Watch: Yarmouth cross country is Varsity Maine Boys Team of the Week
Yarmouth Boys Cross Country Wins Festival of Champions, Heads to States as Favorite
By Maine News Now Staff
BELFAST — The Yarmouth High School boys cross country team did not merely defend its legacy at this weekend’s Festival of Champions; it raised the bar.
As the reigning Class B state champions, the Clippers entered the meet in Belfast with high expectations and the returning talent to match them. On Saturday, they converted that promise into a decisive victory at Troy Howard Middle School, defeating a field of 79 teams from across New England. Yarmouth had previously captured the same event at the same venue in 2025, giving the program a recent history of success on this course.
The competition was notably stiffer than in previous years. Because the New England Championships are scheduled to take place on the same course later this month, the event drew a significantly larger and deeper field of runners, with 940 finishers in total.
Yarmouth’s leading quartet finished in remarkably close formation, separated by just 22 seconds. Bowen Mitchell claimed sixth place, followed by Jackie Chalmers in eighth, Eli Chalders at 13th, and Jesse Canfield in 17th. Beyond the leaders, the team demonstrated the depth necessary to withstand pressure from rival squads throughout the race. Freshman Joel Kiander and junior Jasper Keller finished 72nd and 73rd respectively, with Kiander edging Keller to claim the Clippers’ final scoring position.
Coach Sarah Carrigan said the performance was a high point for the group, noting that all four leading runners shaved 20 to 30 seconds off their personal best times. She praised their race management on a course known for a steep, fast opening mile, commending the athletes for holding back early and accelerating once the race settled.
“They went in wanting to repeat, but nervous about the competition,” Carrigan said. “But in that top four, all of them PR’d by 20 to 30 seconds. They ran it really strategically, too. That course goes out wicked fast, and they stayed kind of middle of the pack in the first mile and then really turned it on and moved up and executed really well.”
For Mitchell, the top scorer, the victory validated the season’s hard work.
“It obviously feels amazing,” Mitchell said. “I knew all the work we’ve put in was going to pay off. I know that we trusted in the process.”
The win cements Yarmouth’s position as the favorite for the Class B state championship on Oct. 31 at Cony High School in Augusta. While the team was recognized recently by Varsity Maine for its notable accomplishments and bounce-back efforts, both the coaching staff and runners insist the work is far from over.
“We definitely have an amazing shot to win states,” Mitchell said. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to stop training. We’re going to train harder, and we want to win.”
Carrigan summed up the objective for the remainder of the fall season as an effort to elevate the entire roster rather than relying solely on the top runners.
“Our goal is taking that pack and moving it up,” she said.
