10/31/2008
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Staff photo by Thomas Michael Corcoranfrom the Kennebec Journal
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Staff Writer
Maranacook freshman Abby Mace and Hall-Dale senior Wade Davis are favorites to win their races Saturday at the state cross country championships at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast.
Three classes of boys and girls will compete for team and individual titles on the fast, relatively flat course. Davis won the Class C title a year ago and cruised to first place at last week's Western Class C regional, winning by more than a minute.
"He's stronger this year," Hall-Dale coach Brad Brown said of Davis. "His speed has improved. On paper, there isn't anybody within a minute of him in Class C.
Mace has been unchallenged in Class B this season. She handily won at last week's Western B regional.
"I think she's just having fun," Maranacook coach Rosalea Kimball said. "She's really tried to keep everything low key. Each race she's run a little better. We're hoping for another PR on Saturday."
Erskine Academy junior Sam Seekins should also contend for the boys Class B title. Last week, he topped the field in the Eastern B regional but there are a number of strong Western Maine runners in Saturday's race.
"There's five top runners of which he's one," Erskine coach Bryant Bourgoin said.
Seekins set a personal record of 16 minutes, 36 seconds in winning last week's race, run on the Belfast course.
"He hasn't been pushed that hard," Bourgoin said. "He led the whole way at Belfast."
The Erskine boys also qualified as a team for the first time in Bourgoin's 10 years as head coach. The top girls and boys teams in each of the three classes qualify for the New England championships, scheduled Nov. 8 in Manchester, N.H., as well as the next three teams with the best times regardless of class. So do the top finishers in each class and the next 22 best overall times.
Defending Class C champion Winthrop placed second in the Western C regional, a year after graduating several of their top runners.
"The boys have run well," Winthrop coach Jay Lindsey said. "I think Boothbay is the team to beat. I think if our guys run well it will put them in position to win."
Pat Romar and Kevin Leavitt placed seventh and eighth, respectively, last week and could qualify individually for the New England meet as well.
"I think the best chance of anybody on the team would be Anna (Doyle) on the girls side," Lindsey said.
Doyle, a sophomore, placed third last week, while teammate Molly Lindsey was 18th.
Also competing in the team competition are the Monmouth Academy boys and girls, and the Maranacook and Cony boys. Cony's Luke Fontaine is among a handful of contenders in the Class A race while Monmouth's Kerstin Grenier placed fourth last week in the Western C race.
Gary Hawkins -- 621-5638
ghawkins@centralmaine.com
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