Around the 207 with Sam Bonsey Week #2
Another state record fell this weekend.
Standout high jumper Nyagoa Bayak of Westbrook traveled to Charlottesville, Virginia to compete at the Dogwood Track Classic. Bayak cleared five feet, 10 inches after opening with a 5-04 clearance to set the all-time state record, previously held by Jesse Labreck of Messalonskee, who cleared 5-09 feet at the Class A State Championships back in 2009. Bayak finished second to Sydney Banks of Manassas, Virginia. Bayak's 5-10, which is also a PB, is currently tied for the eighth-best mark in the country. Bayak would also compete in the triple jump, finishing second with a distance of 38 feet, 1 inch. The distance is the fifth-best performance in state history.
The most dangerous sprinter in the state made a remarkable season debut at Gorham High School last week. Scarborough sophomore Jarett Flaker won the 100 meters, 200 and 400, setting state-leading marks in each event. He took the 100 in 11.20 seconds, the 200 in 22.60 (just .11 off his outdoor PB) and 51.28. And he wasn't challenged in either event. On the girls' side, Emma Gallant of Cheverus won the 200 in 26.34 seconds. The time currently sits as the second-fastest time in the state. There were a few standouts in the distance events at Gorham. Gorham Ram senior Anna Slager won the 3200 meters, running 11:29.68. The time is just three seconds off her outdoor personal-best, and is currently the fastest time in the state. Right behind her was Bethany Sholl in Scarborough, who finished in 11:36.75. Like Slager, that time is just three seconds off her personal-best, and currently sits as the third-fastest time in the state. Slager is off to a strong start in her final season. She's run 5:28 in the 1600 this spring, which is currently the fourth-fastest in the state.
There were a few standout performances at Falmouth High School on Saturday. Leading the contingency of those performances had to be Falmouth freshmen Alvaro Fuentes. Fuentes won the 100, 200 and 400. In the 100 he ran 11.30 seconds to shatter his previous personal-best of 12.14. The time leads all freshmen in Maine, and is the third-fastest time regardless of class. He won the 200 in 23.37 seconds, the sixth-fastest time in the state and a PB, then won the 400 in 54.25. Fuentes, who finished fourth in the 200 at the Class A Indoor Championships, is primed to make a run at a state title in either the 100 or 200. Kyle Bouchard, Fuentes's teammate, was second in the 200 running 23.44. At an SMAA meet on May 1 at Falmouth, Bouchard and Fuentes each ran legs on Falmouth's 4x400 relay team, which ran a state-leading time of 3:34.14. Back on Saturday, Jon Auer won the 800 meters in 1:59.11 to break his previous PB by more than four seconds. Auer is off to a strong start this spring. His 800 is currently the second-fastest time in the state, and he's also run 4:25.54 in the 1600. He leads Class A in both events, and will certainly be a factor in both at the state meet.
Falmouth was host of another SMAA meet earlier in the week, which led to more impressive marks. Yachtsmen junior Malaika Pasch won the 800 meters, running 2:19.84 to become the second girl this spring to dip under 2:20. Her teammate, Karley Piers, took the 3200 in 11:42.95. The time is a PB for the freshman, and is also the fifth-fastest time in the state. Piers also ran 5:29.59 in the 1600 last week. South Portland's Kaleisha Towle had herself a day, winning the 100 meter hurdles (16.38), 300 meter hurdles (48.78) and long jump (16-06.25 feet). Her time in the 300 meter hurdles currently sits as the third-fastest time in the state.
Staying in the SMAA, Thornton Academy's Jason Montano continues to shine in the shot put. At Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland back on May 1, Montano threw 57 feet, 8.5 inches, which is the second time he's thrown over 57 feet this season. The distances he's thrown early in the season show he's much further along compared to last spring. At this time in 2017, Montano had yet to throw over 50 feet in the event. He wouldn't break 50 feet until May 10, when he threw 52-10. Montano also won the discus with a distance of 147 feet, 9 inches. That improved his PB by more than three feet, and sits as the second-longest mark in the state. Montano's teammate, Travis Snyder, had himself a day at Fitzpatrick, winning the 110 meter hurdles (15.53), 300 meter hurdles (43.18) and the long jump (20-10).
At Gorham High School, Noble's Nina Tasker and Scarborough's Emily Labbe faced off in the 100 meter hurdles. Labbe got the better of Tasker, winning in 15.41 to Tasker's 15.73. The time was a PB for Labbe.
MDI senior Ashley Anderson had another great performance this weekend. At a PVC regular season meet at Ellsworth High School on Friday, Anderson won the 100 and 200 in dominating fashion. She won the 100 meters in 12.59 seconds, setting a personal-best in the process, then set a state-leading mark in the 200 running 25.85 seconds. That time is just .16 off her personal-best, which she ran right around this time last spring. There were several other standout performance in Ellsworth. Hermon senior James Petersen won the 100 in 11.23 seconds, and the 200 in 22.82. Both times are personal-bests, and are the second-fastest times in the state. Peterson's teammate Zachary Beaton won the 110 meter hurdles, 300 meter hurdles and the triple jump. In the 110mh, Beaton won in a time of 15.15 seconds, which is just .03 off the state-leading time and a personal-best. Zachary Joyce of MDI wasn't much further back in 15.92, which is tied for the fifth-fastest time in the state. In the 300mh, Beaton won in 41.70 seconds, which is the second-fastest time in the state. And in the triple jump, Beaton jumped a distance of 42 feet, 4 inches. That mark is the third-best in the state. Griffin Maristany of MDI won the 400 in 51.42 seconds. The time is just off his PB of 51.36, but currently sits as the second-fastest in the state. Finishing behind him was teammate Owen Mild, who ran 51.59. The time shattered Mild's previous personal-best of 52.96. Both runners ran a leg on MDI's 4x100 meter relay, which the Trojans won in a state-leading time of 44.90.
At a KVAC regular season meet at Mt. Blue High School in Farmington, Maranacook's Molly McGrail became just the third girl in Maine to break 60 seconds in 400 this spring. McGrail finished in 59.41 seconds, winning the event by more than eight seconds. The time shattered her previous personal-best by more than two seconds. McGrail also won the 800 meters in 2:36.74. There was a state-leading mark in the girls' javelin at Farmington. Maddie Amero threw 122 feet, 11 inches to set a personal-best by more than 10 feet. Amero, who finished second in the event in Class C last spring, has started her outdoor season strong, and is currently undefeated in the javelin through four meets. Skowhegan's Leah Savage had a strong day as well, winning the triple jump and finishing second in the long jump. Savage jumped a distance of 35-00.5 feet, which is currently the third-best mark in the state. She then jumped 14-03.5 feet in the long jump, finishing second to Mya Sirois of Monmouth who jumped 14-08.
A state-leading mark in the shot put was set at Brunswick High School last Friday. Sarah Cox of Waterville threw 38 feet, 6 inches, out-distancing the runner-up by more than seven feet. In the boys' javelin, Connor Kaplinger of Lewiston threw 167 feet, 2 inches, which broke his previous PB by more than two feet. The distance in the second-longest in the state this spring. Kaplinger also won the discus with a throw of 123 feet, 1 inch, also a PB. Waterville distance standout Nick Dall won both the 1600 and 800. He faced a challenge in the 1600, edging Brunswick's Will Shaughnessy, running 4:38.96 to Shaughnessy's 4:40.97. Dall was more comfortable in his victory in the 800, winning in a time of 2:02.68 to win by almost four seconds. The broke his previous PB by almost two seconds, and is the fourth-fastest time in the state this season.
In a WMC meet at Yarmouth High School on Friday, Freeport's Lily Horne won both the 1600 and 3200. She completed the 1600 in 5:25.82, nearly 10 seconds ahead of runner-up finisher, and teammate, Maya Bradbury, who ran 5:35.35. Horne came back to win the 3200 in 11:45.14, out-distancing herself from Cape's Lila Gaudrault who finished in a PB of 11:57.67. Horne currently sits fourth in the state in the 1600 and seventh in the 3200. Yarmouth's Luke Laverdiere cruised to a win in the 1600, running 4:23.27. The reigning Class B champion has run the two fastest 1600's in the state this season.