WINTHROP — Winthrop junior Jacob Hickey finished second in the Mountain Valley Conference and Western C championship races this fall.

At the Class C state meet, Hickey went down to Cumberland and Twin Brook Recreation Park and crossed the finish line fourth.

Winthrop High School junior Jacob Hickey is the Kennebec Journal Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Staff photo by Andy Molloy

Kennebec Journal Boys Cross Country All Stars

First team

Zacariah Hoyle, Jr., Messalonskee

Jacob Hickey, Jr., Winthrop

Tucker Barber, Jr., Mt. Blue

Nick Dall, Fr., Waterville

Luke Thombs, Sr., Monmouth

Second team

Nick Menice, Sr., Monmouth

Carson Bessey, Sr., Messalonskee

William Vance, Sr., Winthrop

Jesse Stevens, So., Winthrop

Billy Chambers, Sr., Waterville

Not bad considering Hickey is in just his second season of running competitively.

“I tried my best this year,” Hickey said. “I gave it all I had. This is still kind of a new sport for me. I’ve been running now for two years and I love it.”

For his performances this fall, Hickey is the Kennebec Journal Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Teammate William Vance and Monmouth’s Luke Thombs were also considered.

Hickey said he’s always enjoyed running but preferred soccer to cross country when it came time to pick a sport each fall.

Things changed two years ago, when cross country coach Ed Van Tassel and friend Ben Allen — himself an accomplished runner — convinced Hickey to give the sport a try.

“Coach Van tassel and Ben had a lot to do with it,” Hickey said. “They pushed me to get out there and see how I’d like it. So I went out to a few practices and I really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun.”

Hickey stuck with it and it wasn’t long before the proper training began to pay off.

“His whole freshman year I planted seeds here and there,” Van Tassel said. “When he came out, you could tell from the get-go that he came in wanting to be at that level of winning meets. He wanted to feel like he belonged. He absolutely went after it. He showed he wanted to be at that level and he proved it. It’s a little early to start talking next year but it will be exciting to see if he can find that next level.”

“Last year I was getting into the feel of things,” Hickey added. “Coming into this year I knew what I was getting myself into. I knew who the competitors were and I put a lot of work into my training.”

Hickey finished second in the MVC race at the University of Maine at Augusta with a time of 17:32.30. Lisbon senior Nick Harriman won it in 17:17.30.

“Every single race he would push me,” Hickey said. “I’d stay with him as best I could but he had a great senior year.”

Harriman again edged Hickey in the Western C championship race on Oct. 24, this time at Twin Brook Recreation Park. Harriman won the race in 16:56.73 while Hickey checked in at 17:08.84.

“We battled it out,” Hickey said. “I think I had a pretty good race there. I stuck with that lead pack the whole race but he ended up winning it.”

A week later, Hickey and company returned to Twin Brook for the Class C state race.

George Stevens junior John Hassett won the race in 16:46.18 but Hickey stayed with the lead pack and finished fourth.

“I felt it that race,” he said. “It was a good race. I did what I could.”

Hickey next shifts his focus to the court, where he’ll play basketball for the Ramblers. However, he said he’ll find the time to keep running.

“I am going to put the work in,” he said. “Hopefully, I will continue to get better and I’ll see how I do next season.”

Bill Stewart — 621-5618

bstewart@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @billstewartMTM

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