GORHAM — The Bangor girls won their second Class A indoor track state championship, and Scarborough captured its ninth boys’ title in 10 years Monday at the University of Southern Maine in a meet that featured five state records.
A third-place finish in the final track event – the 800-meter relay – was just enough to give Bangor a one-point victory over Gorham, 65-64.
The Scarborough boys won for the fifth consecutive year with 103 points, far ahead of Brunswick (56) and Mt. Ararat (33). The Red Storm were led by senior Jarett Flaker and his sophomore brother, Jayden, who combined for three victories.
Bangor was powered by junior Alyssa Elliott, who swept the long jump (17-9 1/2) and triple jump (37-6). But the team title wasn’t decided until the 800 relay, which Gorham won with a time of 1:48.39. Bangor needed to finish third, and the Rams did exactly that, just .16 ahead of fourth-place Marshwood.
It was Bangor’s first championship since 2013.
“It means so much to win and be compared to that 2013 team,” Elliott said. “I was 10 when they first won it, and didn’t know about it then, but I’ve heard about that team since. They were impressive.”
Gorham’s Kate Tugman swept the mile (5:11.20) and 2 mile (11:03.24).
Cheverus junior sprinter Victoria Bossong erased of her own state records and matched another, even though she has started to ease up on her training because the New Balance Nationals are a month away.
Bossong won the 55 in 7.20 seconds, tying her 2018 record, and broke her record in the 400 at 56.95 (the old mark was 57.13). She also won the 200 (25.50).
“I really want to get All-American in the 400 at nationals; that’s what I’m focused on,” Bossong said. “And I’m really psyched for New Englands in two weeks. I’m looking forward to the competition at both meets.”
South Portland’s Anna Folley improved her indoor best in the 800 by three seconds, finishing in 2:16.06 to break the Class A record of 2:16.82 set by Juliana Selser of South Portland set in 2017. Folley didn’t have a record in mind; she just wanted to notch her first state title after finishing as the runner-up three times in previous indoor and outdoor seasons.
“I was devastated when I got runner-up in the 800 for a third time last outdoor season,” Folley said. “Today was one of the earliest (times) I started to kick – before the bell lap. When I heard I got the state record, I almost started crying.”
In the boys meet, Jarett Flaker won the 200 (23.11) and 400 (51.34), and his brother placed first in the 55 hurdles (7.65) and second in the 200 (23.21). Jayden anchored Scarborough’s 800-meter relay victory (1:33.77).
Mahamed Sharif of Westbrook broke his own state record in the 800, running all alone to a 7-second victory in 1:54.60. The previous record was 1:55.45.
Sharif said it was the first meet in four years where he did not throw up because of nerves before he raced.
“That’s a lot of throw up (over four years),” Sharif said with a laugh. “I was just listening to music, I wanted to make it fun. And I went for a little run this morning, that was new. I want to win at nationals. That’s the business. That’s my goal. It’s possible.”
Mt. Ararat senior Lisandro Berry-Gaviria won the mile in 4:22.2, then returned to the track two hours later and broke an 8-year-old record in the 2-mile. His time of 9:20.99 eclipsed the mark of 9:21.87 by Harlow Ladd of Messalonskee in 2012. It was an indoor personal best by 11 seconds, but Berry-Gaviria thinks he can run even faster.
“With five laps to go, I felt I had to go. The record was my goal,” Berry-Gaviria said.
UPDATE: This file was corrected at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 18 to show that Alyssa Elliott of Bangor won the long jump and the triple jump.
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