Nyagoa Bayak of Westbrook High finished third in the championship division high jump and was one of three Maine athletes who set unofficial state records Friday at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in New York.

Bayak, a junior, was successful on her first two jumps, then needed three tries to clear 5 feet, 7 inches. The New England champion and state record-holder went over the bar on her second attempt at 5-8 3/4 before missing all three tries at 5-11 1/4.

Anna Hall of Littleton, Colorado, won the high jump, also at 5-8 3/4 but with fewer misses. Kenya Livingston of Charlotte, North Carolina, finished second.

Earlier Friday, Bayak was one of three Maine athletes who set Maine all-time best marks, along with Jarett Flaker of Scarborough and Cayden Spencer-Thompson of Mattanawcook Academy.

Bayak twice improved on the state triple jump record while winning the emerging elite division – one level below the championship division. She jumped 38-11 in the trials, then went 39-1 3/4 in the finals. The previous record was 38-6 1/2, set by Shelby Tuttle of Waterville in 2008.

Flaker, a sophomore, placed fifth in the emerging elite 400 meters with a Maine all-time best of 49.24 seconds, beating the 2009 standard of 49.59 by Bangor’s Ben Sinclair.

Spencer-Thompson, a junior who did not compete at the state championships because he plays basketball, won the emerging elite long jump with a distance of 23-10 1/4. Four of his five attempts surpassed the previous all-time best of 23-0 1/2, set by Brett McIntire of Brunswick in 2001.

Like Bayak, Flaker and Spencer-Thompson are entered in the championship division in other events. Flaker will run in the 200 trials on Saturday, and Spencer-Thompson competes Sunday in the triple jump – an event in which he ranks ninth in the country.

Other Maine athletes entered in championship division events include Thornton Academy’s Travis Snyder in the pole vault and Jason Montano in the shot put (both on Saturday), and York’s Jacob Martin in the pentathlon (Saturday).

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