A handful of Mainers made its way the the 51st running of the Glenn D. Loucks Games in White Plains, New York last Thursday. Mt. Ararat High School sent a few athletes, and Lisandro Berry-Gaviria was easily the most impressive. Berry-Gaviria, running in the first of two heats of the 3200 meters, finished third in the section, running a massive personal-best of 9:16.51. The time broke the Maine sophomore record, and sits as the ninth-fastest in state history. And the way he was able to close the race was most impressive. Berry-Gaviria sat in 10th place at the bell lap and closed in roughly 62 seconds to make up nearly all the ground on his competitors. What Berry-Gaviria has done over the course of his sophomore year is is certainly outstanding. He won the Class A cross country state Championships last fall, then followed with a 26th place finish at the New England Championships. In indoor, he won both the mile and 2-mile in Class A, then would go on to finish sixth at New Englands in the Mile, running 4:24.23. And so far this spring, Berry-Gaviria has run 9:49 or better three times this season, and is likely on his way to garnering a few more state championships in June.
Berry-Gaviria's teammate, Katherine Leckbee, ran in the first of two sections in the 3200, running 11:43.35. It marked the second time this spring Leckbee has run better than 12:00. Tyler Bernier also made his way down to New York for the Eagles. Bernier competed in both the 200 and 400, and ran 23.96 and 51.91 respectively. His 51.91 is a PB and is the fifth-fastest time in the state.
Yarmouth's Luke Laverdiere ran in the first section of the 3200. Laverdiere ran a personal-best of 9:11.29 at the meet last year, and was hoping to dip closer to the 9:00 barrier. The senior went through 1600 in roughly 4:31, but struggled in the second half of the race, finishing in 9:19.84. While it might not have been the result Laverdiere wanted, he still shouldn't hang his head. This was the third time Laverdiere has gone under 9:20 in his high school career, and it also lowered the 3200 standard in Class B. He's still the overwhelming favorite in both the 1600 and 3200 in Class B.
Falmouth's Malaika Pasch and Yarmouth's Anneka Murrin both competed in the 800 meters. Pasch finished fifth in the second section of four, running 2:18.04, while Murrin was seventh in the third section, running 2:18.85. Pasch's time was just .15 off Murrin's state-leading time of 2:17.89, and marked the second time she's run under 2:20 this season. Murrin has also gone under 2:20 twice this season.
Berry-Gaviria wasn't the only one putting his name in Maine record books last week.
At Windham High School on May 8, Scarborough standout sprinter Jarett Flaker lowered his own sophomore record in the 200 meters, running a personal-best of 22.23 seconds. The time ranks as the seventh-fastest all-time in state history. Flaker's day wasn't done, however, as he also won the both the 110 meter hurdles (15.34) and the 300 meter hurdles (40.22). His time in the 300mh sits as the second-fastest in the state, while the 110mh time ranks third. Flaker now ranks in the top three in five individual events (100m, 2nd; 200m, 1st; 400m, 1st; 110mh, 3rd; 300mh, 2nd). Flaker held the top time in the 100 meters going into last week, but his teammate, Ben Hatch, sprinted to a time of 11.17. The time broke his previous personal-best by .21. Hatch also won the long jump, jumping 21 feet, 7 ½ inches, which also set a personal-best. That mark ranks second in the state. Anthony Clavette of Scarborough cleared 6 feet, 2 inches in the high jump, which is tied for the top mark in the state along with six others athletes (Samuel Cenescar of Brunswick, Connor Jackson of Edward Little, Jay Hasch of Boothbay, Jake Martin of York, and Elijah Dutil of Cony).
Elsewhere in the SMAA, there were some fast times in the girls' middle-distance races at Biddeford High School back on May 8. Winning the 800 was Kayla Raymond, who finished in a season-best time of 2:22.30. There was a battle for second place right behind her as Morgan Griffin of Noble edged Raymond's teammate, Christine Toy, 2:26.50 to 2:26.70. The times are PB's for both athletes. Toy would come back to win the 1600, an event she currently has the fastest time in the state in, in 5:25.73. The Scots were also well-represented in the 3200, with Ami Beaumier taking the win in a PB of 11:20.44. The time is currently the fastest in the state. Winning the 300 meter hurdles was Annah Rossvall, who finished in a PB of 47.33 seconds. The time is the second-fastest in the state. Nina Tasker of Noble was second in 49.35. Tasker would go on to win the long jump (15-03.50 feet) and the 100 meter hurdles (16.04), which is her specialty event.
At Thornton Academy High School on May 8, junior Travis Snyder cleared 14 feet in the pole vault. Snyder, the runner-up in Class A last year, currently boasts the top mark in the state when he cleared 15 feet at Massabesic High School in late April. He also won the high jump on Tuesday, jumping 19 feet. Snyder's teammate, Jason Montano, continues to show why he's the top heaver in the state. Montano won the shot put, throwing 57 feet 10 inches. Montano, who has the top distance in the state, has thrown over 57 feet three times this season. Finishing second in the shot put was Keller Nicolai, who threw a PB of 55 feet, 2 inches. Montano then went on to win the discus with a PB of 156 feet, 10 inches. That is currently the second-best mark in the state.
There were several standout performances at Bangor High School on Friday. In the boys' 3200, Gabe Coffey of Bangor took home the win, running a PB of 9:44.15. The time is the second-fastest in Class A, and marked the second occurrence Coffey has dipped under 10:00 this season. MDI senior Croix Albee won both the discus and shot put, setting PBs in both. He threw 148 feet, 4 inches in the discus, which currently sits as the fourth-best distance in the state. He then went on to throw 54 feet, 6 ½ inches in the shot put, a distance that sits fourth in the state. In both events, Albee led a strong MDI contingent as the Trojans swept the first five spots in the events. MDI senior Ashley Anderson had another outstanding weekend. Anderson both of her state-leading marks in the 100 meters and 200 meters, running 12.46 seconds and 25.77 respectively. Orono's Camille Kohtala finished second to Anderson in both events, running 12.73 and 26.41. Her time in the 200 is a PB, and is currently the third fastest time in the state. Kohtala would go on to win the 300 meter hurdles in 48.76.
Making the most noise in the WMC this weekend had to be Darcy Cochran of Cape Elizabeth, who competed in a four-team meet on Friday. Cochran scored 40 points for the Capers en route to winning four individual events. She won the 100 meters in 12.85 seconds, the 200 in 26.91, the 100 meter hurdles in 15.22, and the 300 meter hurdles in 47.00. Cochran now ranks in the top-10 in each event, while also holding state-leading marks in both the 100mh (15.22) and the 300mh (47.00). Cochran's teammate, Matthew Concannon, had himself day in the sprinting events as well. He won the 100 meters in 11.57, the 200 in 23.19, and also won the triple jump, jumping 38 feet, 7 ½ inches. Concannon currently ranks second and third in the WMC in the 200 and 100 respectively.
Staying in the WMC, York's tandem of Jake Martin and Zach Westman showed out at Wells High School last Thursday. Martin dominated the 110 meter hurdles in 14.68, won the high jump, clearing 6-02 feet, the long jump in 20-10 feet, and the discus, throwing 123-10.5 feet. Martin became the first Mainer to tip under 15 seconds in the 110 meter hurdles. Westman, on the other hand, won the 200 meters in 23.12 seconds, the 300 meter hurdles in 39.88, the triple jump in 43-08 feet, and finished third in the long jump, jumping 20-03 feet. His run in the 300mh set a state-leading mark in the event. Collectively, Martin and Westman scored 78 points for the Wildcats.
Cayden Spencer-Thompson had another impressive weekend, winning both the long jump and triple jump at the PVC meet at Foxcroft Academy last Friday. Spencer-Thompson jumped 22 feet 10.50 inches in the long jump, then jumped 47 feet, 2 inches in the triple to win both events easily. He's jumped over 47 feet three times this season.
At a PVC meet in Old Town High School on Friday, Jacob McCluskey won the discus, throwing 151 feet. McCluskey currently has the top mark in the state in the event. Finishing right behind in second was Austin Keib of Bangor Christian, who threw 150 feet, 5 inches, which is just a half a foot off his PB. That mark set a class best in Class C. Keib was the runner-up in the event last spring at the Class C Championships. McCluskey's teammate, Garrett Graham, won the shot put, throwing 52 feet, 5 inches. Graham has had a sizable jump in production in the event in 2018. After finishing 11th at the Class A Championships last year, Graham has thrown over 50 feet twice already this spring, and hit a PB April 28, throwing 54 feet, 9.25 inches. That is the third-best mark in the state. Winning the boys' 200 was Ben Cotton of John Bapst, who finished in a PB of 22.84. It marked the first time Cotton has dipped under the 23-second barrier. The time currently sits as the third-fastest time in the state. Helen Shearer of Hampden Academy continues to impress in 2018. Shearher won the 1600 and 3200, running 5:21.53 and 11:40.57 respectively. Her time in the 1600 is currently the fourth-fastest in the state so far. Finishing second in both races was freshman Olivia Mosca of Brewer High School. Mosca finished the 1600 in 5:29.50, then came back to run 12:04.04. Her time in the 1600 is the fastest in the state among all freshmen.