Turn Back The Clock Tuesday: Nichols Sets 400m State Record
Today we turn back the clock to the 2013 Class A state meet boys 400m race. The race featured Biddeford's James Ociti the top seed at 49.94, with Brunwick's Alex Nichols 50.57, and Cheverus's James Campbell 50.58 other top contenders.
Biddeford's Ociti got out well leading the pack at the 200m mark with Nichols inside of him bidding his time. Nichols started to move with 200m to go pulling even with Ociti as they came off the turn. Nichols held his form the best over the final 100m crossing the finish line in 48.58, with Ociti finishing second in 49.17 and Campbell also under the fifty-second barrier with a 49.97.
Nichols time equalled the state meet record of 48.58 run by Messalonskee standout Chris Downe back in 1996. The mark was also the state all-time record in the event. Ociti's mark at the time was the fourth-fastest ever run in the state.
Today the marks still rank third and sixth fastest in state history.
Results
1 Alex Nichols SR Brunswick 48.58R 3 10 2 James Ociti JR Biddeford 49.17F 3 8 3 James Campbell SR Cheverus 49.97F 3 6 4 Garane Saban SR Lewiston 51.60 2 4 5 Jerry Kenney SO Scarborough 51.84 3 3 6 Roger Charest SR Edward Little 52.17 3 2 7 Jonathan Bobe SO Portland 52.39 2 1 8 Joseph Belanger SR Bangor 53.28 2 9 James Hannigan SO Cheverus 53.35 2 10 Adam Bucknell SR Gorham 53.93 2 11 Travis Stacey SR Messalonskee 54.27 3 12 Drew Bois SR Lawrence 54.52 2 13 Jacob Demosthenes JR Mt. Ararat 54.55 2 14 Dan Marsh FR Thornton 54.83 3 15 Griffin Drigotas Kennebunk 54.83 1 16 Jared Wagner SO Noble 55.72 1 17 Gerald Wagner SO Cheverus 55.85 1 18 David Thibault SR Noble 57.05 2 19 Giles Holmes JR Deering 57.95 1 20 Aaron Graves SO Windham 58.76 1