The Class C State Championship meet was set last Saturday as the Northern and Southern region championship races concluded. The State Championships will be contested next Saturday, October 30th at 11 a.m. in Belfast, which was also the site of the North Region races.
For the girls, three teams advanced to represent the North. Third place George Stevens Academy, runners-up Orono High School, and for the first time in his tenure as coach, Chris Rines’ Houlton/GHCA girls cross-country team are the Class C North Champions.
“Our girls were led by freshman standout Teanne Ewings who ran to a third-place overall finish,” said Rines.
She was bested only by first place Ruth White of Orono and second place Thea Crowley of GSA.
“We were able to secure the team win thanks to our incredible depth across our seven varsity runners,” Rines added.
Of the 72 total runners, all seven of the Houlton/GHCA girls finished in the top 20, which included four of the Houlton/GHCA girls in the top 10 and the fifth scorer coming in 12th place overall, as well as our first displacing runner in 13th.
“Every single girl ran their season-best 5k time during the race to help bring home the title, for several of them it was the race of their career,” said Rines.
Full Girls Results: http://www.sub5.com/wp/wp-
In the South Class C girl’s race, it was Maranacook running away with the team title over runners-up Waynflete and 3rd place Monmouth Academy. The course the south runs on at Twin Brook in Cumberland is quite a bit slower just due to the geography of the landscape, explained Rines.
“These times will look quite a bit faster next week at the state championship so it’s going to be a very tight race for the Class C crown,” he added.
Results for Southern Maine Class C – http://www.sub5.com/wp/wp-
For the boys, Houlton/GHCA Senior Captain Daniel Ross finished in third place, losing only to individual race champion Kyle McClellan of Orono and runner-up William Hileman from Bucksport. The 1.48-second spread between Hilema
n and Ross was the closest Ross has been able to finish to him.
“Dan’s top 30 finish means he will advance as an individual to next week’s State Championship,” Rines said.
In a heartbreaking turn of events, freshman runner Phillip Espenscheid finished 31st overall, just one place out of individual qualifying, which would have been a difference of about eight seconds. Also running for Houlton/GHCA on the day was Hodgdon’s JJ Bourgoin, who had the next best finish in 49th. Kristian Kellherals and Jack Hodgkins, both representing Houlton/GHCA finished in 81st and 84th respectively, for Hodgkins this performance marked a total improvement of 10 minutes off his 5k time.
For boys teams, five will move on to next week. Team Champions Orono, runners-up George Stevens, third place Bucksport, fourth place Sumner, and by a mere two points over Lee Academy, the boys from the Maine School of Science and Math were able to secure the fifth and final team spot.
Full Boys Results: http://www.sub5.com/
C Boys south – http://www.sub5.com/wp/wp-
