Sharif,Bayak,Bossong & Snyder Claim Dartmouth Relay Titles
The 50th Dartmouth Relays provided some excellent competition for those Maine athletes that traveled to Dartmouth College in Hanover New Hampshire this weekend.
Nyagoa Bayak repeated as the high jump champion with a seasonal best and indoor personal best tying mark of 5-10. That improved her 5-9 winning mark from a year ago, and vaulted her to second in the country. The All-American had some strong efforts at 6-0 but came up just short. She also competed in the triple jump where she leaped 38-0 1/4 to finish as the runner-up. Her mark improved her state leading distance.
The surprise of the meet was Mahamed Sharif a junior from Westbrook who dominated the field in the 800m. Shariff who entered the meet with a personal best of 2:01.33 lopped off 6 plus seconds en route to a 1:54.89 victory, winning by three seconds. Shariff led the entire race going out in 27.5, before hitting the half way in 54.46., while at the bell the clock read 1:23.2. The mark is the second best all-time in Maine indoor history, and moves him to #3 in the country.
In the pole vault Thornton Academy senior Travis Snyder won his second consecutive Dartmouth Relays vault title clearing 15ft.
Sophomore Victoria Bossong of Cheverus was on fire in the sprints. In the 55m dash she had the fastest time in the prelims with a 7.41, which she followed up with a state leading 7.34 to win her semi-final heat. In the final after running a 300m prior she clocked 7.36 to finish as the runner-up. In the 300m Bossong took measure of the field on her way to a new Maine all-time best of 40.16. Her mark erased the 40.46 effort of Brunswick's Kirstin Slotnick in 2008.
Emma Gallant the other part of the dynamic duo from Cheverus had a strong day earning a pair of fourth place finishes in 55m (7.52) & 300m (41.52)
In the 55m hurdles Scarborough junior Emily Labbe had a standout day. Labbe opened with a win in her prelim race clocking 8.65. In the semi-final she hit a big personal best effort of 8.46. She had more in the tank though as she hit another pr in the final of 8.42 to nab the runner-up spot. The time moves her to third fastest in Maine indoor history, and is the new state leader. In the same race Cape Elizabeth's Darcy Cochran finished 4th in a time of 8.73.
Thornton Academy senior Jason Montano hit a new personal best of 62-1 to finish second in the shot put. Montano's mark moves him into a tie for third best in state history, and the mark currently ranks US #4 in the event.
Gorham freshman Andrew Farr impressed in his first out of state effort. Farr ran 6.63 in the 55m final to earn a third place finish, the mark is the second fastest all-time in the state for a freshman just behind the 6.61 clocking of Jarett Flaker. Farr also placed 5th in the 300m with a 36.52 effort.
Bonny Eagle senior Zack Allocca scored in both the long & triple jumps. Alloca the Class A leader in the long jump hit 21-1 3/4 to finish third. In the triple jump he was 5th with a mark of 43-8 taking over the Class A lead in that event as well.
In the mile Gorham junior Kate Tugman ran a new personal best 5:11.11 to finish third in the girl mile. Tugman took over the lead at 600m, and went through the half way in 2:32.4.
Bonny Eagle set a new state lead and broke the school record with their 9:49.81 effort in the 4x800 where they were the runner-ups.
Other strong performances on the girls side came from Thornton Academy sophomore Kylie Bedard who ran a Class A leading 62.63 to place 9th in the 400m. Anna Gardner of Scarborough was 6th in the pole vault with a 9-0 effort, while Evelyn Kitchen of Gorham leaped 16-10 1/2 for 6th in the long jump. Emma Whiteof Cheverus finished fourth in the triple jump with a jump of 36-7. Waterville's Sarah Cox placed 5th in the shot put with a throw of 36-7 1/2.
On the boys side Tyler Patterson a sophomore from Brunswick impressed with a state leading 4:29.99 personal best effort in the mile. He would come back later to run a leg on the Dragons 4x800 team that finished 5th in a new state leading 8:37.28. Waterville's Ethan Nurick grabbed 6th place in the triple jump with a leap of 43-1 3/4.