Orono, Bangor Christian win Class C track and field titles
WINSLOW — The Orono girls track and field team added another chapter to its dynasty Saturday, capturing the Class C state championship at Winslow High School, while the Bangor Christian boys completed a historic first with their inaugural state title.
The Red Riots dominated the girls competition, piling up 91 points to claim their 15th overall state championship and 10th in the past 14 years. Maine Central Institute finished a distant second with 62.17 points, followed by host Winslow at 53.
Senior Easnadh Nobel-To'olo powered the Orono charge, racking up 38 points with victories in the 100-meter hurdles (15.58 seconds), triple jump (36 feet, 3 inches) and pole vault (10 feet). She also placed second in the long jump, falling just short of Seacoast Christian's Audrey O'Meara, who cleared 17 feet, 7 inches.
"The outcome of today is already figured out; we just don't know it yet, so I have to do my best," Nobel-To'olo said, reflecting on her mindset entering the meet. "It feels so good, especially being my senior year and everything because it's a good standard to set for the incoming freshmen."
Head coach Dereck Treadwell credited the program's sustained success to its summer track offerings and the dedication of its athletes.
"A lot of our success goes back to the summer track program we have at Orono and the great kids we've had who are committed to each other," Treadwell said. "We've also had a great coaching staff. Even though we've had some turnover the last few years, the staples are there."
On the boys side, Bangor Christian's wait for a championship finally ended. The Patriots accumulated 59 points to capture their first state title, outpacing Wells (46), Winthrop (45) and George Stevens Academy (43).
"It feels surreal," said Patriots coach Wayne Whitcomb. "Our kids are very self-motivated, they work great together, and they encourage each other and everybody around them. I can't say a single bad thing about them; they've just been a great team throughout the whole season."
The meet produced one record-breaking performance. George Stevens sophomore Ripley King-Ofsiany blazed through the girls 400 in 58.36 seconds, shattering the previous meet record of 58.47 set by Orono's Olivia Alford in 2004. Bucksport's Haley Rose pushed her to the limit, finishing just 0.17 seconds behind at 58.53.
"I got to run against my good race friend, Haley, she pushed me a lot, and I'm super grateful for her," King-Ofsiany said. "I didn't think I was going to be able to do it, but I just dug deep, and I got it."
In the high jump, Maranacook junior Evelyn Stevenson cleared 5 feet, 3 inches to successfully defend her state title. Though four athletes entered the competition tied for the top seed at 5 feet, Stevenson's school-record leap gave her a 3-inch margin over teammate Ella Giles.
"I came prepared because I saw those seedings and knew I was going to have to be at the top of my game," Stevenson said. "This whole season, I've been pushing to get 5-2, so to get 5-3 was incredible."
Dirigo junior William Morris proved untouchable in the distance events, defending his 800-meter title with a time of 1:57.11 while also winning the 1,600 (4:29.76) and 3,200 (9:52.46). His winning 3,200 time represented a 36.85-second improvement from a year ago.
"I've just been increasing the amount of mileage each offseason," Morris said. "I was putting in 70 miles a week for a couple weeks straight, up 40-50 from last year. I think I'll have another big jump going into senior year, switching from working harder to working smarter."
Winslow's Hassan Hobbi nearly joined the record book in the boys 110 hurdles. His winning time of 15.11 seconds fell just 0.06 seconds shy of the meet record. Bangor Christian's Jesse Booker gave the Patriots another highlight, winning the 300 hurdles in 40.39 seconds.
Additional multiple-event champions included Traip Academy's Jacqueline Diallo (100 and 200 meters) and Piscataquis' Ava Goulette (discus and shot put). Wells sophomore Aaron Adams swept the boys 100 (11.49) and 200 (23.14).
The meet opened with Orono's 3,200 relay team—Nina Mitchell, Clara White, Sophie Kulikouski and Maya Boyington—crossing first in 10:23.43, setting the tone for the Red Riots' dominant afternoon.
