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Athletes from around Maine will be competing in the three-day adidas Indoor National meet in Virginia this weekend. Some will be chasing state records while overs will be competing for the first time all winter.
Scarborough junior Jayden Flaker will be competing at the Virginia Beach Sports Complex for the third time this winter. Flaker the 2020 Class A indoor 55m hurdles champion will run in the championship 60m hurdles and the 400-meter leg on the championship sprint medley. Last time out he clocked a personal best 8.23 for 60m hurdles just .01 off Devin Belanger's state record of 8.22. He's got his eyes on running much faster this weekend with the hopes of cracking the eight-second barrier if all goes well. We caught up with Flaker this week to talk about the indoor season and his expectations for nationals.
Teammate Zach Barry will run in the championship 800m on Sunday, Barry set a mile personal best of 4:24.49 last time out at the East Coast Invitational. Flaker and Barry will combine with senior Alex Callahan and junior Nick Connolly in the championship sprint medley, as they chase the state record of 3:36.94 set by Scarborough back in 2019.
Mia-Claire Kezal of Thornton Academy is no stranger to the Virginia beach track as well as this is her third trip down to compete this winter as well. Kezal has been competitive in every race she has run this winter including a pair of runner-up finishes. The 2020 Class A 800m runner-up has clocked 2:20.61 for 800m, 2:58.35 for the 1000m, 5:16.07 for the mile, and 11:26.95 for 2 miles. Kezal's personal best for 800m stands at 2:17.44, she'll be looking to lower that and move up the ranks of the best 800m runners in state history. Class B indoor 800m champion Alexandria Brent of York will be competing in the championship 800m as well, Brent has been competing for the New England Elite Club out of New Hampshire this winter. She is coming off a strong personal best 2:22.18. A sub 2:20 is right on the horizon for her.
Bonny Eagle junior Delaney Hesler ran 11:08.13 for 2 miles a few weeks ago in Virginia at the East Coast Invitational. Hesler returns this weekend in the championship two-mile where she will look to challenge the eleven-minute barrier, and chase the Scots school record of 10:53.5 set by Wendy Delan back in 1987 at the Class A state meet. Hesler's teammate Emmaline Pendleton will run in the open 800m and 2-mile races this weekend.
As mentioned in the opening for some this will be the first competition of the season for some athletes including Gorham standouts Andrew Farr, Emma Green, and Ryan Gendron. Farr will compete in the championship 60m dash and the open 200m. Green and Gendron will compete in the championship high jump.
Reigning Class B indoor shot put champion Zoe Barnes of Gray-New Gloucester will compete in the championship shot put, she has yet to compete this winter but enters with a best of 37-11 3/4.
Maine Adidas Indoor Nationals Entries
Boys
Championship 60m Andrew Farr Gorham Championship 60m Hurdles Jayden Flaker Championship 800m Zach Barry Scarborough Championship 1600m Sprint Medley Scarborough Championship HJ Ryan Gendron Gorham Open 200m Andrew Farr Gorham Jaylen White Westbrook Open 400m Jaylen White Westbrook Open Mile Hunter Burkhardt St. Dom's Open Shot Put Nick Connolly Scarborough
Girls
Championship 800m Mia-Claire Kezal Thornton Academy Alexandria Brent York Championship 2 Mile Delaney Hesler Bonny Eagle Championship HJ Emma Green Gorham Championship SP Zoe Barners GNG Open 800m Emmaline Pendleton Bonny Eagle Open 2 Mile Emmaline Pendleton Bonny Eagle Rising Stars 200m Emerson Flaker Scarborough