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Portland freshman Nora Schmidt capped off a remarkable debut season with a commanding victory at the Class A State Championship at Cony High School. The talented newcomer set the tone early, daring the field to go with her. Scarborough senior Laurel Driscoll was the only one to match Schmidt's early pace through the first 800 meters, but from there, Schmidt did what she's done all season - steadily pull away from the competition.
Schmidt crossed the finish line in 18:50, a full 23 seconds ahead of runner-up Georgia Moon of Falmouth. Allie Schmitt of Cheverus ran strong for third in 19:26, followed closely by Driscoll (19:29) in fourth and Addison Elliott of Hampden Academy, rounding out the top five in 19:38.
In the team race, history was made as the Portland Bulldogs captured their first-ever Class A Girls' State Championship title, scoring 77 points to edge defending champion Falmouth by just four. Hampden Academy finished close behind in third with 86 points, while Thornton Academy claimed fourth with 95.
It was a day of firsts, breakthroughs, and a fitting finale to an exciting Class A cross-country season.
Marshwood senior Henri Rivard capped off his breakout postseason with another gutsy performance to claim the Class A individual state title. Rivard used the same aggressive strategy that earned him the Southern Maine Regional crown, pushing the pace from the gun. This time, though, he wasn't alone - Ellis Wood (Deering), Enzo Giampaolo (Lewiston), and Samuel Bergmark (Bangor) went with him early, setting up a fast and tactical race.
As Rivard realized he couldn't completely shake the pack, the tempo eased slightly in the second mile, allowing Hampden Academy's Asher Valentine to close the gap and join the leaders. With 800 meters remaining, Rivard and Wood led by a stride over Valentine and Giampaolo. Down the final straight, Rivard glanced over his shoulder to see only Wood still in pursuit. The Marshwood senior found one final gear, raising his fist in triumph as he crossed the line in 16:30.92, just ahead of Wood (16:31.81). Valentine finished third (16:34), followed by Giampaolo (16:44) and Bergmark (16:47) to round out the top five.
The team championship lived up to expectations, as pre-race favorites #2 Portland and #3 Hampden Academy battled for the title. Hampden jumped out early, placing two runners in the top five for just 10 points, while Portland countered with its own duo in the next two spots (26 points). The Broncos gained a key edge when Jack Scott, running through a sprained ankle, finished just three seconds ahead of Portland's third runner, giving Hampden a narrow advantage (28-45) after three scorers.
Portland's depth closed the gap late, but Hampden's fourth and fifth runners sealed the win, crossing just 13 seconds after Portland's fifth to secure a 91-96 victory - and the Class A Boys' State Championship. Camden Hills claimed third with 127 points, while Gorham edged Bangor on the sixth-runner tiebreaker, 145-145.
It was a thrilling finish to a hard-fought Class A season, with Rivard and Hampden Academy both standing atop the podium.