WINDHAM — Skowhegan sophomore Madeline Price wasn’t interested in working in the weight room last year. But Price started going to the weight room this winter because she wanted to see if all the extra work her coaches told her would help would in fact make her faster.

She found out Saturday at the Class A state track and field championships at Windham High School when she captured the girls 100-meter dash as a sophomore.

Thornton Academy won the girls Class A state championship title with 65 points after Bonny Eagle was disqualified in the 1,600-meter relay to finish second with 58 points (rather than winning by three). Brewer was third with 52 points.

The boys Class A title went to Cheverus, which took home its first track state title since 1996. Cheverus scored 99 points, while Lewiston was second with 70 and Scarborough took third with 61.

Among central Maine athletes, Price was a standout who made good on her No. 1-seed. She went into the preliminary heat seeded first and came out of it the top seed. Then she bolted out of the blocks in the final to put herself near the lead.

“We were seeded pretty close together,” said Price, who also took fourth in the triple jump (34 feet, 2.75 inches). “I knew I had to get out of the block and stay ahead. Price said the weight-room work coach David Evans and sprint coach Mathew Freedman told her to do was the big pay-off.

“Last year after outdoor states they told me to work out last summer,” Price said. “I kinda-sorta did. I might have gone to the weight room four times. This winter, I wanted to try it and see if it would work. It sure does. Being a state champion feels really great.”

Evans said the lesson was invaluable for a talented sprinter who’s only a sophomore.

“You can see she’s got a lot of God-given talent. But more and more she’s improving her work habits. She’s young. But she’s learning you can’t just show up. You have to train,” Evans said.

In the boys meet, Cheverus had top finishes from its sprinters, hurdlers and throwers.

Senior twins Isaac and Elijah Yeboah went one-two in the 100-meter hurdles, running 15.08-seconds and 15.12, respectively. Isaac and Elijah Yeboah also teamed up for a one-two finish in the 300 hurdles, finishing in 39.52 and 39.81, respectively.

And the brothers joined Luke Trickey and Jake Dixon on the winning 400-meter relay, in which they set a state record of 43.32. Edward Little set the previous mark of 43.35 in 2007.

The Yeboah brothers then joined James Hannigan and Dixon in the 1600-meter relay and final event of the meet to hold off Lewiston for the win (3:25.98). Cheverus also got significant points from Dixon, who won the 400 (48.93) and took second in the 200 (22.76); and junior thrower Nick White, who won the discus (155-02) and took fourth in the shot put (48-05).

In the girls meet, Bonny Eagle had first-place finishes from Audrey Weyand in the 400 (57.69) and the 200 (26.70), and Kialeigh Marston in the mile (5:07.80), as well as the 3200-meter relay (9:36.00), but it wasn’t enough. Bonny Eagle’s winning relay of Kyaunna Libby, Kristen Glennie, Weyand and Marston won by a convincing 13 seconds, but the disqualification by the winning 1600-meter relay cost the Scots 10 points.

Thornton Academy won on the effort of their talented jumpers, who swept the first four places in the long jump, and thrower Kaeleigh Harrison who capturing the shot put with a throw of (36-8.50) and took fifth in the discus at the end of the meet (96-07).

In the long jump junior Tori Daigle finished first with a jump of 17-8.50, Amanda Arnold was second (16-3.25), Anna Mehlinger was third (16-2.50), and Alexandra Pettaway was fourth (16-0). The same four combined to take fifth in the 400-meter relay (51.12). And Daigle also took second in the 100 hurdles (15.46).

Deirdre Fleming can be reached at 791-6452 or at:

dfleming@pressherald.com

Twitter: FlemingPph