Flaker Equals 55m State Record at WMC New Year's Relays
The meet known as the USM Relays had a name change this year to the WMC/Special Olympics of Maine New Year's Relays. While the name changed the level of competition certainly didn't as nine new state leading performances were recorded throughout the day.
For the third consecutive year Scarborough senior Jarett Flaker won the 55m title, and for the second straight year he lowered the meet record. Flaker running the 55m for the first time this season clocked an easy 6.66 in the trials. In the final he turned it up a notch as he equaled his personal best and state all-time best with his 6.46 winning effort. The effort lowered his own meet record of 6.50.
The senior would return in the final event of the meet the 4x200 to anchor his relay to a new meet record 1:33.74. The time is the fastest ever recorded in the month of December in state history, and is the fastest time in the state so far this winter by 4.8 seconds. The other three members running for the Red Storm were Sal DeBenedetto, Alex Callahan & Jayden Flaker.
The other meet record to fall came in the shot put were the trio of Jacob Goff, Nate Mars & Nick Connolly of Scarborough combined for a 143-4 to eclipse the mark of 142-3 set by Deering back in 2002. Goff led the way with a 49-9 1/2 throw.
The boys mile was one of the highly anticipated races of the day and it didn't disappoint. Brunswick's Tyler Patterson who bypassed a KVAC regular season race on Friday to compete showed he came to run fast. After a sixty seven second opening quarter Patterson seized the lead on the back stretch and never looked back. The field let the junior get away and Patterson didn't let them back in as he clocked a state leading and personal best 4:26.18. Falmouth's Ben Greene was the runner-up in 4:28.50, closing in 29.3 for his last 200m. Will Perkins of Boothbay had an impressive run with a personal best 4:30.95 effort, that mark is the fastest in Class B this winter. The race also saw the mile debut of Mahamed Sharif of Westbrook who ran a respectable 4:32.84.
In the 55m hurdles sophomore Jayden Flaker of Scarborough ran a state leading 8.05 to win the event. While the Red Storm 4x800m relay of Warren O'Shea, Justin Castaldo, Tristram Coffin & Zach Barry ran a state leading 8:44.82 to win the event.
On the girls side Cheverus senior Emma Gallant showed an improved start which led a state leading 7.41 clocking for 55m in the trials, she opted to bypass the final in the event as she led off the Stags victorious 4x400m relay in the previous event.
In the mile Gorham senior standout Kate Tugman ran a personal best and state leading 5:11.05 to win the event. Tugman set the pace throughout the race, and came through the half mile in 2:36, with Karley Piers of Falmouth the only one within distance. Tugman ran a negative split over the final half mile showing she's ready for a big winter, she already has the state lead at 2 mile with her 11:07 effort from a week ago.
In the relays Edward Little set a new state leading effort with a 1:53.0 winning effort in the 4x200m, while the Bonny Eagle girls set a state leading effort in the 4x800 of 10:13.63 in a race they won by over a minute.
Other standout performances came from Emma Green of Gorham who won the high jump with a 5-4 clearance. In the long jump Ella Boucher of Edward Little won the long jump with a 16-9 1/2 leap. Thornton Academy senior Jaigan Boudreau threw 35-4 1/4 to win the shot put, while her teammate Tia Snyder won the pole vault with a 10 foot clearance to equal the state leading mark.