BATH – The Waterville girls track and field team entered the Class B state championship meet looking to crush the field en route to a seventh consecutive title.

The Waterville boys came to McMann Field looking to scratch and claw for every possible point to upend Falmouth and York.

Done and done.

Bethanie Brown and Nick Danner turned in record-setting performances on a steamy Saturday to help the Purple Panthers sweep the Class B meet for the second time in three years.

“I don’t have the words,” Waterville coach Ian Wilson said. “We put in so much hard work. We challenge them every single day. It’s gratifying to see them come here and do what they wanted to do from the beginning of the season.”

The girls swamped the field, scoring 136 points. Lake Region, led by three event winner Kate Hall, finished second  with 64 points. Winslow was third with 60 while Greely (58.5) and Old Town (45) followed.

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The Waterville boys were engaged in a much tighter showdown with the teams that shared the state title last season – York and Falmouth.

The Panthers scored 96 points to edge the Yachtsmen (87.5) and Wildcats (66).

“To come away with this win, it’s awesome,” said Danner, who shattered the Class B record in the javelin with a throw of 192 feet, 9 inches. “We’ve been chasing this. To come out on top is saying something because we were fighting with those Western teams.”

Added Brown, who set the Class B record in the 800 (2 minutes, 16.5 seconds): “This was our goal from the first practice. You never really know how things will go but to see all our work pay off, it’s pretty awesome.”

Brown had a monstrous day despite the sweltering heat. She won the 1,600 (4:56.34), 3,200 (10:36.36) and anchored the victorious 4×400 relay team (4:10.19) that closed the meet with a bang.

The University of Connecticut-bound Brown dominated most of her events, although the 800 was close. She edged Ellsworth junior Aleta Looker by four seconds in the 800.

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“It was a pretty good race,” Brown said. “I thought it would be close.”

The Purple Panthers also received strong performances from Sarah Shoulta in the hurdles and Kellie Bolduc (hurdles, jumps).

Shoulta won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.44 seconds and then the 300 hurdles in 46.07. She also won the pole vault by clearing 9 feet, 6 inches.

“I usually slow down in the middle but it felt smooth (Saturday),” Shoulta said of her 100 hurdle run.

Bolduc won the triple jump with a leap of 36-0.75.

“It (felt) good to come out and show everybody what we had,” she said.

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Danner led the boys with strong showings in the javelin and shot put. He was also seeded first in the discus but fouled out of the event.

However, he rebounded from that setback to set the Class B record in the javelin.

“It was awful,” Danner said of the discus. “It was such a letdown. I was running back and forth from that and the 4×100 relay and rushed some throws. But to come back in the javelin, it made up for it.”

Danner won the shot put with a throw of 47.4.5.

Jordhan Levine won the triple jump (41-10.5) and finished second in the 110 hurdles (15.69) and 300 hurdles (42.84).

“The triple jump was huge,” Levine said. “I was seeded third so it was pretty big. I knew I could move up. I’ve been waiting for a performance like this.”

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Devin Burgess won the long jump with a leap of 21-7. He was second in the pole vault (13-6).

The Panthers led the Yachtsmen by 6.5 points heading into the 4×400 relay but clinched the title by winning the event.
Troy Gurski, Colby Vince, Levine and Burgess finished in 3:33.71.

“When Danner fouled in the discus, it opened up the door a little bit for us,” Falmouth coach Danny Paul said. “But Waterville just had too much.”

A few records fell Saturday, including two from Hall.

She finished the 100 in 12.15 seconds and then set the mark in the long jump (18-5.75).

Ellsworth junior Dan Curts set a record in the 1,600 with a time of 4:14.02. Hermon junior Kaitlin Saulter set the record in the 400 (57.76).

Also at the meet, Winslow senior Alliyah Veilleux won the discus with a throw of 104-10.

Bill Stewart – 621-5640
bstewart@centralmaine.com


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