BY BILL STEWART
Staff Writer
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Hall-Dale senior Bri Crisci didn’t start the track and field season the way she had hoped or envisioned.
“I didn’t feel like I was in the groove,” she said. “I was like, ‘wow, I’m not going to do as good this season.’ But then I was determined to get conditioned, work my hardest and see what happens. I wanted to get (personal records) and, of course, I wanted to win.”
Crisci did both.
She won the 100-meter dash and 200 — her best event — at the Class C state meet. She also finished second in the 400 a week after she swept those three events at the Mountain Valley Conference championship meet.
For her effort this season, Crisci is the Kennebec Journal Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Maranacook senior Abby Mace was also considered.
“Bri was just dominant,” Hall-Dale coach Jarod Richmond said. “She always found ways to win. She just had a tremendous senior season.”
Crisci shrugged off her slow start in the first week of May, and she never slowed from there.
She was the only girl athlete to win three events at the MVC meet. Crisci won the 100 in 13.29 seconds, the 200 in 26.91 and the 400 in 1:00.99.
“She had a dominant MVC meet,” Richmond said. “She won all her heats and finals.”
Crisci won the 100 at the Class C meet in 13.34 seconds and the 200 in 27.21. She finished second in the 400 — a new event for her this season — with a time of 1:02.43.
“Even though I didn’t win the 400, I still felt really good,” she said. “I was dead tired at the end. It was a good event for me.”
Crisci picked up the 400 at the urging of distance coach Walt McKee.
Richmond said they wanted her to add a third event.
“She had ability to add an extra event to her program,” he said. “It’s hard to have an athlete like her be involved in just two events.”
Crisci said she contemplated competing in the triple jump but then decided to stick with the 400.
“One of the long distance coaches told me it’d be good to take up the 400,” she said. “I thought that sounded pretty good and I decided to give it a try. I definitely liked the 400 and jumping, it just wasn’t my thing. I tried the 400 a few times and then I decided to stick with it throughout the season.”
She finished the season with a school record in the 400 (1:00.99) and 200 (26.13). She set the latter at the New England championship meet.
Crisci will attend Belmont Abbey College in Charlotte, N.C. She will run for the cross country team and is undecided on a major.
“I’m really excited and anxious to start,” she said. “I’ve been training every day.”
Bill Stewart — 621-5640
bstewart@centralmaine.com
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