The State Class A and B Indoor Track Championships are fast approaching.
The Class B meet will take place on Saturday at Bates College in Lewiston at noon, while the Class A tracksters have to wait a couple extra days before heading down to the University of Southern Maine in Gorham on Monday at noon for meet action.
Class B
Brian Berkemeyer’s Freeport Falcons send 17 athletes to Lewiston on Saturday.
“We have been developing a large group of athletes that really love to compete, whether it is in cross country or indoor track,” said Berkemeyer. “The program is growing here. Just a great group of kids here. Most are just sophomores and freshmen, with very few juniors and seniors. The future is bright.”
The Western Maine Conference meet lost out to the weather, canceled both last Friday and Monday. Come Saturday, it will be two weeks since the Falcons have competed.
The Freeport girls are solid in several events, including seeded second in the 4×800-meter relay with a time of 10:29.15, and sixth in the 4×200 relay (1:56.41). Maddie Squibb is seeded fifth in the 400 (1:03.51), Hannah Schnyder seventh in the 800 (2:33.29). Other Falcons include Laura Pierce (15th, one mile, 5:55.42), Abbi King (10th, 400, 1:06.17) and Katie Morrissey (12th, 400, 1:06.52).
Orono, according to Berkemeyer, seems to be the favorite with several top seeds in the girls meet.
On the boys side, Freeport is seeded fifth in the 4×800 relay (9:09.18) and 13th in the 4 x 200 (1:43.60).
Individually, Chandler Vincent is the No. 3 seed in the one mile (4:37.57), while teammate Erik Brobst is seeded seventh in the same event (4:45.37) and eighth in the 800 (2:07.77). Henry Jaques is seeded third in the two-mile run (9:55.70), Max Greenwood is 10th in the 400 (55.38) and Joe Ashby 11th in the 800 (2:09.90).
“As a team, we probably will not finish very high, but points will come here and there for us,” said Berkemeyer.
Morse long-distance runner Chris Walfield had himself a day at the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference meet last Saturday. He won the 800, one-mile and two mile events to garner 30 points.
At the state meet, Brunswick coach Dave DeLois, who coaches Morse, said Walfield will run the two-mile, an event the Shipbuilder senior is seeded sec- two-mile, an event the Shipbuilder senior is seeded second in (9:54.97) behind Yarmouth’s Luke Laverdiere (9:40.60).
“Chris can definitely win the two-mile and has had a solid season,” said DeLois.
Also from Morse, look for Isabel Doran in the 800 (12th, 2:37.24) and two-mile (15th, 13:10.54), while Amelia Franklin looks to finish high in the pole vault (11th, 7-0).
Lisbon’s Nick Harriman is also slated to run on Saturday. He is seeded sixth in the one-mile run (4:44.10).
Class A
In Class A, Brunswick and Mt. Ararat will be in action.
The Dragons are coming off a third-place finish in both the boys and girls KVAC meets last Saturday at Bowdoin College.
In the boys meet, Brunswick appears to be strong in sprints and jumps, while the girls have solid long distance running and jumps.
“ It doesn’t take that many points to win a state meet,” said DeLois. “Normally, 70, 80 or even less is enough. If you can get some quality events in you have a chance.”
The girls’ 4 x 800 relay is seeded eighth with a time of 10: 40.31. Staying with long- distance running, Tiffany Tanner is seeded fourth in the 800 (2:27.61) and Tessa Cassidy fifth in the two-mile (12:06.05).
Other Dragon girls to look for are Lily Munro and Desiree Tanner in the 200, and Gillian Doehring in both the long jump and triple jump. Doehring is seeded eighth in the triple jump (33-04.50) and 11th in the long jump (15-05). Tea Kepler ( pole vault) and Kira Wolpow (high jump) will also look to score some points for Brunswick.
“Tessa will run the two mile and the 4×800 relay, while Kira Wolpow had her best jump of the season last weekend (4-10),” said DeLois.
For the Brunswick boys, look for Seth White ( 55 hurdles, fourth, 8.35; ninth, long jump, 19- 07.50), Hunter Garrett (fourth, 55, 6.79; fourth, 200, 23.86), Keenan Welzel (fifth, 800, 2:02.59), Shane Lyons (second, long jump, 20- 03.25; third, triple jump, 41- 04) and Aaron Gary ( third, high jump, 6-0).
“ I see Aaron finishing up there, along with Shane in the triple jump and Hunter Garrett in the sprints,” said DeLois. For the boys, I didn’t think we would be in contention, but I can see us finishing third or fourth. It will take some quality performances to do well.”
Mt. Ararat is also solid in long distance running, led by Katherine Leckbee and Cameron Meier.
Leckbee is seeded second in the girls two-mile run with a time of 11:45.10, just behind Gorham’s Anna Slager (11:20). The Eagles are seeded 11th in the 4 x 800 relay.
Colette Kinkade is seeded 12th in the 200 (1:03.51) and Sara York fifth in the 800 (2:28.49).
Meier has put together a solid KVAC season, with his hard work garnering him a second-place seeding in the two-mile in 9:55.21. Hampden Academy’s Paul Casavant is the top seed with a time of 9:29.46.
Also for the Mt. Ararat boys, the 4×800 relay is seeded ninth (8:59.04) and Eagan Eldridge is seeded ninth in the one-mile run (4:43.99).
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