Harris leads Lewiston to title, TA Girls repeat in Class A
Results | Girls All-time State bests | Boys All-time State bests
Interviews: Isaiah Harris | Alex Hart | Jake Dixon
Thornton Academy repeated as the girls champion as they amassed 80 points to finish 18 points up on runner-up South Portland.
Freshman Alex Hart carried the load for Thornton Academy as she scored 8 points in the 100m with a runner-up finish and a 4th place in the long jump.
Hart wasn't pleased with losing the 100m though. "I don't like losing" she said after the meet
The wiry freshman used that 100m loss to her advantage plus got some extra motivation from teammate Abby Runnells who made a deal with Hart before the race that if she broke 57 seconds she would buy her three cupcakes.
Hart was pushed in the race by Elisabeth Redwood of Bonny Eagle who made a move to pass her coming off the final turn but Hart was able to respond as she crossed the finish line in a new state all-time best of 56.87, the mark eclipsed the year old 56.95 record of Kaitlin Saulter of Hermon, as well as the Class A meet record of 57.0.
The team title was still up for grabs when Hart stepped into the blocks for the 200m, and the freshman got the job done again as she added her second individual title with a 25.95, a quick mark considering the head wind.
Thornton Academy got a win from senior Tori Daigle in the triple jump as she leaped 36-1 3/4, Daigle the defending champion in the long jump finished second with a 17-1 1/4 effort as Lewiston's Adela Kalilwa 17-5 personal best took the win.
In the throws senior Victoria Lux secured the win for Thornton Academy with her 113-1 runner-up effort in the discus, Lux won the shot put earlier in the meet with a winning heave of 38-3.
Youth was served during the girls meet as 5 events were won by freshman. In addition to the two wins by Alex Hart, Noble's Nina Tasker took the 100m hurdles in 15.28, while Juliana Selser of South Portland ran from the front to win the 800m in a personal best 2:21.11. The race was decided in the last 50 meters as Lawrence sophomore Kiana Letourneau was closing fast and went for the pass, but Selser looked to her right and found another gear. In the 1600m Anna Slager of Gorham took the title running a personal best 5:16.06.
Lawrence senior Abby Weigang was back on top in the 300m hurdles as she clocked a personal best and state leading 44.97, just missing the state meet record of 44.92 held by the great Jesse Lebreck. Weigang title was her third in the event in her career, her first two coming in Class C running for Orono.
Girls Winner Table
| 100m | Heather Kendall | Lewiston | 12.82 |
| 200m | Alexandra Hart | Thornton Academy | 25.95 |
| 400m | Alexandra Hart | Thornton Academy | 56.87* |
| 800m | Juliana Selser | South Portland | 2:21.11 |
| 1600m | Anna Slager | Gorham | 5:16.06 |
| 3200m | Tessa Cassidy | Brunswick | 11:35.45 |
| 100m H | Nina Tasker | Noble | 15.28 |
| 300m H | Abby Weigang | Lawrence | 44.97 |
| 1600m RW | Kayla Allen | Lewiston | 7:31.66 |
| 4x100 | Lewiston | 50.57 | |
| 4x400 | South Portland | 4:08.46 | |
| 4x800 | Falmouth | 10:02.14 | |
| High Jump | Alexis Wintle | Windham | 5-4 |
| Long Jump | Adela Kalilwa | Lewiston | 17-5 |
| Triple Jump | Tori Daigle | Thornton Academy | 36-1 3/4 |
| Pole Vault | Taylor Lenentine | Messalonskee | 10-0 |
| Shot Put | Victoria Lux | Thornton Academy | 38-3 |
| Discus | Maddie Stella | Noble | 113-6 |
| Javelin | Britanee Nouchanthavong | Edward Little | 113-5 |
Lewiston senior Isaiah Harris pulled off a triple that no other athlete in the state had ever attempted as the Penn State bound star won the 1600m, 800m & 200m plus anchored the 4x400m relay to propel the Blue Devils to the title.
"I wanted to go
out with a bang, do something big" Harris did just that as he had
coaches, spectators and athletes in awe of his performances.
Harris started his day of in the 1600m as he trailed Mt. Blue's Aaron Willingham headed into the final lap but with 150m to go the senior made his move to the front and would finish with a new personal best 4:18.92, the closest lap was 61 seconds. "My goal was the to sit on him, and use my speed in the end." Harris commented after the meet.
Next up was Harris's specialty the 800m where he was the two time defending champion. There was never any doubt in this race as he opened the race in a 55 second lap where he looked like he was just striding out. He would go on to win in 1:55.42, four seconds clear of the field.
"When I finished, I saw my time, it was a little bit slower than I wanted it to be." Harris said of the 800m race "I'm happy with outcome though."
There wasn't much time for Harris to rest as there was only 30 minutes into between the end of the 800m and the start of the 200m. "I didn't know how my legs would feel when I got into the blocks."
The defending champion in the event, Isaiah was matched up against state meet 400m record holder Jake Dixon of Cheverus. Dixon go out well and held the lead coming off the turn, but in the end it was Harris would sprinted away in the final 30 meters of the race running an amazing 22.25 personal best and state leading mark into a head wind.
In the 3200m junior Osman Doorow kicked his way home to secure 8 points with his runner-up finish to give Lewiston the 1 point lead entering the 4x400m relay. The Blue Devils had 61 while Scarborough entered with 60 and Cheverus with 59.
Lewiston wasn't to be denied the state title as Isaiah Harris got the baton down three seconds, and chased off in pursuit of Thornton Academy. It didn't take long for the senior to make up the gap as they hit the backstretch he had already taken the lead. Harris raised his arms as he crossed the finish line and hugged his teammate as the state title was headed back to Lewiston.
The Blue
Devils got 30 individual points from Harris plus the win in the 4x400m,
then another 16 from junior distance runner Osman Doorow who runner-up
in both the 1600 & 3200m, and another ten points from "Speedy"
Mohamed's win in the 100m as they tallied 71 points good for a 10 point
win over Scarborough.
Cheverus senior Jake Dixon broke the state meet record in the 400m with his winning effort of 48.46. Dixon eclipsed the former record of 48.58 held by Chris Downe & Alex Nichols. Dixon also finished as the runner-up in the 200m clocking a personal best 22.41
Another state meet record was broken in the boys shot put as junior Daniel Guiliani of South Portland heaved the 12lb shot out to 62-8 1/4. Guiliani finished as the runner-up in the discus.
Mt Blue's Aaron Willingham won the 3200m in 9:39.80 as he pushed the pace from the front the entire way, he did the same in the 1600m en route to a third place finish a personal best 4:23.44.
Nick White of Cheverus repeated as the discus champion with a throw of 161-11, also repeating as champion was Nate Pratt-Holt of Mt Blue in triple jump, his winning leap was 44-2 3/4.
| 100m | Hassan Mohamed | Lewiston | 11.35 |
| 200m | Isaiah Harris | Lewiston | 22.25 |
| 400m | Jake Dixon | Cheverus | 48.46* |
| 800m | Isaiah Harris | Lewiston | 1:55.42 |
| 1600m | Isaiah Harris | Lewiston | 4:18.92 |
| 3200m | Aaron Willingham | Mt Blue | 9:39.80 |
| 110m H | Justin Gagnon | Biddeford | 14.70 |
| 300m H | Paolo DeMarco | Deering | 40.27 |
| 1600m RW | Drew York | Gorham | 6:53.41 |
| 4x100 | Thornton Academy | 44.38 | |
| 4x400 | Lewiston | 3:28.24 | |
| 4x800 | Messalonskee | 8:13.75 | |
| Long Jump | Michael Cuesta | South Portland | 221- 1/2 |
| Triple Jump | Nate Pratt-Holt | Mt Blue | 44-2 3/4 |
| High Jump | Jacob Schott | Cheverus | 6-2 |
| Pole Vault | Andrew McCracken | Mt Ararat | 14-0 |
| Discus | Nick White | Cheverus | 161-11 |
| Shot Put | Daniel Guiliani | South Portland | 62-8.25* |
| Javelin | Jalique Keene | Falmouth | 167-0 |
Girls 200 Section 4
Girls 100 Hurdle Final
Boys 800 Section 2
Boys 100 Final
Girls 400 Section 4
Boys 400 Section 4
Girls 4x100 Section 4
Boys 200 Section 4
Girls 800 Section 2
Girls 100 Final