Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

HIGH SCHOOL TRACK AND FIELD NOTES: Purple Panthers once again favored

By Bill Stewart bstewart@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

The seventh annual Community Cup is scheduled for Saturday morning and, for the seventh consecutive year, the goal is the same for the participants chasing Waterville Senior High School.

"Waterville has had a stranglehold on the Cup since we started it," Lawrence coach Tim Alberts said. "We're all hoping to get it a little closer. We're hoping we can get some points, and between us and Winslow maybe cut that deficit down and see what happens."

The Cup is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Waterville. Skowhegan and Messalonskee will also compete.

Both Waterville teams are heavily favored to win the Cup for the seventh straight season.

"I think the kids get a kick out of the meet," Waterville coach Ian Wilson said. "They all know each other so well. They are familiar with each other from the other rivalries. But to be really brutally honest, there's only one meet we circle to go after -- the state championships. Everything else is preparation for the state final. I always tell the kids that we are not going to mortgage the future to win a regular-season meet. We keep an eye on the big picture."

Winslow coach Shawn Carey agreed, saying he's treating the Cup as another opportunity for athletes to either qualify for a postseason meet or improve their positioning.

"We're not concerned with winning and losing it," he said. "We're looking forward to the KVACs. It's more of a qualifying thing for us. We have some kids who are on the edge and we want to get them in. We're not looking past it, but we aren't concerned if we win or lose it."

There are several intriguing matchups Saturday, although the girls 100-meter sprint may headline the list.

The event features four of the top sprinters in the area -- Katy Massey and Georgia Bolduc, of Waterville; Sasha Letourneau, of Lawrence; and Alliyah Veilleux, of Winslow.

At a meet last week at Erskine, Massey and Letourneau finished tied for first in the 100 with times of 13.01.

"That will be one of the premier 100s you'll see in the state this weekend," Wilson said. "I'm not sure you'll see four 100-meter runners of this caliber square off this weekend."

* * *

Lawrence High School sophomore Erzsie Nagy broke a school record last week that stood for an 27 years.

Nagy finished the 1,600 in 5 minutes, 17.59 seconds at a four-team meet May 5 at Erskine.

Nagy eclipsed the previous mark of 5:23, which Terry Grousse set in 1984.

"It feels really good knowing the record was that old and I did break it," Nagy said. "I was really excited."

Nagy credited Waterville sophomore Bethanie Brown, who won the race in 5:16.72, with helping her break the mark.

"I knew she would run really fast," Nagy said. "She is such a great distance runner, and I just tried to stay with her. I was hoping to catch her in the end, but didn't get the kick I wanted."

Added Alberts: "She was able to bust out. It's the best girls (1,600) time I've seen in a long time."

* * *

The annual Community Cup and the Cony under the lights meet, which is Friday, provide teams with a formidable tuneup for the postseason.

The meets, each drawing hundreds of competitors, feature intense competition from several rival schools.

But a few Central Maine teams, including Maine Central Institute, Nokomis and Mt. Blue, aren't involved with either meet.

"We're kind of vagabonds," MCI coach Jason Allen quipped. "We have no home track, no rival and nowhere to go."

Ditto Mt. Blue.

"We've never been in those meets," Mt. Blue coach Kelley Cullenberg said.

Instead, the Cougars and Huskies will venture to Turner on Friday for a meet at Leavitt.

"We've put together our own rivalry meet," Allen said. "But basically, we don't have anywhere to go. There is a group of us that doesn't really have a natural rivalry."

* * *

Top performers: Winslow's Alliyah Veilleux won the 100 (12.77), 200 (1:04.69), 400 (1:04.69) and the shot put (30-1) at a four-team meet at Mt. Ararat. Winslow's Katie Smith won the triple jump (33-0) and high jump (5-0) at the meet. Mt. Blue's Gwen Beacham won the 800 (2:33.63) and 1,600 (5:34.29) at the meet, as well. Amanda Knight of Messalonskee won the 100 (14.21) and 200 (28.48) at a six-team meet in Gardiner. Harlow Ladd of Messalonskee won the 3,200 (9:57.54), 1,600 (4:38.84) and 800 (2:06.94) at the meet as well. Sasha Letourneau of Lawrence won the 100 (13.17) and 200 (26.79) at a six-team meet at Lawrence. Erzsie Nagy of Lawrence won the pole vault (8-0), 3,200 (11:42.62) and 800 (2:25.96). Waterville's Olivia Thurston won the 300 hurdles (47.70) and 100 hurdles (15.74) at a six-team meet in Auburn. Isaiah Spofford won the 100 (11.4), 200 (23.12) and long jump (20-8.5).

Bill Stewart -- 621-5640

bstewart@centralmaine.com