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WINDHAM – Having run against Mohamed Noor of Lewiston numerous times over the course of the cross country and track and field seasons, Bangor’s Riley Masters knows what to expect when two of Maine’s finest schoolboy runners take to the track.
When the Blue Devils’ senior slowed down the pace just over halfway through the 1,600-meter run at Saturday’s Class A state championship meet at Windham High, Rams senior Masters knew just what to do.
“With 700 [meters] left I knew I was going to have to take off early because I was afraid of [Scarborough’s Nate] Hathaway’s kick, so with 700 to go I just took off,” said Masters, who pulled away to win in a personal-best time of 4 minutes, 17.76 seconds.
That was only a preview of things to come, as both meets came down to the 4×400-meter relay.
The Scarborough girls pulled through for 10 points in the pole vault, eight in the discus and three in the triple jump to take a one-point edge over Edward Little of Auburn heading into the relay, and Scarborough’s fifth-place finish compared to EL’s sixth sewed up a third consecutive championship for coach Ron Kelly’s Red Storm.
Scarborough finished with 72 points and the Red Eddies 70 among 27 scoring teams.
Bangor finished seventh with 37 1/2 points while Brewer was 18th with nine.
Thornton Academy of Saco’s boys also went into the relay with a one-point lead over Bonny Eagle of Buxton.
Neither team placed in the relay, and the Trojans held on for a 79-78 win while Brunswick (60) was third.
Brewer and Bangor both turned in fine performances as the Witches finished seventh with 38 points and the Rams (35) eighth out of 29 teams.
The catalyst for the Brewer boys was sophomore sprinting standout Ben Sinclair.
Sinclair locked horns with Gorham’s Cam Stevens in the 400, but Sinclair dug deep and held off Stevens to win in 50.34 seconds.
“He’s really strong at the 400, but at the sprint at the end I have the kick,” said Sinclair, who later finished second in the 200 in a personal-best 22.86 while anchoring Brewer’s 4×400 and 4×100-meter relays, which finished second and fifth, respectively.
As the humidity on the track rose throughout the afternoon, so did the anticipation of the boys 3,200, which featured 12 runners, including Masters, who had run under 10 minutes.
Masters emerged from that group victorious in 9:38.13, and he was running alone throughout the second half of the race.
“I was right behind Mohamed, then he dropped out and I was afraid there was going to be nobody up there to pace me,” he said. “I never had that 2-mile state championship so I really wanted that.”
Coach George Mendros’ Thornton Academy Trojans established an early lead and held on after Andrew Lambert picked up six pivotal points in the high jump to carry the Trojans to their first state championship since 1990 and get some payback on a Bonny Eagle team that edged TA by one point at the SMAA championships.
“Last week we lost by one, today we won by one,” said Mendros after getting a victory ride and a Gatorade shower.
“After we won I said I’ve got to make sure I dodge water buckets,” he joked.
Brunswick pole vaulter David Solvenski vaulted to an all-classes state record of 16 feet, and just missed on three attempts at 16-3, which would have been a New England high school mark.
Other local standouts included Steven Rice of Brewer, who took sixth in the 100 hurdles and fourth in the 300 hurdles, while teammate Chris Corey took fifth. Sean Seekins of Bangor was second in the triple jump with a leap of 41-11 while teammate Ryan Weston took fifth in the discus.
The Bangor girls received sound performances from their top individuals, many of whom are underclassmen.
One who stood out was junior hurdler Deanna Wilbur.
Wilbur benefited from drawing a lane next to Messalonskee of Oakland standout Jesse Labreck in the 100-hurdle finals, and she more than trumped her personal-best time in clocking a 15.35 to finish second.
“That’s beyond where I wanted to be, that was incredible,” said Wilbur, who later finished fourth in the 300 hurdles.
“It really does make a difference to run against someone that fast,” she said.
Better yet, someone like Labreck who ran to a state-record time of 14.48 in the 100 hurdles, the second of four individual victories and three state records on the afternoon.
“I was just excited and pumped and I really wanted the record. I felt really driven, just wanted to get out and let it go,” said Labreck, who added record performances in the high jump (5-9) and triple jump (38-4) along with a 45.22-second triumph in the 300 hurdles.
Bangor sophomore Brittney Chapman set a personal record in the 400, winning her section in 1:00.65, which proved good for fourth place.
“I didn’t expect it at all, maybe a 61 but not a minute-flat,” said Chapman. “I’m very excited.”
Bangor’s 4×400 relay quartet of Chapman, Jennie Lucy, Jennifer Leach and Katie Porter blazed to a first-place finish in 4:12.59 while Lucy, Rachel Huber, Porter and Chelsea Pratt clocked a 10:06.52 in the 4×800 to finish fifth.
Lucy would also finish seventh in the 800 while Megan Hogan was fifth in the high jump for Bangor.
Brewer’s Michelle Haluska was sixth in the 1,600 and 3,200, Alison Keane fifth in the pole vault, and Brewer’s 4×100 of Chelsea Gillies, Kira Giroux, Rylee Hutchins and Mackenzie DeGraff took fifth. Bangor was fourth.
Scarborough trailed Edward Little most of the day, but made up for it in the final field events to catch up with and eventually pull ahead of the Red Eddies.
Both teams’ 4×400 relays were dead even through three runners before Scarborough’s Annie Mills pulled away down the backstretch to give the Storm the crown.
rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net
990-8193
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