WINDHAM — It was going to take a superior effort.
That’s what Edward Little boys’ track and field coach Ryan LaRoche knew going into Saturday’s Class A state championship meet. He knew his Red Eddies would need the meet of their young lives to overcome a strong and favored Bonny Eagle squad.
EL produced the effort it needed, but so did the Scots. Bonny Eagle rallied from behind in the day’s final event to edge the Red Eddies for the Class A state title by only four points.
“We had a phenomenal meet today,” LaRoche said. “We were seeded to lose this meet by 30 points. We scored 90 points. In every event but three, we at least held or improved our seed. Two of the kids that didn’t hold their seeds in the distance events had PR’s. In the one throwing event where we didn’t hold the seed, the kid had the second-best throw of his life.”
Bonny Eagle finished with 94, while EL had 90. South Portland was third at 59 while Cheverus (52) and Sanford (44) rounded out the top five. Lewiston finished with four points while Mt. Blue had two.
On the girls’ side, Bonny Eagle completed the sweep with 82 points. Scarborough was second at 78 followed by Edward Little with 50. Cheverus (49) and Thornton (48) followed. Mt Blue finished with four points while Lewiston had three and Oxford Hills two.
EL made a late surge to take a 90-88 lead in the boys’ meet. The Red Eddies got a win in the high jump from Connor Harris, who placed in three events. Three EL runners also placed in the 3,200-meter run, with Hussein Mohamed taking second, Faisal Noor fifth and Justin Leclair sixth. Though Bonny Eagle held 20-point lead at one point, the Scots trailed entering the final relay.
EL had a challenge in the final event. The Red Eddies were seeded third in the second section while Bonny Eagle’s relay team was seeded third in the fourth and final section. That meant EL knew it needed to win to have a likely chance of holding off the Scots, who were running in a faster heat.
“We needed them to finish fifth or worse, and we needed to place,” said LaRoche.
EL gave its best effort. The Red Eddies had the quick lead in the relay but were trailing on the final pass. Michael Lucas, who won the 110-meter hurdles, had ground to make up, and he nearly did. Chasing down a Cheverus runner, Lucas nearly caught him at the finish.
“I just knew I had to be tough as nails and drive through that,” said Lucas. “I had to do it for the team and not myself.”
Lucas was in a similar position as a sophomore when he had to try to hold off a surging Bonny Eagle team in the final relay with the states on the line. The Scots won that day, and finished third overall in the relay Saturday to secure the title.
“For the second time in four years, we had a great team, and they’re that much better than us at the end of the day,” LaRoche said of a Bonny Eagle team that graduates just two athletes. “I couldn’t ask for more from my kids. Unfortunately, Bonny Eagle stepped it up when we stepped it up.”
Harris not only won the high jump but took second in the triple and fourth in the long jump.
“It’s better than I expected,” said Harris. “This whole team has been pumped for states. All across the board, people have been coming up big. I was seeded fourth in the long jump and kept that place. I was seeded fifth in the triple and moved up there. I was seeded first in the high jump and kept that place.”
He had a personal best in the triple and jumped 6-2 in the high jump.
“I definitely felt like it was a good day,” said Harris of the high jump. “My legs when I got there felt like toast. Considering I got 6-2, I felt pretty good.”
Lucas won the 110 hurdles in 15.61 while Keith Trembley won the race walk in 6:41.32. Trembley also added a fourth in the discus. Also doubling up were Noor and Mohamed. Noor was fifth in both the 1,600 and the 3,200. Mohamed took sixth in the 1,600 and second in the 3,200. Darnell Hairston added a third in the 110 hurdles and a sixth in the 300 hurdles.
Also placing for EL was Adam Robinson with a seventh in the racewalk, Taka Ranucci with a fifth in the 200, Leclair with his seventh in the 3,200 and Ricardo Hairston as a third in the triple jump.
EL also got a third in the 4×800-meter relay with Jonathan Delorme, Mohamed, Lucas Bourget and Noor. The 4×100-meter team of Lucas, Darnell Hairston, Conner Twomey and Ranucci took fifth.
“Everywhere you looked on the track, the 4×100 was seeded eighth and came in fifth,” said LaRoche. “Taka Ranucci was seeded 14th and came in fifth. But everywhere we had a great performance, they had an answer for us.”
Also in the boys’ meet, Lewiston got a sixth from Ali Hersi in the 800. Jake Dumas and Tyler Hartman each placed seventh in the triple and 400 respectively. Mt. Blue got a sixth from Jaron Jones in the 3,200.
In the girls’ meet, Abby Dunn and Marie Dufresne-Dixon led Edward Little. Dunn won the racewalk in 7:29.30, while Dufresne-Dixon won the pole vault with a height of 9-6.
“I was ready for it and really excited,” said Dufresne-Dixon. “It’s my favorite event. I didn’t think I would win because there are a lot of competitive vaulters this year. It’s a surprise, but I’m happy.”
Lexi Clavet also placed in the pole vault with a seventh. She was second in the triple and added a seventh in the long jump.
Other girls placing for EL included Emily Hartnett in sixth in the 100 hurdles. Mary Kate Masters was seventh in the 100 while Emily Ranucci was sixth in the triple. Frankie Lally took second in the javelin, and Kelly Philbrook added a seventh in that event.
The 4×100-meter relay team of Ayumi Ranucci, Hali Henry, Masters and Crystal LaBonte took third.
Mt. Blue got a fourth from Emily Reed in the race walk. Lewiston’s Nicole Court-Menendez was fifth in that event while Oxford Hills got a sixth from Gema Wheatley in the race walk.
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