Class A Girls State Meet Preview



Class A Girls State Meet Preview


Welcome to our event-by-event Class A State Meet preview. Check out your favorite event to see who some of top ranked runners are. Included for each event is a potential 'dark horse' candidate: a competitor who we think could pull off the biggest upset and outperform his/her seed. The state meet record for each event is also included. Enjoy and feel free to comment your thoughts, predictions, dark horses, or corrections.


55m: Edward Little's Anna Beaudet is the top seed, and is coming off a win at the KVAC's. She clocked her best time of the season 7.41 in that race. Beaudet had to run fast because she was chased by #2 seed Maddy Price of Skowhegan 7.44, and Lewiston Adela Kalilwa 7.46. Portland's Ella Altidor is entered but is expected to be in Spain and miss the meet. A year ago Price placed 4th, while Beaudet was 8th.

Dark horse:  Nina Tasker of Noble is our pick to join the podium, Tasker is seeded #10 and is coming of a race at SMAA's where she finished 3rd in 7.77. 

State meet record: 7.22, Alexis Dickinson (2012)



55m Hurdles: Noble's Nina Tasker is the top seed in the hurdles, Tasker's best time of 8.84 came last weekend in the SMAA Championship, indicating she's in top form and looking to win the title. She'll be pushed by Camden Hills Melissa Kessel who has run 8.87. South Portland's Callie O'Brien has dropped her time over the last two weeks down to 8.90, which is good for the third seed. Watch for #5 seed Jennifer Martin of Lewiston who was the state runner-up last year in 8.76, she's got a best of 8.94 that she ran at the KVAC championship finishing 2nd.

Dark horse: It's going be hard to break into the top 7 as they have all run under 9.05.  Olivia Libby who is the #9 seed is a logical choice, she placed 7th a year ago.

State meet record: 8.23, Jesse Labreck (2008)


200m: This could be the race to watch as Bonny Eagle's Elisabeth Redwood & Emily Turner of Cheverus have the same seed time of 26.10. Last time out at SMAA's it was a photo finish, with Redwood getting the nod. Redwood will be chasing Turner as she will have lane 4, with Turner in 5. EL's Anna Beaudet has a good lane in 6, and is coming off a 26.90 to win the KVAC title.


Dark horse: #8 seed Courtney Arsenault of Westbrook is our pick to make the podium. Arsenault did a little over distance work at the SMAA Championship running in the 400m, she'll drop back down to the 200m where she has a best of 27.59 on the year.


State meet record: 25.80, Kristin Slotnick (2007)


400m: The state meet record is in danger of going down on Monday. Senior Elisabeth Redwood showed she's in top form at the SMAA Championships as she broke the Maine all-time best in the event as she clocked a 57.52. Although Redwood's seed time is almost 3 seconds faster than #2 seed Emily Turner, we expect her to be able to run under 60 seconds, she ran under 1:30 for 600yd last time out.

Dark horse: #10 seed Katherine Page of Marshwood has a best time of 63.30, she dropped her PR by almost 3 seconds at SMAA's, and if she carries that momentum into states, she could run fast enough the make the podium

State meet record:57.88, Clare Franco (2008)


800m: Freshman Malaika Pasch of Falmouth is just a freshman but has the fastest seed time by alost 5 seconds at 2:20.91. But don't let seed times fool you, South Portland's Juliana Selser is a huge threat to win the title, as she did outdoors a year ago. Selser has a best 2:20.46 this year from the Rhode Island Classic. Defending champion Tiffany Tanner of Brunswick is in the field, seeded #4 at 2:27.61

Dark horse: #9 seed Marissa Carbone is our darkhorse pick, she has run 2:28.99 this season, and was the SMAA runner-up a week ago.

State meet record:2:17.27, Edie Pallozzi (2013)



Mile: Gorham's Anna Slager has run 12 seconds faster than the rest of the field this winter. Slager's seed time of 5:14.34 was run back in December. She won the SMAA mile title in 5:29.55. Looking to challenge will last year's runner Laura Volan of Scarborough & freshman Ami Beaumier of Bonny Eagle. Volan missed the SMAA meet with an injury, while Beaumier was 3rd in 5:32.55

Dark horse: #8 seed Kathleen Leblanc of Thornton Academy is coming off her seasonal best performance of 5:47.16, and is our pick to make the podium if any of the higher seeds fall back.

State meet record:5:00.6h, Wendy Delan (1986)



2 Mlle: Anna Slager is also the top seed in the 2 mile, she has run 25 seconds faster than the rest fo the field with her best of 11:20. A year ago Slager was the runner-up. Mt Ararat's Katherine Leckbee is the #2 seed at 11:45.10, she is coming off a win at the KVAC's. Scarborough's Bethany Sholl won the SMAA title, and is the #3 seed at 11:50.40. #5 seed Tessa Cassidy is the defending champion.


Dark horse: 8th seed Serena McKenzie is our pick, McKenzie has a best of 12:16.09. She placed 7th a year ago. She ran her second fastest Mile at SMAA's, and that bode wells for her.

State meet record:10:53.5h, Wendy Delan (1986)



High Jump: Westrbook freshman Nyagoa Bayak has jumped 4 inches higher than the rest of the field. It has been a dominating rookie campign for Bayak as she has cleared a best of 5-7. She took 3 great attempts at 5-8 at the SMAA Championships, and that height is well within her reach. The state meet record of 5-6 1/4 is in danger of being broken. The field behind Bayak is strong with defending champion Moriah Beiner of Massabesic at 5-4. South Portland's Lingdong Bol is the #3 seed at 5-3. There are 4 more girls who have jumped 5-2, and 3 of them scored a year ago (Wintle, Shaw & O'Brien).

Dark horse: It's going take a 5-0 clearance at minimum to make the podium, but our darkhorse pick is Emma White of Cheverus who cleared 5-0 at the SMAA as she placed 3rd.

State meet record:5'6.25", Grace MacLean (2010)


Long Jump: Last year's state runner-up Adela Kalilwa of Lewiston is the top seed at 16-11 1/2. Kalilwa is coming off a win at the KVAC's where she jumped her seed.  Moriah Newcomb of Brewer jumped 16-6 1/4 on Monday to place 2nd at the EMITL Championship. #3 seed Lydia Farmer of Falmouth has jumped 16-5 3/4 on the year, she placed 5th a year ago. #4 seed Emily Turner of Cheverus jumped 16-4 to win the SMAA title.

Dark horse: #10 seed Nyagoa Bayak has only jumped in two meets this season, and her progression has been amazing, last time out she won the jr long jump in 15-5 1/2.

State meet record:18'0.5", Tori Daigle (2014)


Triple Jump: Skowhegan's Maddy Price was the state runner-up a year ago, and has the top seed at 37-5 1/2. Price won the KVAC title last weekend. #2 seed is Adela Kalilwa who has a best of 35-11 this winter, was second to Price at KVAC's. Skowhegan's Leah Savage is the other jumper in the field who has gone over 35ft with her 35-7 effort

Dark horse: Noelle Boudreau of Thornton Academy is the #9 seed, she jumped a personal best of 33-2 1/4 to win the SMAA jr division title a week ago. She's got the confidence now and think she'll be able to extend her best.

State meet record:38'4.25", Jesse Labreck (2008)



Shot Put: Defending state champion Samantha Curran is back and is the favorite to win again in 2016. Curran won the SMAA title last weekend, and has a best throw of 39-8 3/4 on the season. EMITL champion Daija Misler of Hampden Academy had a big throw to earn the #2 seed with a 38-10 effort. 


Dark horse: Scarborough's Brady Stolz is out pick, Stolz has a best of 32-4 1/2 on the year and is capable of much more.

State meet record: 44'6", Jane Woodhead (1986)


Pole Vault: Rihan Smallwood of Bangor is the only jumper in the field who has cleared 10ft this season. Smallwood was 2nd at the EMITL championship on Monday, and placed 5th a year ago. Westbrook's Kiersten Hilton of Westbrook won the SMAA title with a personal best 9-9. Watch for Mersadie Dulac of Lewiston who jumped 9-6 to win the KVAC title. EL's Lauren Berube has a best jump of 9-6 on the season, she was the runner-up a year ago as a freshman.

Dark horse: EL's Katie Ferrara is expected to score as she enters with a 9ft clearance. She placed 2nd at the KVAC Championship, and with the team title on the line we expect she may be able to improve.

State meet record:11'10", Bethany Dumas (2008)


4x200m: The meet could come down to the relay and if it does several contenders will have a good shot to control their own destiny. Bangor is the top seed, the Rams have clocked a best of 1:50.95.  Edward Little is one of those teams in the title hunt, the Red Eddies have the #2 seed with a time of 1:51.80. Bonny Eagle the team favorite heading into the meet is the #3 seed, the Scots will have standout Elisabeth Redwood, they have a best effort of 1:51.88.

Dark horse: #11 seed Falmouth has the talent to be able to run much faster than their 1:54.56, look for the Yachstmen make a push for the podium.

State meet record:1:48.13, Scarborough, (Rodway, Meader, Pietras, Kirk) (2012)



4x800m: Falmouth is the top seed, the Yachtsmen have a best of 10:12.92. Look for Marshwood the SMAA champ to be in the mix, they ran a strong 10:19.48 last weekend. Biddeford, Bonny Eagle, Scarborough & Westbrook & South Portland all will put out strong teams that could make the podium.

Dark horse: Brunswick the #8 seed has defending 800m champion Tiffany Tanner, they have a best of 10:40.31 which is less than a second off the #7 seed.

State meet record:9:45.51, Scarborough, (Curtis, Saldanha, Jesseman, Chamberlain) (2006)