Flaker, Snyder & Spencer-Thompson Best In New England
results | photos | interviews
Cayden Spencer-Thompson of Mattanawcook added to his outstanding career resume at Thornton Academy's Dr. Paul Hill Jr Stadium on Saturday as the Louisville bound senior won the long jump & triple jump for the second consecutive year.
Spencer-Thompson had trouble finding the board during the long jump trials but he had the necessary adjustment to pop off a 23-9 1/4 leap to win the event by almost a foot, matching the facility record in the process. The mark was the best effort of the season and improved on his state leading mark.
The triple jump victory was much closer, just a 1/4 inch separated Spencer-Thompson from Bloomfield junior Sean Dixon-Brodie. Cayden prevailed with a 47-10 1/2 jump to repeat as champion in the event.
He was supposed to compete in the high jump but the event was going on simultaneously with the triple jump, and he never made his way back to the high jump to take any jumps.
It's been a storied career for the jumper out of Lincoln, Maine. He will graduate with state all-time best in the long, triple & high jumps & 4 New England titles.
Over on the pole vault runway defending champion Travis Snyder of Thornton Academy got to vault on a familiar runway to the University of Connecticut bound senior. Snyder took full advantage of his home runway as he repeated as champion with a 16-0 clearance. He took attempts at the meet record of 16-9 raising the bar to 16-10 but came up just short.
Snyder set a Maine all-time best in the pole vault a week ago at the Class A state meet jumping 16-9 1/4, that mark currently ranks him 6th best in the country.
Ben Drummey of Biddeford earned his spot on the podium with a leap of 14-3 to finish third.
Scarborough junior sprint star Jarett Flaker didn't come into the meet highly ranked, 9th in the 400m and 19th in the 200m, but he easily exceeded those seeds. Running out of lane 8 in the 400m, Flaker sped to a fast opening 200m, and held the lead through 300m. He would be passed in the final meters but held on for a runner-up finish, an new Maine all-time best of 48.23 in the event. The mark surpassed the 4 year old record set by Jake Dixon of Cheverus back in 2015.
Flaker would return later return to the track for the 200m, running in the third section from lane 7, he powered his way off the turn, and across the finish line in a time of 22.12 to win the section. He would have to wait to see how his time would hold up with another section to race. Once section 4 finished it was a rush to scoreboard to see where he would end up overall, and when 22.12 flashed up for the winner of the section, he knew he was ever first or second. In the end it was 22.1134 to 22.1192 and Flaker had captured his first New England title.
His day wasn't done yet though as he had to run the 4x400m anchor leg for the Red Storm as they chased the school record. He received the baton in first and kept the Storm on pace as they crossed the finish line in state leading 3:26.35, breaking the Scarborough school record, and moving to third best school in state history.
Thornton Academy senior Jason Montano captured a pair of runner-up finishes on the day. First in the shot put where he was the defending champion the DePaul bound senior threw an outdoor personal best of 60-6 1/4 exceeding his mark of 59-2 1/2 from last spring. He had a consistent series of throws all 59+ on the day. His mark moved him into a tie for third best in state history in the event with another Thornton Academy thrower, Dan Smith.
Over in the discus Montano threw a personal best 177-5 to lead the competition until the final throw where he was surpassed by Kyle Moison of Lincoln,RI who broke the facility record with his wining mark of 182-3. Jason moved to fourth all-time in the state history in the event.
Class A state 3200m state champion Sofie Matson of Falmouth engaged in a great one on one battle with Kate Wiser of Pomperaug, CT. Matson would match strides with Wiser for much of the race, but in the Wiser had a little better finish and Matson would finish second, and set a new personal best of 10:24.07. Her time ranks third best in state history in the event.
In the long jump Orono's Camille Kohtala had a strong finish with her 18-2 3/4 effort that had her in first place until the final jump of the competition. The Alabama bond senior improved on her 8th place finish in the event from a year ago with her second longest jump of the season. She will compete in the New Balance Outdoor Nationals this coming week.
Westbrook junior Mahamed Sharif ran to a third place finish in the 800m as he clocked 1:54.25 to earn outdoor All-New England honors for the first time. He won the Class A 800m title a week ago in 1:54.33. He will compete in the New Balance Outdoor Nationals this week.
Scarborough senior and University of Hartford bound Anthony Clavette earned his first podium visit in the high jump with his 6-3 clearance that was good for third place overall. Clavette won the Class A meet with a jump of 6-6 a week ago.
Other scoring athletes from Maine on the girls side were Emma Gallant of Cheverus fourth place in the 200m (25.21), Emma Harrington of Falmouth fourth place in the discus (126-6), Alyssa Elliott of Bangor sixth place in the triple jump (37-2 3/4), & Monica McLaughlin of Caribou sixth place in the javelin (120-4).
On the boys side Jacob McCluskey of Brewer finished fourth in the discus (156-9), Carson Gross (Spruce Mountain) cleared 6-3 to place fifth in the high jump, Gilbert Isaacs of MDI placed fifth in the shot put (55-9 3/4), Joe Emery of South Portland was sixth in the long jump (20-11 1/4), & Jeremiah Williams of Lewiston was sixth in the triple jump (43-10 3/4)
Flaker, Snyder & Spencer-Thompson Best In New England
results | photos | interviews
Cayden Spencer-Thompson of Mattanawcook added to his outstanding career resume at Thornton Academy's Dr. Paul Hill Jr Stadium on Saturday as the Louisville bound senior won the long jump & triple jump for the second consecutive year.