this PVC season with our strongest performance yet.”
Along with Weston, the Rams field one of the state’s best distance runners in Riley Masters, a heavy favorite in all three distance races, along with Chris Illingworth in the sprints, Stephen Salinas in the mid-distance events and Sean Seekins in the pole vault, high jump and hurdles.
The Caribou Vikings are strongest in the javelin, where they field four of the top five throwers in the conference.
Franz Zehentner, Nate Swan, Kyle St. Peter and Rob Schuster head up coach Roy Alden’s javelin contingent, while Spencer McElwain should place fairly high in the distance events.
Caribou has always traditionally fielded a strong racewalking corps, and this year is no different, as the Vikes boast four of the top five racewalkers in the league.
Both Brewer and Hampden mirror the Rams in the sense both clubs feature athletes who are capable of racking up individual points.
Witches sophomore Ben Sinclair is a threat for 30 individual points in the 100, 200 and 400, and he may run the 4×400 relay.
Sinclair will be challenged in the 200 and 400 by Hampden standout Matt Toothaker.
The Broncos also will seek key points from the versatile Jadrien Cousens in the hurdles, jumps and sprints.
The girls’ side is a tossup between Brewer and Bangor.
Both squads cover events extremely well and this is a meet, as might be the case with the boys, that could come down to the 4×400 relay.
Brewer’s top guns are Kira Giroux and Rylee Hutchins in the sprints, Michelle Haluska and Katie Snow in the distance events, Kaitlin Noyes in the pole vault and mid-distance events, Mackenzie DeGraff in the sprints and long and triple jumps, Carolynn Tuck in the hurdles, long and high jumps, Colleen Carr in the long jump and sprints, and Sheri Valley in the hurdles.
Bangor looks for strong performances from Jennie Lucy in the distance events and possibly the 4×400 relay, Brittney Chapman and Allie Clukey in the sprints, Deanna Wilbur in the hurdles and Sorrell Cardello in the weights.
Mount Desert Island’s Danielle Hutchins aims to defend her individual conference crowns in the 100, 200, 400 and long jump, while Old Town’s Hilary Maxim is the reigning champ in the 1600 and 3200.
If Maxim and Lucy’s duel in the 800 in their regular-season finale last week is any indication of what’s to come Saturday, this should be one of the races to watch, along with the 400 meters and 300 hurdles.
Kayla Brooks, a freshman sprinter for the Coyotes, has emerged as a top-six threat in both the 100 and 200.
rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net
990-8193
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