Redemption for Andre Clark at New England Championship

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Marshwood senior Andre Clark found his redemption in the 55m dash final at the New England Interscholastic Championship at the Reggie Lewis Center. The Maine record holder had fallen just short at the Class A state meet two weeks earlier, losing by 0.01 seconds to Max Shapiro of Falmouth. A year ago, after blazing to the fastest time in the New England prelims, a hamstring injury cut his title hopes short.

This time, nothing would stand in his way. After two false starts, the race finally began. Clark exploded out of the blocks, matching strides with Shapiro and Ceasar Flahn of Manchester Central. The three powered down the track in a thrilling sprint to the finish. In the final moment, Clark's perfectly timed lean secured the victory in 6.38 seconds, tying his personal best. Flahn finished second in 6.40, while Shapiro took third in 6.41, equaling his lifetime best.

Class A long jump champion Arnaud Sioho delivered the best jump series of his decorated high school career. Wasting no time, he soared to 23-5 ½ on his opening attempt, improving his indoor best. He followed with jumps of 23-3 and 22-9 ½ before heading into the finals. There, he opened with a 23-3 ¼, then unleashed a personal-best leap of 23-8 ¼ on his second attempt. He closed with a solid 22-11 ½. Despite his outstanding performance, Sioho finished as the event's runner-up, edged out by Micheal Ahoua of Torrington, Connecticut, who secured the win with a personal-best 24-0 in the second round.

Class B mile champion Sam Laverdiere of Lake Region had an eventful journey to the meet, getting into a car accident en route. Fortunately, he was unharmed and made it to the starting line, ready to compete. The race began at a conservative pace, with Laverdiere coming through the halfway mark in fifth place at 2:15. Over the next 400 meters, the tempo quickened to 66 seconds, and he hit 1200m in 3:21, still in fifth and trailing the lead pack by about five meters.

In the high jump, Class A champion Josia Katroli started strong, easily clearing 6-3 on his first attempt. He remained flawless over 6-5 before encountering a slight brush at 6-7 that knocked the bar off on his first try. Adjusting quickly, he cleared it smoothly on his second attempt.

With the bar set at 6-9 and Katroli sitting in third place, he made a statement by becoming the only one among the five remaining jumpers- including Griffin Gammon of Gorham to clear it on his first attempt, propelling him into the lead. Only Derek Shimer of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, matched the height, though he needed a second attempt to do so.

When the bar moved to 6-11, both Katroli and Shimer missed their first two attempts, setting up a dramatic final jump to determine the winner. Katroli was unable to clear, leaving Shimer with one last chance. With the pressure on, Shimer soared over the bar to claim victory.

Gammon, the reigning outdoor New England champion, secured a podium finish with a successful third-attempt clearance at 6-7.