Bangor Girls Edge Gorham For Class A Title
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It was an edge of your seat finish in the Class A girls indoor track and field state championship meet held at the Costello Athletic Complex at the University of Southern Maine on Monday. The Bangor Rams the pre-meet favorite held a five point lead over Gorham and Cheverus entering the final event the 4x200m relay.
Cheverus running in the first section of five posted the time to beat 1:51.85. In the final section it was a matchup between Gorham and Bangor. Gorham sped out to lead and never was challenged as they clocked a speedy 1:48.39 but it was the anchor leg of Bangor's Mackenzie Lambert that proved the difference maker as she moved her squad from fourth to third and the all important six points to seal the state title by a single a point over the other Rams.
Bangor was led by junior Alyssa Elliott who posted a pair of wins on the afternoon, she took the long jump with a mark of 17-9 1/2 to repeat as champion, and added a second win in the triple jump with a leap of 37-6.
The Rams also got eight points from junior Naomi Noack in the pole vault as she cleared 10-6. Freshman Anna Connors scored in three individual events as she recorded a pair of third place finishes in the 200 (26.34) & 400 (59.61) plus a sixth in 55 (7.49).
Senior Mackenzie Lambert who provided the anchor leg carry in the 4x200m also added a pair of fifth place finishes in the long jump (16-8 1/2) & 400 (61.38), while sophomore Camden Lavoie placed fourth in the shot put (37-3).
Cheverus junior standout Victoria Bossong won three individual events, as she clocked 7.20 in the 55m to match her own state meet record, she added a state meet record in the 400m with her 56.95 surpassing her own year old mark, and finish the meet off with a 25.50 effort in the 200m
Bossong's teammate Emma Gallant returned from a hamstring injury to record a pair of second place finishes in the 200 (26.24) & 400 (58.20) to help pace the third place Stags.
The 800m saw the state meet record go down as South Portland senior Anna Folley kicked her way to victory and a personal best of 2:16.60. Folley's time is ninth fastest in state history.
The 55m hurdles saw defending champion Emily Labbe of Scarborough blast a personal best 8.32 to repeat, her time is the second fastest in state history. Behind her freshman Shukri Deqow of Lewiston again lowered her personal best down to 8.43 for the runner-up finish, her time equals the fifth fastest in state history and lowers her own freshman all-time best in the event.
Kate Tugman of Gorham was a double winner as she took the mile after a fast closing 800m in a time of 5:11.20 to hold off Helen Shearer of Hampden Academy who ran 5:11.90. Shearer tried for the revenge in the 2 mile and had the lead until the final 100m when Tugman found another gear to clinch the title with a time of 11:03.24.
Other state champions were Emma Green (Gorham) in the high jump (5-4), Tiana Snyder (Thornton Academy) in the pole vault (10-6) and her teammate Jaigan Boudreau in the shot put (39-9 1/4) plus the Bonny Eagle 4x800m relay (9:47.28).
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