Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

SIDELINES

Dumas, Labreck continue to excel

By Scott Martin smartin@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

Jesse Labreck left Messalonskee High School as one of the most decorated and dominant track and field athletes in state history.

Things haven't changed much.

Bethany Dumas left Cony High School as the best girls pole vaulter in state history and a seven-time individual outdoor track and field champion.

She's still at it.

Now competing for the University of Maine and the University of Southern Maine, respectively, Labreck and Dumas have added to their lengthy resumes. Actually, to call their resumes lengthy would be an understatement.

As a sophomore this spring, Dumas has been named the Little East Conference Field Performer of the Week four weeks in a row. Most recently, she won the New England Division III championship in the javelin with a throw of 130 feet, 8 inches. She also finished fourth in the pole vault with a leap of 11-1 3/4. At the LEC/New England Alliance championship meet, Dumas won the pole vault (11-1), 400 hurdles (1 minutes, 6.57 seconds) and the javelin (133-1). She also finished second in the 100 hurdles with a time of 15.79 seconds.

Dumas already holds the USM outdoor record in the pole vault (12-0). She also has the third best time in the 100 hurdles (15.79) and 400 hurdles (1:05.13) and the second best javelin throw (133-1). Not to mention, she ran on the 4x100-meter relay team with the third-best time in school history (along with Winslow graduate Christina Massey and Gardiner graduate Nikole Robbins) and the 4x400 team with the fourth-best time in school history.

She also holds the school indoor pole vault record with a vault of 12-1 1/2.

Like I said, a lengthy resume.

Yet, Labreck has surpassed even that.

Also a sophomore, Labreck is coming off one of the greatest performances in the history of the UMaine track and field team. At the America East Conference championship meet, Labreck won the high jump (5-8), the long jump (19-6), the triple jump (41-1/4) and the 100 hurdles (13.78). She set the conference record in the high jump and the 100 hurdles, as well as the school record in the triple jump. She also ran on the winning 4x400 relay team, which set a school record, and on the second-place 4x100 team. Maine finished second at the conference championship thanks in large part to Labreck's dominant day.

Earlier this spring, Labreck broke the UMaine record in the heptathlon at the Holy Cross Heptathlon. By scoring 4,922 points, she broke the record of 4,705 points set in 2005 by Winslow High School graduate and UMaine assistant coach Katie Souviney. During the indoor season, she tied the conference record in the high jump with a leap of 5-8.

Before Labreck, Souviney set a very high standard at Maine. Souviney graduated from Winslow in 2002 with five Class B individual state titles to her credit. She went on to set seven school records while competing for the Black Bears.

Labreck is setting a new standard.

At Messalonskee, Labreck set seven Class A individual state records (three indoor, four outdoor). At the Class A outdoor championship meet her senior year, Labreck won four events and set three Class A state records. She performed again on the big stage at the America East championships, becoming one of the most decorated athletes in UMaine track and field history.

Labreck and Dumas set the standard, but they are not alone. Hall-Dale High School graduate Laura Peterson is enjoying a fine career at Bowdoin College, while Dumas is joined at USM by Hall-Dale graduate Ariel Howes, Massey of Winslow and Robbins of Gardiner, who are all performing well.

Things haven't really chance since Dumas and Labreck graduated from high school. They continue to dominate and continue to set a tremendously high standard. And they continue to add to their beyond lengthy resumes.

Scott Martin -- 621-5618

smartin@centralmaine.com