LEWISTON — It would be easy to compare Wednesday’s Class A girls’ track and field championship pole vault to penalty kicks in soccer or a shootout in hockey.

Except for the four-day delay between the original competition and the extra session. And the complete change of venue, with the addition of a roof. Plus nearly three hours of waiting around while the boys completed their meet, if you were Edward Little’s Jaclyn Masters and Lexi Clavet.

So long to think and so much to think about. It might have all caught up with the Red Eddies, who watched their tenuous lead slip away — and with it, a prospective state title — at Walt Slovenski Track.

Scarborough’s Catherine Bailey finished second and Andrea Tolman in a tie for fifth. It was enough to offset a third-place performance by Masters and help the Red Storm overcome a one-point deficit for an 84.5 to 81 victory and their fifth championship in seven years.

“This is the reason why I do track,” Tolman said. “It’s a wonderful feeling.”

The rest of Saturday’s finals at Windham High School were contested in a steady, windblown rain that was deemed unfit for the pole vault.

More than 50 athletes convened at Merrill Gym along with teammates and their families for a 3 p.m. start in the do-over.

Sanford polished off its boys’ title. By the time those awards were handed out and the girls were given an hour to stretch, the first vault took place just shy of 6 o’clock.

“It would have been interesting to see what happened in the rain,” Masters said. “I’m glad it wasn’t in the rain. This way we could focus on one event and do our best.”

Masters ultimately bore the weight of her team’s title hopes. It took her the maximum three tries to clear 10 feet, six inches, advancing her into the final four.

She attempted three times to clear 11 feet, which would have matched her best of the season, to no avail.

Lindsey Folsom of Cony was the only girl to negotiate the bar at that height. But Bailey handled 10-6 on her first attempt, giving her the edge for second place and cementing Scarborough’s title.

“There was a little pressure. Usually the pole vault is a very private event,” Bailey said. “I just tried to stay calm and tried not to over-think everything.”

Masters was responsible for 24 team points Saturday, including a leg of the championship 4×100-meter relay.

“There was a whole meet of things that could have gone right for us. It just seemed for us (today) like we had a whole meet on our shoulders, but we went into it not really thinking about that … until 11 feet and you need to clear it to win the meet,” Masters said. “I know we mostly wanted it for our team. The whole meet Saturday, we went up seeds and made remarkable moves in spots.”

Clavet fell just shy of scoring points for EL despite a career-best of 9-6.

She achieved that mark on her third try after notching eight and nine feet with ease in her initial go-rounds.

“Today I was definitely feeling good, and once I got nine on my first attempt it kind of gave me the courage to go over again,” Clavet said. “But I felt it, which is really important.”

Bangor placed three vaulters on the podium: Courtney Lizotte (fourth), Ally Vanidestine (tied for fifth) and Morgan Johnson (seventh).

Scarborough’ senior Tolman produced her best mark of the spring season, 10 feet, despite an injured right hamstring that was heavily bandaged.

“I was a little skeptical that I would even get 10 today, because obviously my leg has been bothering me for a while,” Tolman said. “Getting 10 was phenomenal. I told myself I had nothing to lose and I just went for it.”

EL was seeking its second team title in four years.

“Their kid has a bum hamstring. That is a huge meet for Andrea. That’s what Scarborough is about,” EL coach Rebecca Hefty said. “They pull through when they need to pull through. We did very well. You can’t hang your head. It’s just sad to be that close.”

Scarborough’s Kevin Manning won the boys’ competition by vaulting 13 feet.

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