LISBON — Another year, another sweep for the Lisbon track and field teams, as the Greyhound boys and girls earned their second straight Mountain Valley Conference meet championship Thursday at Lisbon High.
The boys racked up 135 points to beat out Winthrop by 35 points, while the girls — who suited up only nine athletes — earned 128 points to nose out Kents Hill (115.)
“We believed that they were prepared well, but we can’t do it for them,” Lisbon coach Nicole Sauter said as her team took a victory lap around the track as dusk descend upon the field. “Today, they stepped up. We had kids today that PR’d by a significant amount and surprised us.
“For them (the girls) to compete as a small group to complete and score 128 points is a true testament of the goals that we had and the depth that we had.”
The boys were led by junior Emmett Mooney, who took home victories in the 110-meter hurdles (17.02 seconds), 100 (11.58 seconds) and 300 (41.10 seconds). But friendly rival James Cognata of Winthrop took home male athlete of the meet honors with wins in the 200 (22.97 seconds), 400 (50.56 seconds), 800 (2:09.74) and 1,600 meters (4:52.76).
In perhaps the most dramatic event of the day, Cognata edged Mooney in the 200 meters, 22.97 seconds to 23.41.
“This the most events I’ve ever done in a meet,” said Cognata, a St. Anselm (N.H.) College commit who is teammates with Mooney on the St. Dominic co-op indoor track team (neither Lisbon nor Winthrop offer the sport in the winter). “The team said we needed the points if we were going to be in the running against Lisbon, so that was the inspiration.”
Mooney, who maintained an intense look on his face throughout his events and even on the victory podium, finally let out a smile after his events were done.
Lisbon’s Emmett Mooney wins the 110 meter hurdles in 17.02 during the Mountain Valley Conference track and field championship meet Thursday in Lisbon. Mountain Valley’s Robert Leveillee, fifth in 18.61, is at right and Madison’s Bryan Donnelly, second in 18.23, is at left. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
“I’ve been running four events throughout the season, but I’ve been trying to figure out what I should run during the state meet and meets like this,” Mooney said. “I was pleased even though I didn’t PR in three of my events. I got three wins and a silver against James over there. My goal is to get better every week, whether it’s mentally or physically.”
Although Mooney and Congnata won so many events, they weren’t the only winners Thursday. Lisbon’s Owen Booker won the long jump (200 feet, 5.5 inches), javelin (161-8) and the triple jump (44 feet-02.5), Boothbay-Wiscaseet’s Kayden Ames took the discus (157-3) and shot put (44-09) and Mt. Abram’s Carter Butterfield won the 1,600 race walk (8:44.37). Boothbay-Wiscasset swept the 4×400, 4×800 and 4×100 relays.
On the girls side, Kents Hill’s Rose Jenkins showed she’s more than a basketball standout by taking girls athlete of the meet honors. The senior ran and leaped to victory in the 100 hurdles (16.87 seconds), triple jump (37-09) and high jump (4-08). Her win in the triple jump may have been her most impressive, as she said she beat her personal record by more than two feet.
“It was kinda unexpected, to be honest,” Jenkins said. “I just focused on running fast and running right into it. I didn’t think about it too much; I just decided to go at it full speed and just think about extending my knee drive.”
Lisbon’s Kayla Cooper earned wins in the 100 (14.31 seconds), 200 (28.05 seconds) and 400 meters (1:02.05) following a disappointing ninth-place finish in the 4×100 relay.
“Those type of things happen and we can’t dwell on it, but coach (Hank Fuller, an assistant) told us to move on and that’s what we did, and I think every girls in the 4×1 just forgot about it and ran really well afterward,” Cooper said.
Mountain Valley’s Brooke Buotte took home wins in the 1,600 (5:43.58) and 3,200 (12:31.06), and Mt. Abram’s Joselyn Smith took the discus (87-07) and shot put (28-07). Other girls winners included Monmouth’s Allyson Lewis (1,600 race walk, 8:41.95), Lisbon’s Kiana Goldberg (300 hurdles, 48.03 seconds), Buckfield’s Brittany Carrier (800, 2:34.05), Kents Hills’ Naomi McGadney (long jump, 14-11.5), Mountain Valley’s Madison Dow (javelin, 80-11). Kents Hill took the 4×100 relay (55.62 seconds() while Boothbay-Wiscasset took the 4×800 (11:18.81), and Hall-Dale won the 4×400 (4:48.76).
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