Geoghegan (15:33) new course record / Durgin (18:34) win at Maine Festival of Champions

Derek Veilleux

Oct 02, 2009

Seeded Girls

1. Emily Durgin (Cheverus) 18:34

2. Abby Mace (Maranacook) 18:36

3. Fiona Hendry (Cheverus) 18:47

Team

1. Cheverus 76

2. John Bapst 174

3. Gorham 178

Girls Seeded Recap

With the skies opened up and a steady rain coming down throughout the day, the Girls in the seeded race towed the line, after 4 other races. The course at this point was getting muddy and that was evident as the race saw many athletes fall on the turns because of slick footing. This race was highly anticipated as it pitted the three sophomore sensations against each other for the first time since the New England XC Championships last fall at Manchester, and they didn’t disappoint.

From the gun, Abby Mace (Maranacook pictured left), Emily Durgin (Cheverus) & Fiona Hendry (Cheverus) asserted themselves at the front of the race. Mace was 6^th, Durgin 2^nd, and Hendry 9^th at last year’s New England Championships. Durgin had a 3m lead near the 800m mark, her stride turning over beautifully with Mace and Hendry is close pursuit. Gorham’s Rachel Wilkinson and Mia Rapolla were sitting in 4^th and 5^th working together. Katie McMahon (Brunswick) & Sara Chaverie (Brewer) were next in 6^th & 7th while Lianna Rubinoff (Cheverus) held 8^th, with Dacie Manion (Old town) & Brianne Dunn (Ellsworth) rounded out the top 10.

As the front group approached the mile Durgin’s lead grown to 6 seconds, as she crossed the mile marker in 5:32, but around the turn, in the same spot that Abbey Leonardi lost her footing at the Class A state meet last year, Durgin went down on the turn. It didn’t faze her as she got back on her feet, and continued up the ¼ mile climb. Mace & Hendry were running stride for stride, hitting the mile in 5:38. The next spots remained the same with Gorham’s duo, followed by McMahon, Chaverie, & Rubinoff, Manion. Mt. Blue’s Melody Lam had moved into the top 10 with Presque Isle Alecia Palmer and Scarborough’s Melissa Dellatorre next across the mile. Cheverus with 3 girls in the top 8 had seized control of the team race.

As the runners circled the outer field heading towards the two mile mark, not much had changed at the front of the pack, Durgin was still in the lead crossing in 11:52, but the gap had dwindled as Hendry was in 2^nd (11:54) with Mace a stride back (11:55). It was anyone’s race at that point with 1.1 miles remaining. Wilkinson (pictured right) held down 4^th (12:30), while Rubinoff had moved up three spots to 5^th (12:32), while Manion (12:34) had moved to 6^th, with McMahon (12:36), Rapolla (12:40), Lam (12:45) & Palmer (12:47) rounding out the top 10 with a mile or so to go. Cheverus’s #4 Amelia Lundkvist had moved into 12^th at the 2 mile giving the Stags 4 girls up front.

With 800m to go Durgin maintained her lead, as Abby Mace had moved to 2^nd with her sights on chasing down Emily, but it would be Durgin in the end, running 18:34 for the win, with a hard charging Mace in 2^nd (18:36). Hendry had a race reminiscent of her freshman year, running to 3^rd (18:47). The Cheverus dominance continued as Lianna Rubinoff moved to 4^th (19:28), giving the Stags 3 of the top 4 runners in the race. Rachel Wilkinson showed she is rounding into form with her 5^th place finish (19:37). Dacie Manion (pictured left) continued her strong season placing 6^th, and the 2^nd class B finisher (19:44). Katie McMahon was next in 7^th, nabbing the top Eastern Maine Class A finisher (19:52) over 8^th place finisher Melody Lam (19:54). These two will do battle again at the KVAC championship next week. Lundkvist continued to move up in the last mile and surged at the finishing tape to nab 9^th (19:55.3), this gave the Stags 4 girls under 20 minutes. Rounding out the top 10 was Mia Rapolla who is running xc for the first time this fall (19:55.4).

Teamwise there was no question who the best team was today with 4 runners in the top 9, the lady Stags showed they have the one of the best teams in the state, on the day they averaged 19:42 for 5k, certainly one of the fastest team average in state history. Cheverus is the clear favorite to win the Class A state meet. Cheverus (pictured right) scored 79 points to outdistance the runner-up by 95 points.

The team race for the remaining top 5 spots was very close. Class B John Bapst wound up 2^nd (174) as the edged Gorham by 4 points (178). Bapst didn’t have a finisher in the top 20, but proved team depth is very important. Freshman Adrienne Carmack came up big today, with her win in the freshman race, a time that was good for 27^th fastest on the day, and 3^rd on her Bapst team. Gorham was aided by two runners in the top ten, as they held off SMAA rival Scarborough (195), who finished 4^th, while Eastern Maine Class A Mt. Blue put together a strong race for 5^th (207), as they put 3 girls in the top 20 finishers.

Finish Line Video

Interview from race winner Emily Durgin

So you had Abby Mace/Fiona Hendry on your heels the whole race, what was going through your mind during the race?

I was surprised she didn’t take it out faster. I thought I would be following for the first mile, but I just had to go. I fell after the first mile and I knew Mace and Fiona were coming after me. At Mile 2 I just tried to pick it up as they were right behind me and we all had a really good finish.

What was going through your head in the last mile?

The last mile I was just trying to push it as much as I could; I was trying to recover from my fall. I knew they were right there and they were coming. I was really surprised they (Mace/Hendry) were that close with a mile to go.

Were you pleased with running 18:34 today?

Yes I am, definitely for the weather, I thought everyone had a great day.

What did it mean for Cheverus to have such a great team race?

Well this is the first time that they have all been up there. I think we won, I am pretty sure we did. (Win they did with 76 points)

So looking ahead you have to face Abbey Leonardi (Kennebunk) at the State meet this year, are you looking forward to challenge?

Yes, it will definitely be a good race. I ready, I got plenty of time left to train and get stronger.

Seeded Boys

(Pictured above from left to right, Hathaway, Cullenberg, Geoghegan)

1. Will Geoghegan (Brunswick) 15:32 *course record

2. Kelton Cullenberg (Mt. Blue) 15:44.0

3. Nate Hathaway (Scarborough) 1544.8

With the rain coming down all day, and after 5 races on the course, the thoughts fast times went out the door, but did they? Up until this week, most xc courses were fast and dry, and the top harriers in the state benefited from the conditions, with numerous course records going by the wayside. Most were looking forward to the dry and fast conditions for the Maine Festival of Champions, held at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast. The course is notorious for being fast. However, mother nature had different ideas, as the rain poured down Saturday. So by the time the boys seeded race toed the line, the thought of fast times had gone by the way side. Boy we were we wrong.

The race started off fast, just like usual, as the runners fight for position as the course narrows. It was 800m runner Darick Frye (Hampden) assuming the early pacing duties. Most of the favorites had tucked in behind Frye, most notably Will Geoghegan (Brunswick) & Kelton Cullenberg (Mt. Blue). As the runners approached the mile, Cullenberg had taken over at the front, and his pace was blistering fast considering the conditions, he passed the first mile in 4:44, with Geoghegan and 2008 FOC champ Alex Moser in tow. These three had about 5 second’s separation on the chase pack, that included Nate Hathaway (Scarborough), Liam Cassidy (Brunswick), Luke Fontaine (Cony), Jason Kaake (Morse), & Mike Tate (Dr. JH Gillis)

As the runners came out the wood loops heading towards two miles, it was a two man race at the front, with Geoghegan & Cullenberg coming through in (9:58), chasing behind in 3^rd was Hathaway (10:06) with Moser a step back(10:07). Kaake rounded out the top 5, with Brunswick’s #2 runner Liam Cassidy (10:20) in 6th then freshman Mike Tate of Nova Scotia (10:25) 7^th. John Bapst’s Gabe Stewart was running well in 8^th.

Over the final mile, Geoghegan would put the race away, making a move just after the two mile up a small hill, he turned on the after burners. Coming up the home stretch, he could see the clock reading low 15’s and new he had a shot at the course record.Will would finish the race off with a strong finishing kick to stop the clock at 15:33, a new course record by almost 4 seconds. Former record holder was star runner Levi Miller of Belfast, currently at an All-American at Georgetown. The race for 2^nd was intense and a replay of the Class A state meet mile last spring, with Cullenberg and Hathaway sprinting it down the homestretch. Cullenberg would stay on his feet today to nab 2^nd in a lifetime best 15:44, good for 5^th fastest ever on the course, Hathaway would be 3^rd, 15:44.9, a pr and 6^th best ever at Belfast. The defending champion Alex Moser would finish 4^th, 16:04 a second faster than he won the Class B state meet last fall, also good for 15^th fastest on the course. Kaake rounded of the top 5 (16:14) with Cassidy finishing 6^th (16:17), and Tate (16:21), clocking the fastest freshman time in meet history. Stewart powered home for 8^th (16:27), while Ryan James (Belfast) running on his home course was 9^th (16:31), while early race leader Darick Frye nabbed a top 10 finish (16:33).

The team race was too close to call, although many thought the winner was Scarborough or Dr. JH Gillis. Only 4 points separated the top 3 teams. When the results were tabulated, defending champion Scarborough was victorious again, scoring 182. Dr. JH Gillis and Edward Little tied for 2^nd, but Gillis got the edge on the 6^th runner. Coming into the meet no one expected the Red Eddies to one of the top teams, but that didn’t hold them back. The addition of sophomore transfer Justin Leclair to their lineup was huge for EL; he was their #4 runner today in his first race of the season. Brunswick ran a strong race paced by 2 guys in the top 5 to place 4, while Gorham rounded out the top 5. One thing is for sure the Class A title is up for grabs at this point of the season.

Finish Line Video