BATH — The Cony girls track and field team was powered by two sets of twin sisters to capture the program’s first-ever track and field state title, while the Mount Desert Island boys got a lift from its sophomore sprint star to come from four points down in the last event and top a tough York squad and take the boys team title in the Class B state championships at McMann Field on Saturday.
“We’ve been wearing these Hawaiian shirts since 2019,” said MDI head coach Aaron Long. “It’s bringing some island pride to the meet, our version of island pride, to show where we come from. Something the kids can pull from.”
Gray-New Gloucester High School’s Lorenza Piper competes in the discus at the Class B track championships in Bath on Saturday. Piper took second in the discus and the shot put to teammate Zoe Barnes. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel Buy this Photo
Gray-New Gloucester (37 points) girls took fourth, highlighted by 1-2 finishes of Zoe Barnes and Lorenza Piper in the shot put and discus.
In the shot put, Barnes topped the pack with her winning throw of 35-06.75 followed by Piper’s 34-10.75. The Patriots duo ended up finishing in that same order in the discus competition. Barnes sent the discus flying at 128-04, which was a school and facility record. Piper’s throw came in at 107-07.
The Leavitt Hornets finished 12th with 14 points. Junior Margo Kenyon earned a fifth-place finish in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:28.69 and took fourth in the 1,600 at 5:30.16. Molly Sirois walked her way to a third-place showing in the 1,600-meter race walk with her time of 8:52.41.
Ellen Marquis-Boutin earned two points for Poland with a sixth-place showing in the 100-meter dash, and Mt. Blue’s Abby Cramer took seventh in the javelin and 300 hurdles.
The Cony girls won by a confident margin with 95 points ahead of York’s 69, while Belfast finished third with 51. The MDI boys took the title with 88 points, while York finished with 84 points and Caribou took third with 64.
The Cony girls were led by senior twin sisters Anna and Julia Reny and juniors Grace and Kristen Kirk. Anna Reny won the 300-meter hurdles in 46.75 seconds — a second and a half off her Class B state record — and she took second in the 100-meter hurdles (16.19). Julia Reny won the javelin with a throw of 115 feet, 11 inches and took fifth in the 400 (61.18).
Grace Kirk took second in the 1,600 (5:24.92) and the 800 (2:25.31) and ran on the fourth-place 3,200-meter relay (10:22.46). Kristen Kirk took third in the high jump (5-2).
Julia Reny said the girls team felt poised to win the state meet last outdoor season, but COVID-19 denied them the chance. They worked hard this outdoor season with their first Class B title in mind.
York’s Lexi Brent, right center, beats Cony’s Julia Reny in the 100 meter hurdles at the Class B track and field state championships Saturday in Bath. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel Buy this Photo
“We were very focused on this opportunity. We were seeded first (as a team) but only by a little. And in a meet like this — seeds mean nothing. On a day like this, kids can PR and change everything. We are very proud of this state title,” said Julia Reny, who also ran on the second-place 400-meter relay (52.59).
In the final event of the meet, both Reny sisters and both Kirk twins ran on the 1,600-meter relay.
“To have both those sets of twins anchor the relay and lead us to the win would be pretty damn special. They are all tough,” said Cony 16-year Coach Shawn Totman before the last event.
The girls meet also featured a dominant performance by newcomer Hadley Mahoney — a Cape Elizabeth freshman who said she nearly didn’t run track this year, intending only to compete in cross country. After sweeping the 1,600 (5:20.22) and the 3,200 (11:48.25), she said she’s glad she gave outdoor track a try. Mahoney said many commented on her long, fluid stride that looked effortless.
“Yeah, a lot of people said that. But I promise, I was in pain,” Mahoney said with a laugh.
The MDI boys chased York boys for much of the meet — but were fueled by sophomore Walker St. Germain who won the 400 by over a second (50.34). And in the 200, MDI had freshman Miles Burr and St. Germain — seeded third and fourth — take second and third with Burr running 23.44 and St. Germain at 23.60.
The Trojans also won the 400-meter relay (44.69) — with Burr anchoring it — the 3,200-meter relay (8:31.71), and the 1,600-meter relay — in which they had a dramatic come-from-behind anchor leg by St. Germain on the last straightaway (3:31.64).
“Last week in the PVC championship I went out after Bangor too fast and died. So I learned from that, and I was patient,” St. Germain said.
The Leavitt boys, who placed fifth with 24 points, had a strong showing in several events. Senior Ben Ferris walked away with a 1,600-meter race walk victory with his time of 7:50.05. Sophomore Dayton Calder took fifth in the 100-meter dash with his time of 11.74. Junior Robert Oliver took third in the javelin with his throw of 152-06. Senior Christian Keenan took third in the pole vault. Classmate Tom Casey finished fifth in the shot put with a heave of 45-01.00. The Hornets also placed second in the 4×100 relay.
In wheelchair competition, Leavitt junior Jonathan Schomaker earned wins in the 800- and 1,600-meter races, with respective times of 3:35.87 and 7:30.67, and finished second in the 100-meter dash at 26.39. He also took first in the shot put with a winning throw of 15-00.50.
Gray-New Gloucester’s Tyler Amos competes in poll vault at the 11-foot mark at the Class B track championships in Bath on Saturday, June 5, 2021. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel Buy this Photo
Gray-New Gloucester’s (seventh place) Tyler Amos took third in the pole vault, placed fourth in the discus and was sixth in the shot put. Poland (12th) was led by freshman Nolan Garey’s third-place showing in the 110 hurdles.
The York boys were tough on the field events with two of the state’s top throwers — Aidan Martin and sophomore Matt Charpentier. Martin won the shot put (54-5) and javelin by 10 feet (174-3).
“Honestly, Aidan is so powerful, if someone had thrown further in the javelin, Aidan would have,” said York throws coach Missy Freeman.
In the discus, Charpentier had a personal best throw to better his senior teammate partners and win with 52-10, while Martin took second with 143-07. He said he stormed back in the shot put to upend his friend and training partner.
“When he won the discus it definitely helped me. I go angrier and it made me want to throw farther. We were our only competition all season. Nobody pushes us like we push each other,” Martin said.
Gray-New Gloucester’s Tyler Amos falls into the mat on an 11-foot attempt in the pole vault at the Class B track championships in Bath on Saturday, June 5, 2021. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel Buy this Photo
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