The Gorham High School boys’ indoor track team won its first ever Southwestern Maine Activities Association championship Saturday at the Portland Expo.

The Rams scored 1291?2 points while Deering finished second with 113. Bonny Eagle, which won its first SMAA championship last season, finished fourth with 801?2. Westbrook scored 11 points.

“The competition is so tough with three divisions you have to be tough,” said Gorham coach John Wilkinson. “You can have a good team, but it doesn’t mean you’ll win the thing.”

Bonny Eagle’s conference championship last season was the precursor to a state championship. Wilkinson and the Rams will look to do the same Feb. 19 at Bates College.

Gorham’s only loss this season came to Deering in the regular season. When Wilkinson did the SMAA meet out on paper, he had Deering as the favorite, but as is the case with most track champions, Gorham got points from unexpected places.

Earlier in the week, Dunkin Allen asked Wilkinson to be switched from the 800 to the Int. 600. Wilkinson agreed but reminded Allen he’d have to run from the slow heat due to seed times.

Allen turned the slow heat into the fast heat, running a time that held up for first place. Teammate Jake Brown won the other heat, finishing second overall and giving Gorham 18 points in the event.

Wilkinson credited the event with putting the Rams back in contention.

“It’s one of those years where we had kids that not only did the 600, but wanted to do it.” he said. “It’s a unique race because you cant really pace. It’s in between; you have to gut it out.”

Gorham’s other first-place finishes came from Tim Millett (two mile), Josh Maxwell (Sr. 45 hurdles), Justin Villacci (Sr. 40), Kyle Perkins (St. 600) and Isaac Pease (Jr. 300).

Maxwell added a second-place finish in the Sr. 400 and a fourth in the high jump. He also anchored the Rams’ senior relay, which capped the meet with a come-from-behind victory. Gorham’s junior relay tied for first with Bonny Eagle.

For a coach who has won almost all there is to win in indoor and outdoor track, getting his first SMAA championship in the Expo was special.

“Growing up as a kid in middle school and high school, I ran there,” Wilkinson said. “There is so much history behind (the Expo). In the 80s and 90s, we tried hard, but the best year we had was fourth place. To go back in there now and win it, not comfortably, but without going down to the last relay, it’s a huge thing.”

The success is already showing. Wilkinson said Monday’s attendance at practice was the best he has had all season.

Wilkinson’s brother Greg coached a young Bonny Eagle boys’ team to fourth place, with its top finishers coming in the junior division.

Nick Winslow (Jr. 45 hurdles), Noah Schoenberg (Jr. 600) and Caleb Gosselin (Jr. 40) and there junior relay team were all victorious. Joe Bailey (Int. 45 hurdles) and Schoneberg (Jr. 45 hurdles) recorded second place finishes.

“This year he shouldn’t have been able to do that well,” said the Gorham coach. “(Greg) brought that team along nicely. They were doing well for half the meet then a few things went wrong. Still, fourth place, I’ll take that next year – if I can even do that.”

Westbrook got third place finishes from Corey Luce (200) and Robbie Preston (Sr. 300).

On the girls’ side, Scarborough won its second consecutive conference title. The Red Storm finished with 156 points. Bonny Eagle was second with 941?2 and Gorham fourth with 79.

Bonny Eagle coach John Turrell said prior to the meet that his team would be fighting for second with Gorham and Thornton Academy. He was right, and the Scots came out on top.

Bonny Eagle received first-place points from Melissa Carrier (Sr. 40), Sarah Ferry (Jr. 45 hurdles), Lauren Dudley (Jr. 800) , along with the Jr. 840 relay team of Katie Kohler, Ferry, Marla Kepron and Natasha Jamison. Katlyn Gardiner (Sr. 45) and Katherine Pagano (two mile) each finished second.

Gorham’s Allyson Fearon tied for first in the Sr. 200 for the team’s only first place finish and the Rams used quality depth to compile enough points to please coach John Caterina.

“I was very, very pleased with the girls’ performances on Saturday,” he said. “On paper we were seeded to finish fourth with approximately 65 points. We ended up finishing in fourth, but scored 79.”

Freshman Kelsey Rex (mile) and Rachel Wilkinson (Jr. 800) each finished second, while Leigh Maniscalco (300), Fearon (Sr. 40) and the Sr. 840 relay added third place finishes.

“Both Leigh Maniscalco and Alyson Fearon have done very well this year,” Caterina said. “They are proven talents and have lived up to expectations.”

Maniscalco, who is still recovering a broken collarbone suffered during field hockey, has switched from the pole vault, hurdles and jumps to the sprints to minimize risk.

Like the boys, the girls teams will compete in the state meet Feb. 19 at Bates College.