Class B State Meet Preview
Girls Team Outlook- Defending champion Waterville is stacked once again, the Panthers are the favorite to repeat as champions. Not only do the Panthers have the top distance runner in Bethanie Brown who is seeded #1 in three events, they have plenty of speed & jumping ability behind her. Waterville enters the meet with 8 top seeds, they are seeded to score to score in 12 of the 14 events. With a victory Waterville will have won 4 of the last 6 titles, they have won 7 in the programs history. The runner-up trophy looks like it will be heading home to Cumerbland as perennial standout team Greely has another strong squad in 2012. The Rangers have won 13 class B titles in the program's history, the last coming in 2008. They have points in several events but don't look to have enough to challenge Waterville, but have a clear advantage over the rest of the teams competing. Greely is led by distance standout Kirsten Sandreuter.
Individual Athletes to Watch
Bethanie Brown (Waterville) The junior standout is the #1 seed in the mile (5:08.09), 800m (2:16.60) & 2 mile (10:48.95), Brown is undefeated on the season during in-state competition. She is nationally ranked in all 3 events. She should be pushed in the mile & 2 mile by Greely's Kirsten Sandreuter, which could mean state records will fall. Bethanie is also the defending champion in the Mile & 2 mile
Kirsten Sandreuter (Greely) Sandreuter has had a great winter, but she's got a tough task ahead of her as she enters the meet as the #2 seed in both the mile & 2 mle behind Brown.
Kate Hall (Lake Region) Hall just a freshman will be competing in her first state meet, she's tied for the top seed in the 55m 7.36, #1 in the 200m 26.71 & the long jump 17-5. It would be something for her to come away with 3 golds, don't count her out, she's been impressive so far
Olivia Thurston (Waterville) Thurston is the top seed in the 55m hurdles 8.77, she is the Class B record holder & defending champion at 400m, her seed time of 59.74 is just .23 off the record, she's the #8 seed in the 200m. Olivia is a big meet runner don't be surprise to see a big drop in her times.
Alliyah Veilleux (Winslow) Veilleux will be looking for a big meet, she's tied for the fastest time in the 55m 7.36, her 200m time ranks her 3rd, while she's also the #4 seed in the shot put 32-4
Aleta Looker (Ellsworth) Looker the defending champion at 800m will be looking to repeat as champion, her time of 2:18.52 ranks her #2. She'll be fresh so expect her to give Brown a real good race. She's also entered in the 2 mile as the #6 seed
Georgia Bolduc (Waterville) Bolduc has been dropping her times down like crazy the last few weeks, she's the #3 seed in the 55m 7.41, the #2 seed in the 200m 26.89, & ranked #5 in the pole vault
Cassidy Storey (Greely) Storey the top seed in the shot put 33-8 1/4, she'll be looking to carry on the strong shot put tradition at Greely
Record Watch
The year old long jump of Emily Mitchell 17-6 1/2 may be in danger if freshman Kate Hall can improve on her personal best of 17-5 from last week
All 3 distance races should be watched with a careful eye, the mile record of 5:03.47 Abbey Iselborn could be broken, Bethanie Brown has run faster than that this winter already. The 800m mark of 2:15.28 might be a little of reach but don't be surprise to see defending champion Aleta Looker to take a shot at it, it may take a record to win with Brown in the race. The 2 mile record of 10:48.28 would take a special effort to break for Brown considering she'll be on her 3rd hard race of the day.
Olivia Thurston suprised everyone with a record last year, this year she's run .23 off it, don't be surprised to see her lower her own record
Race to Watch
200m- Last year Amanda Peterson (GNG) won the race in 27.01. This year the #6 seed has run 27.01. This event is stacked with freshman Kate Hall's 26.71 leading the way, but the top 5 in the final section are seperated by just .25. Don't count out the defending champion eother, she's been dropping her times like crazy the last few weeks, lane 6 tends to be a good one for the 200 too.
Boys Team Outlook- The York Wildcats enter the meet as the favorites to win their first ever indoor state title. York has very good strength across the board, in fact they are seeded to score in 12 of the 14 events, with two top seeds overall (4x200m & HJ). Tyler Martin (HJ, 55HH, 4x200) & Thomas Reid (TJ, 55HH, & LJ) will be two keys for York. If York was to slip up look for Waterville, Falmouth,& Greely to be in the mix. The Panthers are field event heavy, in fact they are seeded for 42 or so points, including being tied for #1 or #1 in 3 of the field events. If they can move up on the track they'll have real good shot at some hardware, Devin Burgess (PV, LJ, Hurdles) will be a key for them. The Yachtsmen the defending champion, have some strong events as they are the #1 seed in the 4x800 & 55HH. They will need their distance runners to step up along with big days from Reid Przyant & Jacob Buhelt to claim some hardware. Greely has some ground to make up but there distance squad could get it done for them, Liam Campbell, Stefan Sandreuter & Nestor Taylor will have to big days.
Inidividual Athletes to Watch
Miguel Caballero (Orono) Caballero has been on fire all winter, can he win 3 events at the state meet? He's the top seed in the LJ (21-7) by 19", he also holds the top seed in the 400m 50.98, while the toughest one to win will be the 200m where he's the #2 seed with a 23.29
Reid Przyant (Falmouth) Przyant is the defending champion in the LJ & 55H, it'll be tough for him to overcome Caballero in the long jump but he is the #2 seed & is the favorite to repeat in the hurdles with the top seed of 8.12. Reid is also seeded 8th in the triple jump
Matt McClintock (Madison) McClintock has raced just 2 times all season but that shouldn't matter much. Matt the Footloicker XC All-American is the top seed in the Mile & 2 Mile. He'll be competing in his first indoor state meet so don't expect him to hold back he'll be chasing some fast times.
Thomas Reid (York) Reid will be counted on for some big points by his team, he is seeded #4 in the triple jump, #4 in the long jump & #3 seed in the 55m hurdles
Denzel Tomaszewski (Wells) Tomaszewski is the top seed in the 55m 6.61, he's got his eye on the state record of former wells star Justin Vigeant 6.59. Denzel is also seeded #6 in the 200m
Liam Campbell (Greely) Campbell is the #1 seed in the mile & 800m, he won both events at the WMC Championship meet last week
Devin Burgess (Waterville) Burgess could be key for the Panthers, he'stied for the #1 seed in the Pole Vault 12-6, he's seeded #7 in the long jump but just 1/2" out of the 5th spot, additionally he'll run in the 55H
Record Watch
55M dash Denzel Tomaszewski (Wells) will clearly be aiming to take down the record of 6.59 held by former Wells Warrior justin Vigeant. Tomaszewski said he'll be gunning for it after he broke Vigeant's record at the WMC Championship last . week. Great recovery for Denzel as he missed all last year with a serious kneee injury suffered in football.
400m Miguel Cabellero (Orono) has been on fire this winter, his seed time of 50.98 is just off the 50.65 state record of James Sawyer. Cabellero has been running unpushed in the event most of the winter maybe the state meet atmosphere will get him running even faster
2 Mile while the record of 9:15.5of Bruce Bickford is daunting, Matt McClintock (Madison) has never let barriers stop him from trying to go after fast times. Will be interesting to see how fast he can run.
Race to Watch
The 800m, while top seed Nestor Taylor (Greely) has run 2:01.74 which is a few seconds faster than the rest of the field, this still should be a great race to watch as seeds #2-9 are seperated by a mere 2.15 seconds. The start of this race promises to be one to watch with some many closely bunch athletes the justling and elbowing that goes on at the start of a race who knows how many times they may need to restart it. Just last at the WMC Championship many of these same athletes were battling, when Alex Coffin (NYA) hit the ground and did a full roll over. As for the race Greely is seeded #1-2, Taylor will be fresh for this race sohe's the clear favorite, but the over podium positions are wide open, Liam Campbell (Greely, the aformentioned Coffin who will be fresh as well, Tom Rasche (York), Taylor Saucier (Freeport), Cody Whitcomb (Gardiner), Drew VanSteenberghe (Old Town), Azad Jalali (Falmouth) & Spencer Brown (Flamouth) will all fight for the 7 spots on the podium.
Other State Meet Information