GORHAM — Records fell frequently Monday at the State Class A indoor track championships as eight Class A records were set — two by athletes who are nationally ranked — while the Cheverus girls and Scarborough boys cruised to team titles.

“Eight records is very crazy. Usually there are one or two at a state meet, some years there are none,” said Thornton Academy coach George Mendros.

The Cheverus girls won with 72 points, ahead of Thornton Academy (38.5) and Bangor (37.5).

The Scarborough boys earned their eighth state title in nine years with 104 points, followed by Thornton (70) and Brunswick (44).

Samuel Cenescar of Brunswick reacts with disappointment after attempting to jump 6 feet 6 inches in the high jump at the Class A indoor track state championships at USM in Gorham Monday, February 19, 2019. (Staff photo by Jill Brady/Staff Photographer.)

Westbrook senior Nyagoa Bayak cleared 6 feet in the high jump — and made the elusive height look like a forgone conclusion. She cleared her first two heights (5-06 and 5-09) on her first attempts and then soared over 6-0 on her second attempt as she smashed her own state record, which was 5-08 before Monday’s meet.

As the meet announcer called the All-American jumper to the top of the podium and told the crowd that Bayak is now tied for second in the national high school rankings, there was an explosion of applause.

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“Today was the day,” Bayak said. “I told my coaches coming to the meet, ‘Today is the day.’”

In the boys’ shot put, Thornton senior Jason Montano, ranked fourth in the nation, was targeting the state record of 61-02 set by Brewer’s Austin Lufkin in 2017. He achieved that goal with a throw of 62-00.25.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to break the state record,” Montano said. “The fact I’m now consistently throwing in the 60s is what I’m most happy about. I think I can throw in the 66-to-67 range.”

Not to be outdone by his friend and classmate, Thornton’s Travis Snyder needed only three attempts across all heights to shatter the state record in the pole vault. Snyder easily cleared 15 feet and 15-09, then went for the state record on just his third vault and cleared 16-3 1/2, eclipsing the mark of 16-3 set by Scarborough’s Sam Rusak in 2017.

After executing a backflip in celebration, Snyder had the bar raised to 16-7 and again was successful on his first attempt, breaking the all-time Maine best of 16-61/2 by David Slovenski of Brunswick at the 2008 Nike Indoor Nationals. Then he tried 17 feet, but did not clear the bar.

“I’ve wanted to get the state record all year,” he said. “I saw Jason get the record, and I didn’t want him to be the only one.”

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A 15-year-old mark fell in the boys’ 800 when Mahamed Sharif of Westbrook ran 1:55.45 seconds to break a record set by Edward Little’s Sam Fletcher. Sharif, who ran 1:54 in January at the Dartmouth Relays, said he knew he would get the record.

“I felt super strong. My training has been so intense,” Sharif said.

Meanwhile, Cheverus sophomore Victoria Bossong led her team to the championship by setting three Class A records.

She ran 7.20 seconds in the 55, lowering the seven-year-old record of 7.22 set by Alexis Dickinson of Brunswick. Then she broke teammate Emma Gallant’s 400-meter record of 57.80 with a blistering time of 57.13. She capped her day by posting a time of 25.43 in the 200, beating the record of 25.80 set by Kristin Slotnick of Brunswick in 2007.

Scarborough junior Jarett Flaker broke his own state-record of 6.50 in the 55 with a time of 6.46. He also won the 200 (22.65) and 400 (50.20).

Dragons

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The Brunswick boys started strong with a runner-up finish in the 4 x 800 relay. Daniel Lyons, Tyler Patterson, Andrew Chingos and Will Shaughnessy each ran a leg.

Patterson took sixth in the one-mile run before Shaughnessy captured the state title in the two-mile with a time of 9:43.70.

The Dragons were strong in sprints, with the 4 x 200 relay foursome of Jack Harvey, Josh Musica, Hunter Parker and Mitchell Leinert winning the title in 1:35.03.

Leinert was seventh in the 55 dash and fifth in the 200, with Parker taking seventh in the 200.

Parker also earned a point in the long jump with his seventh-place leap.

Samuel Cenescar was second in the high jump.

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The Mt. Ararat boys were 12th with 16 points, with points coming from Tyler Bernier (fourth, 400), Hunter Lohr (fifth, 400), Grady Satterfield (fourth, two mile), the 4 x 200 relay (Cameron Orr, Bernier, Ethan Rac, Maximo Varela, sixth) and Rac (fifth, triple jump).

The Eagles were 12th in the girls meet with 17 points, while the Dragons picked up two points for 24th.

For Mt. Ararat, Sara York was sixth in the 800, Katie Lynch fifth in the 200, the 4 x 200 relay team of Mikaela Langston, Lynch, York and Wyley Fitzpatrick was fourth and Fitzpatrick took third in the long jump and sixth in the triple jump.

Brunswick pole-vaulter Tea Kepler finished sixth in the event.

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