Bangor’s Anna Connors, center, celebrates her victory in the 100 meters at the Class A outdoor track championships with Lauren Vanidestine of Brewer. Connors won three sprints at the Class A meet on June 3, and anchored Bangor’s winning 1,600-meter relay team. Carl D. Walsh/Staff Photographer

Anna Connors has been trying to run faster than her peers for a long time.

Anna Connors

“In third grade we used to race on the pavement on our playground. My top choice of things to do when we went outside was just to race people,” recalled Connors, a recent graduate of Bangor High. “I didn’t always win so I really didn’t know I was fast.”

Now, Connors and everyone else in Maine track and field circles knows the same thing – for the past two years she’s been the fastest girl in Maine when it counts the most.

At the Class A championship meet on June 3 at Mt. Ararat High in Topsham, Connors repeated her junior-year sweep of the sprint races, winning the 100 meters in 11.95 seconds, the 200 in 25.23 seconds and the 400 in 57.44 seconds. She also anchored Bangor’s winning 1,600-meter relay team to help the Rams wrap up their third straight Class A team title.

The next week, running at the New England championships on her home track at Cameron Stadium, Connors posted the best times in Maine this season while winning the 400 meters (55.25 seconds) and placing second in the 200 (24.28).

Connors is our choice as the 2023 Varsity Maine girls’ outdoor track Athlete of the Year, with a respectful nod to York distance standout Cary Drake.

“On the track she definitely took a step up. Her outdoor times speak for themselves,” said Bangor Coach Alan Mosca.

Mosca said Connors became just the fifth girl from Maine to break 12 seconds in the 100-meter dash and she did it in miserable conditions at the Class A meet.

“It was 40 degrees out and pouring rain,” Mosca said.

Connors finished her high school career with 11 individual championships – seven outdoors and four indoors.

Her first title – when she was a sophomore – was memorable for both her own effort and who she beat.

At the 2021 Class A championship at Massabesic High in Waterboro, on a hot day shortly after pandemic gathering restrictions had been lifted, Cheverus senior Victoria Bossong was trying to win the 100, 200, 400 and 800-meter races, a rare, grueling quadruple. Bossong won the 100, 400 and then the 800 – each in meet record times. Connors had finished second in both the 100 and 400.

In the 200 meters, Connors went out fast and never wavered, establishing a Class A meet record of 24.51 seconds, beating Bossong by several feet. If there had been any doubt about Connors’ ability, it was dispelled in that race.

“Going into that meet I had never raced anyone like Victoria so I was super nervous and she’s a great competitor and she really pushed me to get that time,” Connors said. “I remember her giving me a hug after the race. Her personality and competitiveness kind of inspired me to keep going after track the way she did.”

Mosca said Connors’ work ethic combined with her “calm, kind, humble demeanor,” and willingness to help and care for younger teammates will leave a “legacy that will be remembered at Bangor for a very, very long time.”

Connors will attend the University of Connecticut in the fall. She anticipates focusing mostly on the 200 and 400 meters because “it takes me a little longer to get going fast.”

She said she’s still intent on pushing herself to get faster.

“I’m hoping to excel at UConn. I think with full-year training and such good teammates I will hopefully get much better times and work up to that elite level that I’d like to be,” Connors said. “I want to pursue it and have a good time doing it.”