Greely track teams sweep Class B state meet in dramatic fashion

For the first time since 2003, both the Greely’s boys’ and girls’ outdoor track teams stand atop Class B.

After each captured the state title in similar, epic fashion.

By coming from behind in the team standings to score enough points in the final event of the meet, the 4×400 relay, to ascend to the pinnacle.

And that was just part of the triumphant story of Forecaster Country runners, jumpers and throwers, who excelled all over the state, at three different meets, Saturday.

Here’s an overview, with a full recap of scorers from local schools.

Class B

Greely’s boys’ outdoor track team celebrates after winning the Class B track and field state championship Saturday in Mt. Desert Island. Anna Chadwick / Morning Sentinel

At the Class B boys’ state meet in Mt. Desert Island, Greely finished with 104 points to edge 2023 champion Leavitt (98). The Rangers won the championship for the first time in 21 years and for just the third time ever (1990 was the other).

Greely trailed Leavitt by a point entering the final relay. Alexander Mendoza, Charles Anania, Connor Skillin and Owen Partridge posted a time of 3 minutes, 31.14 seconds, good for second to John Bapst, but it was enough to surpass the Hornets, who placed 14th.

“It’s so great, a lot of hard work in the rain this season (paid off), said Partridge. “Coach (David Dowling) really pushed us this year and we had such a good team coming back.”

Partridge also finished first in the 400 (49.51 seconds). Samuel Anania won the pole vault (12 feet, 6 inches). Greely also won the 3,200 relay, as William Coull, Skillin, Cade Potts and Partridge had a time of 8:12.83.

Mendoza was runner-up in the triple jump (42-5.5), came in third in the high jump (6-2) and placed fifth in the long jump (20-3.75). Jonah Guibord was third in the 300 hurdles (42.23). Charles Anania placed third in the javelin (152-0) and seventh in the 300 hurdles (42.9). Thomas Leggat-Barr finished fourth in the racewalk (7:41.58). Coull placed fourth in the mile (4:30.84). Tait Harvey finished sixth in the mile (4:33.16) and seventh in the two-mile (10:20.31). Gaelan Lucey was sixth in the 200 (23.62), seventh in the long jump (19-5.5) and eighth in the triple jump (39-3.5). John Rydzewski came in sixth in the pole vault (11-6). Liam Magoon was seventh in the pole vault (11-6). Skillin finished eighth in the 800 (2:04.83). Samuel Kim came in eighth in the 100 (12.2). Gaavin Byrne placed eighth in the 400 (54.59).

Greely’s 4×100 relay team (Lucey, Logan Vergara, Holden Pierce and Samuel Kim) came in fourth (45.26).

The Rangers also won the Class B indoor championship in February.

“A few years ago, the boys’ indoor team came in last, with one point,” said Charles Anania. “To win two state champs in indoor and outdoor is just amazing.”

Greely’s Jacqueline Franklin runs with the baton during the anchor leg of the girls 4×400 relay at the Class B state meet. Franklin helped the Rangers win the event and capture the team title. Anna Chadwick / Morning Sentinel

The Greely girls finished with 93 points, squeaking past two-time defending champion York (90). The Rangers earned their third title in the last eight years, their first since 2018 and the 17th in the program’s illustrious history. Greely trailed York by two points before winning the 4×400 relay, as Samantha Santerre, Lilian Pierce, Danica Pleau and Jacqueline Franklin posted a time of 4:13.69.

“It feels really good,” said Franklin. “I knew before (the race) that we needed to get first to win states. I figured I’d just take (the lead) right away. I just had to go for it.”

The Rangers featured freshman Victoria Zandan, who won the 300 hurdles (48.7) and the long jump (16-11.25).

“It’s really exciting, it was hard (to win),” Zandan said. “I felt like the 300 hurdles was more of an accomplishment for me. I was just trying to start out fast. The rest of the race was tough, but I pushed through it.”

Franklin was first in the 400 (1:01.45) Greely also won the 4×100 relay, as Danica Pleau, Franklin, Lilian Pierce and Abigail Jacobson posted a time of 52.07.

Zandan also was runner-up in the triple jump (34-0) and came in third in the 100 hurdles (16.08). Jacobson finished fifth in the 100 (13.33) and fifth in the 200 (27.88). Rowan Barry placed fifth in the mile (5:10.59), sixth in the 800 (2:22.32) and sixth in the two-mile (11:39.46). Pierce placed seventh in the 200 (28.1). Sabine Sites was seventh in the discus (91-5). Franklin was also seventh in the long jump (15-5). Samantha Santerre came in eighth in the 800 (2:24.25).

The Rangers’ 4×800 relay team (Emma Stein, Sara Weisz, Santerre and Abigail Lennox) finished fifth (10:31.25).

“It feels great (to sweep),” said Dowling. “It really came down to the wire. We had some bumps along the way. York is always tough to beat, they really brought the best out of the kids. We overcame some injuries and adversity and still managed to hold on at the end.”

Freeport’s girls placed third in Class B with 63 points.

Kessa Benner was second in the pole vault (10-0). The Falcons’ 4×400 (Lucy Riggs, Emma Graham, Lizalyn Boudreau and Lilah Hall, 4:15.45) and 4×800 (Lucy Huggett, Stella Kryzak, Ella Oshetski and Hall, 10:02.35) relay teams were both second.

Luciana Bourgeois finished third in the 300 hurdles (49.56). Claire Ramus was fourth in the high jump (5-0). Huggett placed fourth in the mile (5:10.5) and fifth in the two-mile (11:39.21). Graham finished fourth in the 200 (27.46) and seventh in the 100 (13.42). Hall was fifth in the 800 (2:22.27) and seventh in the mile (5:29.78). Boudreau placed seventh in the 400 (1:03.94).

Freeport’s 4×100 relay team (Graham, Bourgeois, Boudreau and Ada Shirley) came in fifth (53.08).

Yarmouth (47) was fifth.

The Clippers were led by Olivia Wentworth, who was runner-up in the mile (11:29.63). Ella Cameron finished third in the discus (100-5), fifth in the javelin (100-8) and eighth in the pole vault (7-9). Abby Noble was third in both the 100 (13.26) and the 200 (27.36). Taylor Oranellas placed fourth in the 400 (1:03.2).

Yarmouth’s 4×800 relay team (Eliza Grimnes, Oranellas, Connor and Wentworth) finished third (10:10.63). The Cilppers’ 4×100 relay squad (Abbie Grunewald, Grimnes, Abbie Bouse and Noble) placed fourth (52.95).

Yarmouth’s boys had 41 points and came in seventh.

The Clippers won the 4×100 relay, as Colby Ting, Ward Jenkins, Ethan Hoffman and Justin Dawes had a time of 44.7 seconds. Hoffman captured the shot put (52-8.25).

Evan Hankins finished second in the 800 (2:00.17). Dawes was fourth in the 100 (11.66). Ting came in fourth in the pole vault (12-0). Abd Muayad was seventh in the shot put (43-6.75). Nathan Pires placed eighth in the two-mile (10:23.49).

Freeport (32) placed ninth.

The Falcons were led by Will Spaulding, who was runner-up in the two-mile (9:37.01). Reece Perry finished third in the pole vault (12-0). Alex Gilbert was third in the mile (4:26.29). Conner Smith was fifth in the mile (4:31.93). Andrew Oshetski came in fifth in the shot put (45-3.75) and eighth in the discus (129-0). Ezra Solis placed eighth in the 200 (23.84).

Freeport’s 4×100 relay team (Solis, Landon Clark, Ian Guzman and Cody Wall) came in seventh (47.0).

Class C

North Yarmouth Academy’s Sarah Moore flings herself over the bar in the high jump at the Class C state meet. Moore finished first and helped the Panthers come in second as a team. Caroline Burns photo

In the Class C state meet at St. Joseph’s College in Standish, the North Yarmouth Academy/Maine Coast Waldorf co-op team nearly ascended to the crown, but despite scoring a whopping 116 points, the squad was a close second to Orono (122), which successfully defended its title.

NYA/MCW was led by Sarah Moore, who won the high jump (5-2), long jump (17-9.75) and triple jump (36-2.5).

“The weather definitely helped with it, it’s just a great day,” Moore said. “I was probably more nervous about high jump, just because I (was) struggling a little bit. Having the competition I did, all the way to where I did, was really nice.”

Graca Bila also won the 200 (26.27) and the 300 hurdles (46.06) and was runner-up to Moore in the triple jump (36-00.75). Soren Stark-Chessa came in first in the 800 (2:19.72) and Rahel Delaney won the racewalk (8:06.74). NYA/MCW was first in the 4×100 relay, as Ella Giguere, Cass MacCarthy, Bila and Moore had a time of 52.24.

Stark-Chessa was third in the mile (5:10.08) and placed third in the two-mile (12:11.08). MacCarthy came in seventh in the shot put (30-9.25).

NYA/MCW was runner-up in the 4×800 relay (Daicey Speirs, Acadia Guliani, Delaney and Hadley Smith, 10:42.08) and the 4×400 relay squad (Speirs, Guliani, Darcy Jones and Smith) finished third (4:28.5).

In the Class C boys’ meet, won by Winslow with 89 points, NYA/MCW did not score.

Class A

The Class A state meet was held at Thornton Academy in Saco.

In the girls’ competition, won by Scarborough with 101 points, Falmouth (57) tied Portland for third (Bangor was runner-up with 86.5).

Ruby Prentiss won the shot put (39-8.5) and the discus (129-1). The Navigators won the 4×800 relay, as Maeve Ginevan, Sara Tennent, Georgia Moon and Bella Koepsell had a time of 9:50.83.

Samantha Gaudet was runner-up in the discus (125-7) and came in fifth in the javelin (102-6). Brynn Fortier finished third in the high jump (5-0). Tennent was fifth in the 800 (2:25.62).

Falmouth’s 4×400 relay team (Hadley Perry, Keira Kelly, Koepsell and Tennent) finished fourth (4:16.62).

In the boys’ meet, narrowly won by South Portland over Gorham (79.5 points to 79), Falmouth (22 points) placed 12th.

Max Shapiro was fourth in the 100 (11.08) and sixth in the 200 (23.29). Jason Hargesheimer placed fifth in the 300 hurdles (40.83). Christopher Jaynes finished eighth in the 300 hurdles (42.19).

The Navigators’ 4×400 relay team (Hargesheimer, Jaynes, Abram Wintersteen and Shapiro) finished third (3:33.43). Falmouth’s 4×100 relay squad (Wintersteen, Jaynes, Hargesheimer and Shapiro) placed sixth (44.75).

Kennebec Journal staff writer Dave Dyer and Press Herald staff writer Drew Bonifant contributed to this story.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. 

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