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The Class C girls' race delivered one of the most thrilling individual battles of the day, as Southern Maine Regional champion Bryanna Hagopian of Madison and Northern Maine Regional champion Clara White of Orono went stride for stride over the demanding 3.1-mile course at Cony High School.
The race opened fast, with Leah Harper of Madison leading early before Hagopian surged to the front around 800 meters, with White, Harper, and Grace Alexander of Waynflete in close pursuit. By the mile mark - passed in a brisk six minutes - Hagopian and White had separated from the field, while Alexander moved into third.
Over the rolling second mile, the two leaders traded surges on the hills, neither willing to give ground. "I'm a really good downhill runner," Hagopian said afterward - and that proved to be the difference. She used the descents to open a small but crucial gap, extending her lead to five seconds as they emerged from the woods for the final stretch.
Hagopian powered home to claim the Class C individual title in 19:36, with White finishing close behind in 19:42. Nearly a minute later, Alexander secured third in 20:41, followed by Hadley Smith of NYA (21:04) and Andrea Ross of Houlton/GHCA (21:05).
The team race lived up to expectations, pitting defending champion Waynflete against Northern Maine champion Orono. The two programs packed eight of the top 15 finishers, but Orono held the edge in four of five scoring positions. In a performance that showcased their depth and resilience - after a season where they sometimes couldn't field a full team - the Red Riots came together when it mattered most, earning a 51-62 victory over Waynflete.
The title marked Orono's seventh in the past eight years under coach Lin White. North Yarmouth Academy placed third with 107 points, edging Maine Coast Waldorf for the final podium spot.
Dirigo junior William Morris closed out State Championship Saturday at Cony High School with a dominant performance, leaving no doubt who the best in Class C was. Ranked sixth in the state entering the meet, Morris took control from the opening strides and never looked back, delivering a wire-to-wire victory to claim his first state title.
From the gun, Winthrop's Alfie Cognata was the only runner able to stay close. At the mile mark, Morris held a slim five-second advantage - but that would be as close as anyone would get. As the race unfolded, he continued to pull away with each stride, powering through the challenging hills and opening a commanding gap.
By the time Morris emerged from the woods for the final time, his lead had stretched to nearly a minute. He crossed the finish line in 16:33, the third-fastest time across all classes on the day. Cognata finished runner-up in 17:37, followed by Northern Maine champion Andrew Barrett of Orono in 17:44. Malachi Witmer of Houlton/GHCA closed hard over the final 800 meters to take fourth in 17:47, while Maranacook freshman Gage Mattson rounded out the top five in 17:53.
In the team race, the outcome went as expected - #5-ranked Houlton/GHCA delivered a commanding performance to secure the program's first-ever MPA state championship. The Shires placed all five scorers inside the top 18 to tally 55 points, finishing 18 points ahead of runner-up Winthrop. George Stevens Academy/Blue Hill placed third with 116 points to complete the podium.
It was a statement victory for both Morris and Houlton/GHCA - one built on front-running confidence, depth, and control from start to finish.