Mt Ararat senior Grady Satterfield, second from right, laps the pack on the way to victory in the 2 mile event, by 18 seconds, during the Class A indoor state track and field championships Feb. 21 at the USM Field House in Gorham. Carl D. Walsh/Portland Press Herald
Grady Satterfield is ready for the national stage.
Satterfield, a senior at Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham, is one of several Maine high school athletes who will participate in the New Balance Nationals on March 11-13 in New York. It’s Satterfield’s first trip to nationals.
Mt. Ararat senior teammate Mikaela Langston will also be at New Balance Nationals, participating in the triple-jump and long jump.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Satterfield said. “It’s been a goal of mine for quite a long time, to be able to qualify. I’m thrilled to be racing against some of the top guys in the (United States).”
Added Langston: “I’m very excited. I just competed at the New England championship (last weekend). I’m training this week up until nationals. I’m pretty excited about that.”
There are three national indoor high school track and field championship meets this month, including the New Balance Nationals, the Adidas Indoor Nationals and the Nike Indoor Nationals.
Mt. Ararat senior Nathaniel Smith will be competing at the Nike Indoor Nationals, in Staten Island, New York. Smith will be competing in the triple-jump and long jump events. Smith was the KVAC A champion (21-08.00) in the event and finished third (21-00.50) at the Class A meet.
Mt. Ararat senior Mikaela Langston was victorious in the triple jump during the Class A indoor track state championship Feb. 21 at the USM Field House in Gotham. Carl D. Walsh/Portland Pres Herald
Satterfield will participate in the two-mile at New Balance Nationals, an event he’s excelled in throughout the indoor track and field season. He won both the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A title (9:39.63), as well as a Class A championship (9:30.96) in the two-mile this season. At his most recent event, the New England Championships in Boston on Saturday, Satterfield finished sixth (9:12.53).
“Confidence-wise, I know I’ve done the work, I’ve been diligent and I’ve done the small things,” Satterfield said. “I get my nine hours of sleep. With the competition, it’s the top talent in the (United States). I’m just there to try to do my best and have a good day. I think if I do those things, the placements and times will come with that.
“In a KVAC race, or a state race, it’s a little bit different (from regionals or nationals) because there’s kind of more tactics involved, for team placement,” Satterfield added. “But in this race, where I don’t necessarily have to worry about team placement, it really is just focusing on the time goal for laps and doing my own thing, I guess you can say.”
Satterfield has had success in distance running this year. During cross-country season, he finished third at the Class A championships. The only two that had better times than Satterfield (16:00.20) was Abbott Valentine of Hampden Academy (15:34.44) and Daniel McCarthy of Bangor (15:35.79).
Satterfield said his goal this year has been to stay consistent in training and at meets.
“In years past, I’ll admit, there were definitely seasons I was going to bed late,” Satterfield said. “I wasn’t eating right. Since this summer, I looked myself in the mirror and went, ‘Do I want to have a good senior year?’ The conclusion I came to was yes. Being consistent with my training, getting the right (amount of) sleep. Doing the stretching and recovery.”
Langston won KVAC A (37-06.00) and Class A (36-11.50) titles in the triple jump.
“I feel pretty confident (in the event),” Langston said. “It’s definitely been hard this year. But I’ve pushed through and have been working really hard. I’m confident for the (upcoming) outdoor season as well.”
Nathaniel Smith of Mt. Ararat, front, and Elijah Mitchell of Brunswick sprint step for step to the finish line during the 100-meter dash at a track and field meet last May in Bath. Eli Canfield/The Times Record file photo
Also competing at the New Balance Nationals will be Bangor’s Megan Randall, the Class A champion in the two-mile (11:07.21). Thornton Academy’s Mia-Claire Kezal (5:10.86) — daughter of Thornton football coach Kevin Kezal — will also compete at the New Balance Nationals. Kezal also won the Class A title in the 800-meter run (2:19.41).
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