Maine runners from Scarborough, Falmouth win titles at Festival of Champions
Scarborough’s Atticus Merriam edges Dirigo’s William Morris in boys’ cross‑country championship
Belfast, N.H. – In a photo‑fueled finale at Troy Howard Middle School on Saturday, Scarborough’s Atticus Merriam clinched the boys’ race at the 25th Festival of Champions with a time of 15:21.18, narrowly beating Dirigo’s William Morris, who finished 15:21.33. The two runners ran side‑by‑side for the final mile, exchanging breaths and pushing each other to the finish before collapsing in a shared celebration.
“I’m a little tired, but I feel good,” Merriam told reporters after the race. “I just have to hold him off, because this is a bit of a state (championship) preview.” He added that he had a mental picture of “six guys to beat” but saw Morris as the one who could give him the most trouble.
Morris, visibly disappointed, admitted the margin was razor‑thin. “It came down to the wire, and it just wasn’t quite there,” he said. “I’m happy with the time, but I was really shooting for that win and I was a little bummed I didn’t get it.”
Girls race sees Falmouth’s Georgia Moon take the lead
The girls’ event was dominated by Falmouth senior Georgia Moon, who ran the course in 17:24.51 to beat Glastonbury (Conn.) junior Lauren Parrett, 17:29.42. Portland sophomore Nora Schmidt, last year’s champion, rounded out the podium with a third‑place time of 17:41.62.
Moon described her strategy as a calculated “kick” late in the race. “I didn’t want to burn out too soon. I sat for a bit until I knew I could kick it in and have momentum all the way through,” she said. “It means a lot.”
Parrett, though she missed a podium finish, was pleased with her effort. “This is a pretty flat course, so I was extremely excited about possibly beating my top time,” she told reporters. “I was definitely trying to push and catch up to Moon, but my legs were starting to let up.”
Team titles crowned amid a record‑setting field
The meet drew an unprecedented 100 schools and 1,800 runners from Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and Nova Scotia. Yarmouth High School captured the boys’ team title with 114 points, followed by East Greenwich (Conn.) High School (139) and Portland (156). The boys’ team title was led by Yarmouth junior Bowen Mitchell, who finished sixth with a time of 15:59.43.
In the girls’ competition, Glastonbury High School won the team title with 76 points. Hampden Academy (196) and Mercy (Conn.) High School (236) completed the top three.
Weather and course conditions
Temperatures hovered in the low 60s, with full sun making the course warm but still ideal for strong performances. Merriam noted, “The full sun made it warm, but I would take weather like this any day.”
The course’s flat layout has helped athletes post impressive times. The girls’ record remains with Orono graduate Ruth White, who ran 16:56.92 in 2023, while the boys’ meet record belongs to Sean Gray of Portsmouth (N.H.) High School, who set a time of 14:55.56 in 2024.
The Festival of Champions served as a preview for the upcoming state championships, offering runners from across the region a chance to compete on a large stage and gauge their performance against a diverse field. With Merriam and Moon both expressing confidence in their next competitions, the 26th Festival will likely see even more thrilling finishes.
