Waterville junior Bethanie Brown never saw Elle Purrier in the closing meters of the 1,600-meter race, but the crowd at the New England championship told her all she needed to know.
“She was coming,” Brown said. “I knew something was happening because the crowd was cheering. Weird things happen at the end. When I crossed the finish line, I asked the official if I had won.”
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The answer was yes — but it was close.
Brown won the 1,600 in 4 minutes, 50.39 seconds. Purrier, a Richford, Vt., native, was second in 4:50.45.
“I felt her just before she got to me,” Brown said. “It was at the finish line. I was seeded third in the (1,600) so I didn’t know how it would work out. I was going to see how the race went out. I stuck behind Purrier and (Maggie) Christe for the first two laps and they started to pull away in the third and I just continued to chase. In the fourth lap, I felt strong and I took off.”
Brown passed them both and then fended off Purrier to win the race.
She then went on to win the 3,200 with a time of 10:31.19. Brown won the race by about 13 seconds, an impressive feat considering it was the lone race of the day for runner-up Liliana Harrington of Conard, Conn.
“I was the top seed in the (3,200) but I knew there would be girls who would be fresh,” Brown said. “I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to hold them off for the win. After the (1,600), I hung out in the shade all day and tried to stay cool. I tried to get energized for the (3,200). When I got to the race, I felt a little hot and a little tired. But my legs still felt good. I felt strong.”
Next up for Brown is the New Balance Outdoor Nationals, which begin Thursday in Greensboro, N.C.
Brown will run the 5-kilometer race. She is also registered to compete in the 1- and 2-mile races.
“I look forward to these kind of meets,” Brown said. “The competition is really great. When I’m running by myself, you can push yourself to a certain extent. But people around you in the race can distract you from the race. The competition can distract you from the pain of a regular race. I’m looking forward to it.”
* * *
Madison senior Matt McClintock won the 3,200 race at the New England meet in 9:06.24.
McClintock, who will run at Purdue University in the fall, had hoped to finish under nine minutes.
“I still ran the race I wanted to,” he said. “The last 100 meters were just awful, though. I was exhausted and so hot. But after the race, it felt great. That was my high school career right there. I might as well end it with a win.”
McClintock will not compete in the New Balance nationals. He said he will take a week off before running again.
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The Nokomis softball team will only need to look in the mirror to get a read on its opponent in the Eastern B championship game Wednesday, coach J.D. McLellan said.
Sixth-seeded Nokomis (13-5) will play No. 5 Old Town (14-4) at 3 p.m. in Brewer.
“We are peaking at the right time,” McLellan said. “We have the speed that has come through and the bottom of our order is hitting. But Old Town is pretty identical to us. They have nothing to lose and they are peaking at the right time, too.”
It’s certainly a surprise showdown in the final with powers Oceanside, Medomak Valley and Hermon all bounced.
“I was hoping we would make it by the first round and have a good show in the second round,” McLellan said. “But they keep coming out and surprising me. Hopefully, we can get a couple more.”
* * *
The Richmond softball team will face a familiar team in an unfamiliar situation at the Western D championship game Wednesday night at St. Joseph’s College in Standish.
The top-seeded Bobcats (15-1) will face No. 2 Rangeley (12-3) for the fourth time this season.
The unfamiliar part?
It’s the first time in eight years Richmond won’t see Buckfield in a regional final.
“It’s strange not to see Buckfield,” Richmond coach Rick Coughlin said. “It just seems different. But Rangeley is good enough to be here.”
The Bobcats went 2-1 against the Lakers this season, including a doubleheader split on May 25.
Richmond will likely face left-handed pitcher Chantal Carrier on Wednesday.
“I’m also left-handed, so I’ll be throwing to the team this week,” Coughlin said, “so they can see the ball coming from that side again. We’ll be working on bunting and defense.”
Bill Stewart — 621-5640
bstewart@centealmaine.com
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