Sophomore Ruth White did as she has down all year get to the front and continued to push the pace. White won her first Maine state cross-country title on Saturday as she clocked 17:31.92 to run the fastest time of the day. The time was just of her course record of 17:28 set earlier this season at the Festival of Champions. George Stevens Academy junior Thea Crowley improved her lifetime best to 18:21.35 finishing as the runner-up.
The gutsiest performance of the day came from Orono senior Nora White who had missed the last three weeks with an injury that didn't allow her to run at all. White finished in 18:41.309 for third. Teanne Ewings from Houlton/GHCA was the top freshman in the race and the entire state as she raced to a lifetime best 19:03.87, behind her Southern Maine Regional champion Alexa Allen of Monmouth Academy was fifth in a personal best 19:22.42.
Sophomore Haley Williams of Winthrop was sixth in 20:08.98 while Maeve Woodruff of Maine Coast Waldorf was next in 20:30.21. In eighth place was Orono junior Ellie Brooks in 20:41.12, with Maranacook's Lina Nocito-Martinez finishing ninth in 20:44.33. Rounding out the top ten was Bucksport senior Rebekah Ireland with her 20:53.83 effort.
The return of Nora White to the lineup for the Red Riots was the difference-maker in the team race. Houlton/GHCA had won the Northern Maine Regional last week and ran very well on Saturday, seventh-best overall amongst all teams but not enough to hold off Orono. Orono tallied 38 points to finish just seven in front of the runner-ups Houlton/GHCA. With three of the top eight finishers and four of the top thirteen, the Red Riots held the edge 19-43 over Houlton/GHCA through four runners. Orono's Fifth runner Katherine Kohtala improved thirty-three seconds from the Northern Maine Regional to secure 27th place and the team title. Kohtala is a familiar name in Red Riots XC lore, Katherine's older sister Camille has a key finish in the 2017 Class C state meet where she finished second by just .16 seconds which helped Orono win the team title by 1 point. Back to Houlton/GHCA, six of their seven runners set 5k personal bests during the race.
Maranacook the Southern Regional champion placed third with 87 points with Monmouth Academy in fourth place with 98 points.
Senior Delaney Hesler of Bonny Eagle crossed the finish line with a smile of joy as she captured the Class A individual title. Hesler covered the 5k layout at the Troy Howard Middle School course in 18:28.29 to hold off a strong challenge from Bangor senior Megan Randall who clocked 18:40.19. The UNH bound Hesler has been a model of consistency at the state XC meet finishing fourth in her first two seasons before claiming the top spot as a senior. For Randall, it was another 5k xc best and the fourth time this season she has run under 19 minutes.
Marshwood sophomore Sarah McClellan was third in 19:27.81 and was followed by Cheverus junior Annabelle Brooks in fourth with her 19:34.67 effort, improving her best state meet finish by thirty-six spots from her freshman year. Rounding out the top five was Bonny Eagle senior Emmaline Pendleton in 19:37.13.
Camden Hills sophomore Jenna VanRyn improved her time twenty seconds from a week ago to finish sixth in 19:40.87, she was followed by Edward Little junior Payton Bell who clocked 19:42.95. Cassie Middleton of Camden Hills was the top freshman in the race with her eighth-place effort of 19:43.14, right behind her in ninth was Marshwood junior Addie Fuller in 19:44.13. Rounding out the top ten was Deering senior Megan Cunningham with a time of 19:50.20.
The Bonny Eagle Scots won the team title easily with 51 points. This was the third title in a row for the Scots seniors and the seventh state title in the last nine years for the program. With four runners 19:55.11 or faster Bonny Eagle averaged 19:46 for each runner and had five of the top twenty-six runners in the meet. Marshwood edged Gorham by three points 112-115 for the runner-up trophy. The key for the Hawks was beating Gorham at spots 1, 2 & 5 spots. Bangor was just three points back of the Rams for fourth with 118. Falmouth rounded out the top five teams with a score of 151 points.
Cape Elizabeth standout Hadley Mahoney did as she has done all year against Class B competition get to the front and push the pace. The sophomore had to deal with some adverse course conditions but navigated them well as she clocked 18:46.85 to win by thirty-four seconds over Cary Drake of York. Mahoney set the pace and gradually extended her lead over the second half of the race as became the fourth athlete to win an individual state cross-country title and the fifth title for the Capers overall. Drake closed out a strong sophomore campaign with the runner-up finish, this year she raced Mahoney four times each time pushing her to be her best. Greely's Annie Reynolds was third with a 19:43.59 effort, considering the conditions she ran in setting a new personal best was impressive for the sophomore.
Northern Maine Regional champion Amelia Vandongden from Mt Desert Island was the top freshman in the race with her fourth-place finish of 19:53.54, behind her in fifth place was Caribou junior Kayley Bell who clocked 20:10.31. Waterville's Abby Williams was sixth in 20:18.18, while MDI's AyliGrace Munro was next in 20:38.72, she was the first senior across the line. Ellsworth junior Addison Nelson finished eighth with her 20:44.97 effort, she was followed across the line by Grace Munger of MDI in 20:50.97. Rounding out the top ten was Emma Young of Cape Elizabeth with a time of 20:52.96.
As expected the Mt. Desert Island girls dominated the team race as the Trojans placed five runners in the top eighteen finishers to score 46 points. This was the Trojan's first Class B team title since a run of three in a row from 2011-2013. Cape Elizabeth was the team runner-up with 102 as they edged Greely by four points for the runner-up trophy. York claimed fourth place with 117 points as they edged Lincoln Academy who was next with 121 points.
