AUGUSTA — Waterville swept the Class B track and field championships Saturday for the first time since 2008, cruising to the girls’ crown and dethroning defending champion Falmouth by seven points in the boys’ meet at Alumni Field.
Saturday also was a championship day for local athletes Jack Peters of Gray-New Gloucester and Kendra Lobley of Poland.
Lobley successfully defended her title in the 800 meters. Her time of 2:22.30 was nearly two seconds ahead of the pack.
Bethanie Brown of Waterville denied Lobley’s bid for a second title. The Purple Panthers sophomore edged the Knights senior in the 1,600.
Peters won gold in the triple jump, an event he also topped in last year’s Class C state meet while a student at Elan School.
To cap his first season at Gray-NG, Peters hit the 30-point threshold in a state meet for the second straight year. He was second in the 100 meters and third in both the 200 meters and the 300-meter hurdles.
Lobley led the Poland girls (37 points) to a tie for fifth with Winslow. Waterville (145.5) finished far ahead of a three-way battle for the second between York (63), Old Town (62) and Greely (60).
Morgan Copp of Poland took second place in the javelin. Emma Turton was third in the 300 hurdles and fifth in the 200. Sophie Spiller snagged sixth in the triple jump.
Gray-New Gloucester was ninth out of 26 teams, with two athletes figuring in all 24 points.
Amanda Peterson ran third in the 200 and fourth in the 100 and fourth as the anchor leg in the 4×100 relay. Breanna Harlow tied for second in the high jump and finished fifth in the racewalk.
Olivia Thurston led the championship charge for Waterville. Thurston won both hurdle events, leading a 1-2-3 Panthers hammerlock on the 100 meters and a 1-2 sweep of the 300.
Peters pushed G-NG all the way to fifth in the boys’ field. Waterville topped Falmouth, 111-104, followed by Greely (78), Old Town (55) and the Patriots (41).
Poland was ninth with 25 points.
Joining Peters on the podium for G- NG were freshman Will Shafer (third in 1,600, fourth in 3,200) and sophomore Will Bartlett (seventh, 800).
Cam Woodford placed third in both the shot put and discus for Poland. Tony Whalen took fourth in the long jump for the Knights, with Josh Christy fifth in the high jump.
Leavitt’s Keith Lemelin ran sixth in the 800.
Isaiah Spofford and Jeff Hale starred in the running events for Waterville.
Spofford won the 100 and 200 meters. His relay team also placed second in the 4×100, and he was second in the long jump. Hale led both the 1,600 and 3,200.
Waterville’s boys won their fourth title in six years, ending a two-year reign by Falmouth. For the girls, it is the fifth straight championship and seventh all-time, including two in Class A.
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