Admittedly, the Edward Little girls’ track team didn’t have the best possible meet last week. The Red Eddies paid for it dearly, losing their first SMAA track and field championship meet in several years.

Part of the credit, of course, goes to a strong and determined host Thornton Academy team that is trying to become the second consecutive team to sweep both indoor and outdoor track in the same academic year, following Waterville.

“No doubt they had a great meet last week,” said EL coach Steve Robertson of Thornton. “That was probably their best meet all season.”

That said, EL still hung within 12 points of the Trojans.

“We’ve added a few things and made some changes,” said Robertson. “The biggest thing for us, though, is that we’ll probably need some help.”

By help, Robertson is referring to athlete displacement by other schools. The problem with that theory, at least for Edward Little, is that the other schools with strong teams, Mt. Blue and Mt. Ararat from the East and South Portland from the West, are strong in the same events as Edward Little.

“You never know how well they are going to do,” said Robertson, “you just don’t.”

Beth Wilcox, Jessie Wilcox and Krystal Douglas alone give Mt. Ararat a formidable punch in the middle to long distance events, and EL is counting on those events for extra points against the Trojans. Mt. Blue, led by racewalker Carly Lochala and distance runners Callie Douglass, Jordan Daniel and Katie Wells, should also impact EL’s attempts to sneak past Thornton.

“The girls know that we didn’t have the best meet last week, and they know what it’s like to lose now,” said Robertson. “If they learn from that and give everything they have, we have a real shot at winning this thing, but it’s going to take a little bit of help and strong running from our seniors and captains.”

A closer look at the other state competitions:

Class A Boys

A funny thing happened between the SMAA meet last week and the state meet today. The EL boys garnered enough seeding points to actually become the favorite, despite losing to Deering last week.

“(Deering) wanted to win last week, they put their team together that way, and they won,” said EL coach Dan Campbell. “Their distance runners did what they were supposed to do.”

Edward Little predictably took first and second in the 100 and 200-meter races, and its 4×100-meter relay set a school and meet record in winning that race.

“The biggest difference for us this week will be in the distances,” said Campbell. “(Sam) Fletcher will be running in more than one event this week, and just that will help out numbers go up over last week. The key to beating Deering will be in the distance events this weekend.”

Class B Girls

While last week served as a coronation of sorts for the Greely Rangers, this week may prove to be a wake-up call. Based solely on the seeds for today’s Class B state championship in Ellsworth, Greely still holds an 19-point edge over its nearest competitor (Gorham), but seeds can be misleading.

“All it takes is one bad event for one athlete to change things,” said Fryeburg coach Mark Strange. “It all comes down to who has what kind of day out there.”

Strange’s girls saw that happen last week as Cape Elizabeth edged out the Raiders for the Division II title at the Western Maine Conference meet.

“We had a rough week last week, and we saw what can happen. You never quite know how the kids from the East are going to do.”

Hampden figures to be next in line after Greely and Gorham, with Belfast right on its heels. Belfast is fresh off a win at the KVAC Championship last week and has top seeds in two events, the racewalk and pole vault.

Fryeburg’s numbers, or lack thereof, will prevent it from placing in the top five, but a few Raiders should be able to post solid individual efforts.

The same holds true for Leavitt, which just missed out on the KVAC title last week. While the Hornets have been strong all year, the pool in which they now swim for the state meet will be larger than any they have faced this season. The highest seed for Leavitt in any event is a fourth seed in the 4×800-meter relay.

Class B Boys

Of all of the meets contested Saturday, the Class B boys’ meet has the slimmest margin based solely on seeding. Belfast, which took the KVAC Class B meet last week, is ahead by just four points over both Winslow and Greely. Belfast’s strength lies in its sheer numbers. The Lions have top-six seeds in 13 of the 19 events on Saturday, and have multiple top-six seeds in the three throwing events.

Right behind the Lions will be the Rangers of Greely and the Black Raiders of Winslow. The Rangers have three of the four top seeds in the long distance events and a second seed in the fourth. Add to that a second seed in both the high jump and triple jump and the Rangers should be a team with which to contend.

Speed and jumping should carry Winslow’s points. All three teams have a real chance at claiming the title on Saturday. Three teams, Old Town, Ellsworth and Gorham, will vie for the final two spots in the top five.

Class C Girls

With four No. 1 seeds and the deepest team in the field, John Bapst looks every bit the favorite to repeat as the Class C girls’ state champion at Cony High School in Augusta. All three relays, the distance events and even the jumps are covered with John Bapst competitors. Chasing the Crusaders will be a bevy of teams, including Winthrop, Falmouth, NYA, Dirigo and Orono. Based on the seedings released Friday, any of those teams could finish in the top two.

“John Bapst looks really strong,” said Winthrop coach Norm Thombs. “We needed a bit of help to catch them, and the best runner that could have helped us isn’t running.”

The one thing Winthrop does have in its favor is it flexibility. Whereas the Crusaders’ points come primarily from the top with no room for improvement, the Ramblers’ strength is in the middle and bottom of the seedings, meaning a good day by a few athletes could be extremely beneficial.

Dirigo’s Jasmine Brooks is expected to take first in the racewalk, while the Cougars’ 4×400-meter relay is seeded second.

Class C Boys

With four No. 1 seeds in the four longest events of the meet, Falmouth appears on track to capture its first boys’ outdoor track title since a Class M title in 1965.

“They look really strong,” said Lisbon coach Dean Hall. “They have a bunch of seniors that really want to win this year, and they’ve shown it.”

Brandon Bonsey leads the Yachtsmen with two individual No. 1 seeds, as well as a No. 1 in the 4×100-meter relay and a third seed in the 4×800-meter relay.

On Falmouth’s heels should be WMC rival Traip. Foxcroft provides top competition from the East.

Lisbon has the top seed in both the pole vault and the racewalk and should capitalize on those points.

Madison returns George Yodice this week after the senior had to sit out last week’s MVC meet due to disciplinary action, giving the Bulldogs a boost.

Livermore Falls continues its tradition of strong throwing teams thanks to Shawn Demaray and Travis Tardif.

0The two throwers combine for 30 points strictly by the seedings released on Friday.

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