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UMaine's Labreck more powerful than ever

Messalonskee graduate in position for NCAAs after dominating conference meet

By Bill Stewart bstewart@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

The plan was to stick with the triple jump and the hurdles, but Jesse Labreck had other ideas.

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DOING IT ALL: Messalonskee graduate Jesse Labreck won four individual events and helped a relay team to a title at the America East track and field championships last weekend.

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"This year I was going to get as strong as I could and stay focused on the triple jump and hurdles," the University of Maine sophomore said. "But then I mentioned how I wanted to do more."

So Labreck, a former Messalonskee High School standout, did more.

There was the long jump. And the high jump. And the 200-meter run. And the relays, including the 4x100 and 4x400.

"I also did the heptathlon," she said. "I just wanted to do something different. It's not fun if you do the same events over and over at every meet. I wanted to mix it up. I wanted to see what I could do."

What she did is put herself in a position to qualify for the NCAA championships, scheduled for early June at the University of Oregon.

Labreck -- a seven-time Class A track and field state champ at Messalonskee -- is coming off a dominating performance in the America East championship meet. She won the high jump (5 feet, 8 inches), the long jump (19-6), the triple jump (41-1/4) and the 100 hurdles (13.78). Labreck, who also helped the 4x100 relay team to victory, set conference records in the high jump and 100 hurdles.

The performance all but guaranteed her a spot in the NCAA East Region championships May 27 at North Carolina A&T.

"Jesse has been phenomenal all year," said UMaine assistant coach David Cusano, who trains Labreck. "What we've worked on this year is getting her more fit, more strong and more powerful than ever. At the beginning of the year, we did the hurdles and triple jump, but as the season kept going she had more interest in a couple more events. So we kept throwing stuff out there and she kept doing it."

Prior to the conference championship meet, Labreck and Cusano discussed which events she would do.

"I wanted to do every event I could possibly win," Labreck said. "David asked if I could do the four events and relays and I said, 'Yeah.' I just had to get my mind ready."

She did that and more, turning in one of the more impressive performances in UMaine track and field history. The Black Bears finished second to Albany with a school-record 172 points.

Labreck will need to finish in the top 12 or 16, depending on the event, at the East Regionals to qualify for the NCAA championships.

The top 48 athletes in each event qualify for the East Regionals. The United States Track Association maintains the rankings, which are based on performance.

"Her highest rank is in the triple jump, which is 22nd," Cusano said. "There's no doubt she'll be at regionals."

And Labreck can't wait.

After a bout with mononucleosis slowed her down last year, Labreck said she came out this year with a vengeance.

"I kind of felt more pressure from myself this year," she said, "because I didn't do what I wanted to do last year."

Added Cusano: "Last year she was upset because she felt she let her team down, when really she hadn't. She got mono and it's something you can't control. But she's worked very diligently all year in the weight room and on the track. She's got herself on the national level now."

Bill Stewart -- 623-3811, ext. 515

bstewart@centralmaine.com