After waiting over 100 years between track titles, the Lewiston boys’ track team hopes to capture its second championship in a span of just 10 days.
Lewiston won the recent KVAC championship, but you’d have to go way back to 1898 to find the last team track title, according to research done by current Lewiston coach Ray Putnam.
Monday’s state indoor track at Southern Maine should be tightly contested with as many as eight teams strong enough to compete for the boys title.
Taking home a second championship won’t be easy.
“This may be the closest state meet ever,” says Putnam. “There are three points separating six teams. We could leave with a three or four-way team tie. I think the team that wins will be between 62 and 70 points.”
Scarborough, Bonny Eagle, Portland, Bangor, Edward Little and Westbrook are among the teams jumbled at the top with Biddeford and Deering also having a shot at winning.
The Blue Devils have a strong contingent led by Kurt Thibeault. He’s the favorite to win the 400 and he’ll also be competing in both the 800 relay and the 200. The 200 will be one of the more anticipated races with defending state champion Colby Brooks of Edward Little, Bonny Eagle’s Ben Roy and Bangor’s Cam Cormier heading a talented field.
Matt Cyr (pole vault, 800 relay) and Bashir Mohamed (two mile, 3200 relay) will be counted on to score as well for Lewiston.
“They’re willing to do whatever it takes to win,” says Putnam of his team. “They just keep stepping it up. It’s going to be an exciting meet.”
Brooks will look to defend both his 55-meter and 200 titles. The Red Eddies also have strong scoring threats in Garner LaValley (hurdles, 800 relay) and shot putters Nate Chantrill and Brian Despres.
Biddeford hurdler Devin Belanger and Westbrook’s Erik Born (long jump, triple jump and high jump) are others to watch.
In the girls’ A meet, Thornton and defending champion Scarborough should battle for the crown with a deep Bangor squad and Brunswick looking to squeeze into the top spot. Lewiston’s Tiffany Leblond is seeded second in the 55-meter hurdles after being held out of the KVACs with an injury while Edward Little’s Kelsey Pettengill is ranked fourth in the 55-meter dash.
The Class B meet at Bates has Falmouth as the favorite in the boys division. The Yachtsmen received a big lift from Bez Kargar when they captured the Western Maine Conference crown. Kargar took home individual wins in the hurdles and high jump while finishing second in the long jump. He’ll have his work cut out for him Monday in the high jump. Leavitt’s Jeff Ramos is the defending state champion and is the event’s top seed. York, Brewer, Mt. Desert and Orono are the top threats for Falmouth.
Two events to watch are the one and two mile as Lake Region’s Miles Bartlett and Falmouth’s Jon Wilson finished a close one-two in both races at the WMC finals.
The girls B title should once again be property of Greely. The Rangers have won 11 state crowns since 1991 including the last five in a row. Rebecca Furey and Rachelle Doucette lead a loaded Greely lineup. Doucette should score in the 200, 800 relay, hurdles and have a solid shot of placing in the triple jump. Furey and Liza LePage are also serious threats in multiple events.
Fryeburg’s Jenna Ligor is seeded third in the 800.
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