RESULTS | PHOTOS | RACE VIDEOS | INTERVIEWS
In her first major cross country invitational, freshman Nora Schmidt of Portland made a statement at the 2025 Maine Festival of Champions. Schmidt ran comfortably with the lead pack through the opening 800 meters before surging ahead around the turn near the red building - a move that proved decisive. From there, she steadily extended her lead and cruised to victory in 17:47, finishing 25 seconds clear of the field.
Warm temperatures greeted the runners at Troy Howard Middle School, where many athletes collapsed in exhaustion after battling through the challenging conditions.
Behind Schmidt, Falmouth junior Georgia Moon closed hard to edge York's Zoe Carroll for second, 18:12.38 to 18:12.62. Anna Carruthers of Lockview, Nova Scotia, took fourth in 18:18, while Karen Higgins of Lincoln Academy rounded out the top five in 18:34.
Addison Elliott delivered her best performance of the season, placing sixth in 18:43. She was closely followed by Freeport senior Lucy Huggett in 18:46. Orono's Maya Boyington ran a lifetime best of 18:48 to secure eighth place, while Gretchen Plant of Hampden Academy finished ninth in 18:52. Cheverus junior Allie Schmitt rounded out the top ten with a 19:08 effort.
In the freshman race, Caribou's Emma Graves continued her impressive rookie campaign, clocking 20:00.73-just missing the 20-minute barrier-to take the win. Hampden Academy's Erin Curtis followed as runner-up in 20:32.
In the team competition, Freeport, the top-ranked squad entering the meet, held off defending champion Mt. Desert Island by just six points, 147-153. York placed third with 187 points, followed by Portland (218) and Cheverus (223) to complete the top five.
A large lead pack set a quick tone early in the boys' race, with Sam Bergmark (Bangor), Levi Riggs (Morse), Alex Gilbert (Freeport), and Enzo Giampaolo (Lewiston) among those up front through the first mile.
As the runners emerged from the woods, Gilbert had taken command with Giampaolo right on his heels. The two remained locked together until the final 400 meters, when the senior from Freeport surged ahead for good, stopping the clock at 15:45. Giampaolo held strong for second in 15:53.
Behind them, the battle for third came down to a thrilling sprint finish, as Atticus Merriam (Scarborough) edged William Morris (Dirigo) by just .01 seconds - both finishing in 15:58. Levi Riggs (Morse) rounded out the top five with a solid 16:04 performance.
Bangor's Sam Bergmark turned in a strong performance, placing sixth overall in 16:15. Close behind came Henri Rivard (Hampden Academy) in 16:16, followed by teammate Asher Valentine, who also clocked 16:16 to finish eighth. The Edward Little duo of Harper Borden (16:22) and Calvin Vincent (16:31) rounded out the top ten with solid efforts.
In the freshman race, Caribou's Pierce Gorneault took command early, seizing the lead after the mile mark before pulling away from the field. Gorneault was the only freshman to break the 17-minute barrier, crossing the line in a personal-best 16:56, which ranked 22nd overall on the day. Finley Hermans (George Stevens Academy/Blue Hill) earned runner-up honors in 17:37.
In the team competition, Yarmouth, ranked #3 entering the meet, rose to the occasion with a balanced effort to claim the team title with 157 points. Portland finished runner-up with 194, while top-ranked Freeport settled for third at 212. Houlton/GHCA (230) and Hampden Academy (251) rounded out the top five squads.