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FREEPORT — The York boys and Yarmouth girls track and field teams entered the Class B state championship as favorites.

Saturday afternoon, they lived up to those expectations.

The Wildcats scored 93 points to win the boys title, while the Clippers scored 101 to take home the girls championship.

It’s the eighth state title (and seventh in Class B) for the York boys, but their first since 2022. The Wildcats shared the Class B crown with Falmouth in 2012 and Mount Desert Island in 2018. Greely, the two-time defending champion, finished second with 73 points, while Yarmouth (61) was third.

“It’s fantastic, I couldn’t be any more proud of the guys team,” said York coach Matt Weber. “They worked incredibly hard this year, lots of hard practices and lots of hard meets, good perseverance. It’s a fantastic outcome, everybody hit at the right time.”

York had two first-place finishers. William Fagan won the shot put (53 feet, 4 1/2 inches), and Jackson Walker won the 110-meter hurdles (15.75 seconds).

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Yarmouth earned its first girls state championship. Freeport was the runner-up with 82 points, while Greely, which won the previous two years, was third with 77.

“I’m thrilled, it’s awesome,” said Yarmouth coach Sarah Carrigan. “We were super confident after (the Western Maine Conference meet). It was all about pumping the girls up, focusing on the positive, and they pulled it off, which is great.”

Ella Cameron won the javelin (121-1) and discus (114-5) for Yarmouth. Freshman Hayden Aines prevailed in the long jump (18-3), and Miah Jacobs won the 100 in 12.20. Yarmouth’s 400 relay team of Jacobs, Aines, Abby Noble and Lilah Pernal (49.30) set a meet record.

The York boys and Yarmouth girls won Western Maine Conference titles on May 30.

The day was highlighted by several meet records. Old Town’s Elyannah Briggs broke a 49-year-old record in the high jump with a leap of 5-6. The previous record of 5-5 3/4 was set by Ellsworth’s Joanne Gray in 1977.

“It means a lot to me,” said Briggs, a senior who is 6 feet, 1 1/2 inches all. “Going into it, I hadn’t thought about the record, I wasn’t expecting to do that today. With my previous performances this season, it’s been a little rocky. But I’m really ecstatic to get this record.”

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Hermon junior Daijha Grant (37-8 3/4) broke a 29-year-old record in the triple jump. The previous mark of 37-5 1/2 was set by Sarah Keenan of Foxcroft Academy in 1997.

Gardiner junior Natalie Grant (8:05.06) repeated as Class B champion in the 1,600 race walk. It was a nice finish to the season for Grant, who came back from a broken femoral head in her hip suffered last fall during cross country season.

“This is the best result I could hope for,” Grant said. “I think even though I won last year, it means more, because I came back from something.”

Leavitt senior Mason Henderson hadn’t won a state title before Saturday, when he swept the sprints. In addition to his victories in the 100 (10.93) and 400 (49.71), he set a meet record in the 200 (22.17), lowering the mark of 22.18 by Miles Burr of Mt. Desert Island in 2023.

“It’s unreal, unreal,” said Henderson, who will play football for the University of New England. “To end it with a state record, that’s pretty cool. It’s a little surreal right now, it hasn’t really set in.”

Henderson won each event in his trademark sunglasses, which he wears at every meet.

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“It’s like an alter ego, it’s like I’m in race mode,” Henderson said.

Freeport senior Alex Gilbert won the 1,600 (4:29.51) and 3,200 (9:49.25) in his final high school meet on his home track.

“It feels great to have (states) here again, it feels very full-circle,” Gilbert said. “To be able go out here and win was a lot of fun.”

Gilbert (1:58.84) finished third in the best race of the day, the 800. Sophomore Gavin Rogers of John Bapst (1:57.58) edged Ellsworth junior Noah McGruder (1:57.87) for the win.

“I was super excited,” Rogers said. “I said, ‘Today is the day I’m going to (set a personal record). Just go out, have no regrets and run as fast as I can.’ Thankfully, I came out with a victory.”

Cony had two victories in the boys relays. Ethan Demmons, Judah Bickford, Carter Brathwaite and Joseph Knapp won the 1,600 relay (3:30.41), and Demmons, Knapp, Carter Brathwaite and Shaquan Fellows set a meet record in the 400 with a time of 43.53.

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Joan Benoit Samuelson —the 1984 Olympic marathon gold medalist for whom the Freeport facility is named — handed out medals to winners during the meet.

GIRLS WINNERS

Hayden Aines, Yarmouth: long jump (18-3)

Rowan Barry, Greely: 800 (2:17.48)

Angelina Boisvert, Nokomis: shot put (38-7 1/4)

Elyannah Briggs, Old Town: high jump (5-6, meet record)

Ella Cameron, Yarmouth: javelin (121-1), discus (114-5)

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Zoe Carroll, York: 1,600 (4:58.41)

Daijha Grant, Hermon: triple jump (37-8 3/4, meet record)

Natalie Grant, Gardiner: 1,600 racewalk (8:05.06)

Seneca Haney, Mt. Desert Island: 200 (24.74)

Karen Higgins, Lincoln Academy: 3,200 (11:07.45)

Piper Higgins, Greely: pole vault (10-0)

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Miah Jacobs, Yarmouth: 100 (12.20)

Caitlin Jenkins, Ellsworth: 100 hurdles (15.35)

Sovie Rau, Erskine Academy: 400 (57.05)

Victoria Zandan, Greely: 300 hurdles (45.85)

Freeport: 3,200 relay (Ella Oshetski, Stella Kryzak, Maddy York, Lucy Huggett), 9:53.82

Mt. Desert Island: 1,600 meter (Ella O’Connell, Cora VanDongen, Marlee Catanese, Seneca Haney), 4:04.39

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Yarmouth: 400 relay (Abby Noble, Hayden Aines, Lilah Pernal, Miah Jacobs), 49.30 (meet record)

BOYS WINNERS

Joseph Bennett, Mt. Desert Island: discus (158-5)

Luke Blair, Erskine Academy: 1,600 race walk (8:04.05)

Kannon Crocker, Greely: 300 hurdles (40.15)

William Fagan, York: shot put (53-4 1/2)

Boris Felix, Ellsworth: high jump (6-2)

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Shaquan Fellows, Cony: long jump (20-9 3/4)

Alex Gilbert, Freeport: 1,600 (4:29.51), 3,200 (9:49.25)

Minh Ha, Belfast: javelin (164-6)

Mason Henderson, Leavitt: 100 (10.93), 200 (22.17, meet record), 400 (49.71)

Elijah Pelkey, Erskine Academy: triple jump (43-1.50)

Gavin Rogers, John Bapst: 800 (1:57.58)

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Patrick Saltysiak, Mt. Desert Island: pole vault (13-6)

Jackson Walker, York: 110 hurdles (15.75)

Cony relays: 400 (Ethan Demmons, Carter Brathwaite, Shaquan Fellows, Joseph Knapp), 43.53 (meet record); 1,600 (Ethan Demmons, Judah Bickford, Carter Brathwaite, Joseph Knapp), 3:30.41

John Bapst: 3,200 relay (Benedict Hoskins, Mason Read, Beckham Rand, Gavin Rogers), 8:21.56

Dave Dyer is in his second stint with the Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel. Dave was previously with the company from 2012-2015 and returned in late 2016. He spent most of 2016 doing freelance sports...

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