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PRESQUE ISLE – On the track, they’re fierce competitors. Off it, they’re close friends who will be teammates at the University of Maine next season.
Hilary Maxim of Old Town and Jennie Lucy of Bangor, two of the state’s top distance runners, gave fans at the Penobscot Valley Conference Large School track and field championships three memorable races Saturday.
“I love Jennie, it’s so awesome, I don’t know how else to say it, we both push each other to do our best,” said Maxim, who pulled away from Lucy to win the 1,600 meters in 5 minutes, 12.31 seconds and anchored the Coyotes’ 4×400-meter relay team to victory.
Lucy would win the middle event of the three, nipping Maxim in an exciting 800, finishing in 2:27.05 to Maxim’s 2:27.09.
“I just did everything I could because I wanted to win one,” said Lucy, who also anchored Bangor’s 4×4, which finished second.
“I just [strode] it out and gave it my all.”
Since the rainy conditions at the Johnson Complex forced the postponement of the pole vault, the meet is not officially over, although the Bangor girls have a 153-102 lead over second-place Brewer with just that event left.
The Witches were missing several key athletes who were suspended for disciplinary reasons, according to coach Jamerson Crowley.
The Bangor boys are also in a solid position to clinch its fourth straight PVC crown, with a 125-116 lead over second-place Hampden Academy while third-place Caribou is 18 points back (107).
The only way the Rams could lose is if neither of their pole vaulters clear a height.
The vault will be contested prior to Tuesday’s PVC freshman championship meet at Hampden Academy.
In the girls meet, individual bragging rights and Outstanding Performer honors went to Mount Desert Island junior Danielle Hutchins for the third consecutive year.
Hutchins won three individual races and anchored a winning relay, taking the 100-meter dash in 15.89 seconds, the 200 in 27.60 and the long jump with a leap of 15 feet, 5 inches.
Those efforts were impressive considering the cold and rainy conditions athletes faced.
“This year was worse than all the other years because all the other years were warm,” said Hutchins, who ran an 11.46 split in leading the Trojans’ 4×100-meter relay team to victory.
“I didn’t get the times I wanted because of the weather [but] I did good.”
Bangor’s throwing corps were instrumental in the Rams pulling away from the rest of the field, as they piled up 46 points in the shot put, discus and javelin, with senior Allison Doucette and junior Cote Theriault taking individual wins in the javelin and disc.
“Today was pretty good, we went out there and made an effort and in this rain I think we did great,” said junior Theriault, whose winning mark in the discus was 91-8 while she was fourth in the shot put.
“We have a very, very strong team, especially with throwers,” added Sorrell Cardello, a senior who was fourth in the discus and second in the shot.
While the Rams know that there is still one event remaining – albeit one where they boast the top and third seeds – they’re fairly confident they’ll remain atop their pedestal.
“It’s not over, there’s still pole vault, [but] we’re just really excited about how well we did, we got a lot of first places today,” said Lucy.
Those firsts included an outstanding effort from Deanna Wilbur in the 100 hurdles. Running into a headwind, Wilbur clocked a 15.89, just missing the conference record.
She came back to win the 300 hurdles in 50.01 while Megan Hogan was Bangor’s other individual winner, clearing 5 feet in the high jump.
Other individual winners included Hampden’s Rylee Rawcliffe in the shot put, Hannah Saunders of Caribou in the 1,600 racewalk and Michelle Haluska of Brewer in the 3,200 and teammate Mackenzie DeGraff in the triple jump.
In the boys meet, Bangor coach Joe Quinn was admittedly worried about Caribou, and he had every right to be.
The Vikings scored big points in the early events, in particular the 1,600 racewalk where they finished 1-2-3-6 and had the Rams playing catchup for a while.
“After we had our duel meet with them earlier this year, that’s the team I knew we were going to have to be concerned about,” said Quinn. “That was the team we were really worried about today, I’m glad [coach Roy Alden] got Coach of the Year, [he] deserves it.”
Riley Masters ran his way to Outstanding Performer honors, anchoring the Rams’ winning 4×800 relay and winning the 1,600, 800 and 3,200.
All three races didn’t come easy for Masters, as Caribou senior Spencer McElwain hung with the Rams’ senior all three times before Masters eventually pulled away.
“McElwain ran great all day, in the mile he gave me a huge scare, in the 800 it was the same way, [and it was] deja-vu in the 2 mile,” said Masters, who was timed in 4:28.39, 2:02.65 and 10:17.24, respectively.
The 800 and the 3,200 were the tougher of the four races, as Masters fought valiantly through tight hamstrings.
“Those faster races, like the 8, my hammy really tightens up and my lactic acid just builds up,” he said. “The 3,200 was brutal, I could feel my hamstrings tighten up the whole way, but I had a goal and just had to win that race.”
Other Bangor athletes who came up big included Tim Smith, who took the 110 hurdles, Josh Belanger and Stephen Salinas, who finished fourth and sixth in the 800 and Chris Illingworth, who was third in the 200 and anchored Bangor’s winning 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams.
Those efforts, coupled by Masters’ wins, has the Rams in a very good position to take team honors.
“It comes down to pole vault, the guys have to finish what they started but it looks good for both of them,” said Quinn.
Hampden Academy’s Matt Toothaker earned three individual wins, taking the long and triple jumps and 300 hurdles while Ben Sinclair of Brewer captured the 200 and 400.
rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net
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