Lily Horne (Freeport) What a season it was for junior Lily Horne. Horne entered the 2017 season with a personal best of 19:53 for 5k, she ended 2017 with a 18:39 best. She ran faster than 20 minutes nine times throughout the season, and won 4 races including the Class B state title. Lily started the year off with a win at NYA running 19:30 she followed that up a week later at the Southern Maine Classic running a then personal best of 19:04, placing third in the junior-senior race. Horne went across the border to the Manchester Invitational next where she ran 19:35 in brutally hot conditions to finish second in the small school race. On her home course a week later she smashed her personal best with a 18:39 effort on the fast course. She opened her championship season with a convincing victory at the WMC Championship running under 20 minutes on the tough course at St Joe's. At the Southern Maine Regional she was in contention until the end as Horne finished as the runner-up in a time of 19:34. The following week at the Class B state championship she cemented herself among the best in the state as she clocked an impressive 19:10 to win the state title, going hard from the beginning and running away from the field with ease. Next was the New England Championship where she held her on finishing 29th in a sub 19 clocking of 18:55. Horne closed out her season at the Footlocker Northeast Regional where she placed 45th in a time of 19:57 on the storied course at Van Cortlandt Park.
The Best of the Rest
Augusta Stockman (Camden Hills) Stockman stayed healthy throughout the postseason and produced some excellent performances en route to leading her Camden Hills squad to the Class A team title. On the year Augusta won just one race however she did manage 5 runner-up efforts. Starting the year out she ran under 20 minutes the second week of the season at Belfast in a time of 19:41. She followed that effort up with a 19:26 effort at Medomak. At the Festival of Champions she clocked 19:04 to finish 10th, and help her team to a runner-up finish. It was a runner-up finish to start the posteason at the KVAC Championship as she ran 20:19.20. At the Northern Maine Regional Stockman earned her first victory of the year with a personal best 18:35 time. The following week at the Class A State Championship at Twin Brook she once again finished as the runner-up in a fine 19:18 effort, this time leading her team to the state title. She closed out her season finishing 58th at the New England Championship, this despite getting caught up in a fall at the start.
Carolyn Todd (Greely)Todd had another consistently successful season on the trails in 2017. In her second race of the season at the Southern Maine Classic, she ran a blistering 18:44.99 to finish as the runner-up in the junior-senior race. She followed that up with a win at Gray New Gloucester. At the Festival of Champions, Todd had a very strong race finishing third in a seasonal best time of 18:37.98. She won again a week later on her home course in a time of 19:46. Next up for her was the Southern Maine Class A regional where she ran to a runner-up finish clocking 19:56. A week later at the Class A state meet Carolyn finished 4th in a fine time of 19:26.
Ami Beaumier (Bonny Eagle) Beaumier stood out in her junior year as she won four races. She opened the regular season clocking 19:36 to win on her home course. That was followed up with a runner-up finish at Falmouth before winning again at Thornton Academy in a quick 19:07. At the Festival of Champions she ran a personal best 18:47.81 finishing 6th in a high quality field. Beaumier added two more wins after that at Maine Girls Academy & Windham. She opened the postseason with a 5th place effort at the Southern Maine regional running 20:05. The following week at the Class A State Championship she ran 25 seconds faster (19:40) to place 6th. Ami closed out her junior season with a 70th place effort at the New England Championship.
Malaika Pasch (Falmouth) The defending state champion had to come back from injury this fall, but the didn't derail her season as she got better in each of the four races she ran this season. Pasch didn't race until October 6th where she finished 2nd at Marshwood. Two weeks later at the Southern Maine Class A regional she battled her way to a 7th place finish running 20:11. The next week at the Class A State meet she improved her time 33 seconds to 19:39 to place 5th overall. Pasch closed out her season running 19:26.79 a seasonal best at the New England Championship placing 62nd.