Gorham’s Anna Slager was the only representative of the Lady Rams at Saturday’s State Championship meet at Twin Brook in Cumberland, but she made the most of the opportunity, winning first by a (figurative) mile. Slager finished her 5K run in 19:42.90, almost 10 seconds ahead of No. 2 Katherine Leckbee of Mt. Ararat.
What allowed Slager to pull so far ahead of Leckbee? She alluded to a number of spurs, including the crowd noise and the proximity to her goal. “I just – I know the finish is so close, that’s a big motivator for me. I just…go, and my legs carry me!”
“I love this course,” Slager said after her win. “I love the start; the finish is awesome – it’s a nice long straightaway; you have that little pain-cave right before the finish, it’s a good, ‘Oh, here comes the finish.’”
“Last year, I kind of fell back too far at the State meet,” Slager said of her strategy. “I wanted to make sure I was up at the front pack this year, really just a good spot so I could really kick at the finish.”
Slager’s win qualifies her for New Englands, to be held on Nov. 14 in Thetford, Vt. “I definitely will not win,” Slager said of her next competition, smiling, “which I’m happy about! It gives me some good competitors to race against, and it’s a very challenging course. It’s a lot uphill.”
Class A
Complete boys team results:
1. Scarborough, 60; 2. Falmouth, 80; 3. Hampden, 141; 4. Windham, 173; 5. Deering, 183; 6. Bangor, 185; 7. Westbrook, 188; 8. Lewiston, 212; 9. Marshwood, 219; 10. Gorham, 226; 11. Biddeford, 266; 12. Mt. Blue, 275; 13. Brewer, 301; 14. Brunswick, 307; 15. South Portland, 307.
Complete girls team results:
1. Bonny Eagle, 58; 2. Scarborough, 86; 3. Massabesic, 104; 4. Falmouth, 137; 5. Brunswick, 174; 6. South Portland, 183; 7. Cony, 199; 8. Westbrook, 206; 9. Mt. Blue, 216; 10. Hampden, 230; 11. Kennebunk, 245; 12. Mt. Ararat, 255; 13. Windham, 279; 14. Lewiston, 290.
Top 10 boys finishers:
1. Osman Doorow, Lewiston, 16:17.71; 2. Paul Casavant, Hampden, 16:31.26; 3. Jesse Southard, Gorham, 16:43.19; 4. Colin Tardiff, Scarborough, 16:45.09; 5. Cameron Meier, Mt. Ararat, 16:49.25; 6. Connor Doherty, Scarborough, 16:49.91; 7. Zachariah Hoyle, Messalonskee, 16:52.70; 8. Andrew Sholl, Scarborough, 16:52.77; 9. Ben Breton, Windham, 16:57.79; 10. Wyatt Lord, Hampden, 17:00.86.
Top 10 girls finishers:
1. Anna Slager, Gorham, 19:42.90; 2. Katherine Leckbee, Mt. Ararat, 19:52.24; 3. Kialeigh Marston, Bonny Eagle, 19:53.41; 4. Serena McKenzie, South Portland, 19:58.19; 5. Anne Guadalupi, Cony, 20:16.60; 6. Ami Beauier, Bonny Eagle, 20:27.87; 7. Elisabeth Redwood, Bonny Eagle, 20:29.50; 8. Tessa Cassidy, Brunswick, 20:29.50; 9. Emily Wasina, Massabesic, 20:32.40; 10. Talia Jorgensen, Cony, 20:39.53.
For more photos, visit www.keepmecurrent.com/sports, as well as @CurrentSportsME on Twitter.
Gorham sophomore Anna Slager took first in the Class A girls race. It’s not Slager’s first state title – but it is her first in cross-country.
Westbrooker Gabriella Pabst finished 43rd among all girls, in a time of 21:46.28.
Gorham’s Jesse Southard finished third, in a time of 16:43.19.
Westbrook freshman Noah Knapton nears the end of his 5K run at Twin Brook on Saturday.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
