Bangor girls claim 1st Class A outdoor track state title since 2013 - Bangor Daily News

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Bangor High School captured its first Class A girls outdoor track and field state championship in eight years on Saturday.

The Rams, who claimed an indoor state title 16 months ago, rode performances from senior jumper Alyssa Elliott and sophomore sprinter Anna Connors to victory in the outdoor meet at Massabesic High School in Waterboro.

Bangor racked up 115 points to comfortably outdistance runner-up Gorham by 43 points.

In the boys meet, Scarborough continued its dominance with its fourth title in the last five outdoor state meets to go with five straight indoor state crowns.

The Red Storm tallied 82 points, which were 15 1/2 better than runner-up Edward Little of Auburn.

“This is one of the most supportive teams I’ve ever been on and that’s what makes this so special,” said Bangor senior Naomi Noack, who tied a personal best in winning her first pole vault state championship by clearing 11 feet.

Elliott won the long jump, notched second-place finishes in the triple jump and the 300-meter hurdles, and ran a leg for the triumphant 4×400 relay that also included Connors, Meaghan Caron and Megan Randall.

“This feels great. We’ve worked really hard this year. Everyone performed well. We deserve it,” said Elliott, who will attend the University of Connecticut.

Connors set a Class A state record in winning the 200 in 24.51 seconds and finished second to Cheverus of Portland senior standout Victoria Bossong in the 100 and 400. Bossong, who will attend Harvard University, had a remarkable meet as she set Class A records in the 100 (11.81), 400 (55:08) and 800 (2:10.66) and was second in the 200.

“I was very happy with my performance in the 200 and I was very happy that there was such good competition and that [Bossong] pushed me to get PRs (personal records) in all three races,” said Connors, who clocked a 12.11 in the 100 and a 57.75 in the 400.

Her 100-meter time also eclipsed the previous state mark of 12.25.

“I am so glad I had a chance to work with our wonderful seniors and now I have the next two years to improve,” Connors said.

Anna Connors of Bangor speeds around the track in a relay event during Saturday’s Class A outdoor track and field championship in Waterboro. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Prouty)

The Bangor girls said they were grateful to have a season after the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 outdoor and 2021 indoor state title meets, which they felt they also could have won.

The other Bangor victories belonged to the 4×800 relay team of Caron, Randall, Erin McCarthy and Sadie Harrow and 1,600 meter race walker Anna MacDonald.

“We had strong performances throughout the day,” Bangor coach Al Mosca said. “They did a great job from the get-go. The 4×800 win [in the meet’s first event] was huge for us. Anna’s win in the 200 catapulted us and she set a state record which was really special as well.”

He explained three of their best events followed Connors’ win: the pole vault, the triple jump and the 4-by-400 relay which enabled them to pull away.

Rounding out the top 10 girls finishers among 25 schools were Bonny Eagle of Standish (51), Thornton Academy of Saco and Edward Little (44), Falmouth (36), Marshwood of Eliot (34), Brunswick (25) and Oxford Hills of South Paris (22).

The other girls event winners included Gorham’s Alydia Caruso (100 hurdles), Mt. Ararat of Topsham’s Mikaela Langston (triple jump, state record 38-8 ½), Falmouth’s Sofie Matson (1,600) and Karley Piers (3,200), who ran 1-2 in each event, and Edward Little’s Makenna Drouin (300 hurdles). Other champions were Marshwood’s Shelby Anderson (javelin), Scarborough’s Elaina Panagakos (shot put), South Portland’s Geneva Holmes (discus), Gorham’s Emma Green (high jump) and Gorham’s 4×100 relay team of Maddie Michaud, Green, Nevaeh Moore and Sydney Connolly.

In the boys meet, completing the top 10 among 23 schools were third-place Cheverus (55) followed by Falmouth (53), Gorham (48), Bonny Eagle (43), Bangor (42), Windham (37), Brunswick (30) and Marshwood (28).

Junior Jayden Flaker led the way for Scarborough as he won the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles and was third in the 200 meters. Scarborough classmates Nicholas Connolly and Zachary Barry, won the shot put and 800 meters, respectively.

Other two-event champions were Brunswick’s Tyler Patterson (1,600, 3,200), Cheverus’ Frank Morang (triple jump, long jump) and Bonny Eagle’s Aidan Walcott (100, 200).

Morang set the state Class A record in the long jump (23-½). Walcott had set a record in the prelims of the 100 when he ran a 10.8.

Bangor’s 4×800 relay team of Jack Patterson, James Fahey, Gordon Doore and Daniel McCarthy took home a victory and teammate Maxx Smith won the discus.

Doore and McCarthy teamed up with Colby Hope and Andrew Munroe to place second in the 4×400 relay.

Other winners included Oxford Hills’ Atticus Soehren (javelin), Gorham’s Ryan Gendron (high jump), Andrew Farr (400) and Lucien Beardsley (1,600 race walk), and EL’s Finn Thistle (pole vault). Also, Falmouth’s 4×100 relay team of Rion dos Santos, Charlie Adams, Andrew Christie and Connor Quiet and Marshwood’s 4×400 quartet of Trevor Wozny, Zach Cullen, Rowan Carter and Kelvin Patterson.

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the number of years since Bangor won its last championship.