WATERBORO — Nicole D’Angelo sailed over the bar, landed on the padded mats, and didn’t know what to do next.
She pumped her fists. She brought her hands to her face. She raced away from the pits and toward her onlooking teammates, looking for someone to embrace.
By the end of the afternoon, the rest of the Maranacook girls track and field team was feeling that emotion. The Black Bears won their first state title since 1993 on Saturday, totaling 103 points to finish ahead of defending champion Orono (92.5), Monmouth Academy (64), Wells (49) and George Stevens Academy (46) at the Class C state meet at Massabesic High School.
“Even though Orono came up with points, we matched it, and the greatest thing was it was a team effort from top to bottom,” coach Ronn Gifford said. “It was just up and down the board, in all disciplines. The kids just did a fantastic job.”
Caribou won the boys championship, totaling 57 points to hold off Wells (54), Traip Academy (50), Orono (43) and Mountain Valley (37).
“It was outstanding team effort,” Vikings coach Roy Alden said. “Little things, like a freshman (Jordan Duplessie) coming in sixth in the 2 mile that was seeded a mile away. A hurdler (Caleb Libby) that probably should have been 15th getting two points, and everyone digging in and working really hard.”
Maranacook was the favorite based on seedings going into the girls meet. And knowing what was potentially at stake, the Black Bears didn’t let their moment get away.
“We just thought if we match our seeds, we’re going to be great,” said senior Janika Pakulski, who was second in the 100-meter dash and pole vault and fifth in the 200. “Our girls team was just spectacular today, and a bunch of us just destroyed our seeds and did so much better than we ever thought we could do.”
No Black Bear had a better day than D’Angelo. The senior had already taken the shot put title with a throw of 35-3.5 when she headed over to the pole vault, where she was also seeded first. D’Angelo won the event when Pakulski went out after clearing 8-6, and even with first place in hand, she kept going. She cleared 9 feet. She cleared another three inches. Eventually the bar went to 10 feet, and when she comfortably cleared that — setting a school record in the process — the celebration began before she even landed in the foam padding.
“I can’t even describe it. This was my goal,” D’Angelo said. “I cannot believe that I cleared it. … Everything else except for me falling disappeared. I saw the bar, it was still standing, and as I was falling I was like ‘Oh my God, I just cleared 10 feet. This is insane!’ It was incredible.”
Maranacook put the meet away in the pole vault, getting 21 points in the event alone. Laura Ireland, who made her return from a lower-leg fracture, contributed two points with a fifth-place showing.
“We’re very supportive of each other,” D’Angelo said. “We’re always hyping everyone up and trying to cheer each other on. It’s not super competitive. We’re just hoping everyone does their best.”
Maranacook got another strong showing from Molly McGrail, who won the 800 at 2:27.46. The sophomore took second in the 400 earlier in the meet when she was passed by Orono’s Camille Kohtala mere yards from the finish line. In the 800, however, McGrail had the winning move, overtaking Wells’s Madison Szczygiel with about a quarter of the race to go.
“I always know that, no matter what, at the 200 I always pick it up. And then at the last 100, I give it everything I can,” McGrail said. “I saw her, and I was like ‘Well, I’m at the 200. I might as well go for it.’ ”
A pair of Monmouth athletes earned state titles. Maddie Amero made up for what she said was a disappointing performance in the Mountain Valley Conference championships, winning the javelin with a throw of 123-6. No one else was within 8 feet of that mark.
“At MVCs I didn’t perform like I wanted to, so I was going into today with a different mindset,” she said. “I think I was just in my head during MVCs, and today I just knew I had to get out of my head and just do what I knew I could do.”
Teammate Moira Burgess won the race walk, outlasting Spruce Mountain’s Emily White by one tenth of a second at 7:52.43. There were more than 44 seconds between White and third place.
“It’s wonderful, it’s awesome. I worked so hard for this,” Burgess said. “I never raced against (White) before (this season). We became great friends, it’s been an honor to have someone push me as much as she does.”
The win was a painful one; Burgess rolled her ankle just after crossing the line.
“I didn’t care,” she said, laughing. “I finished.”
In the boys meet, Hall-Dale’s Matt Albert and Ashtyn Abbott recorded a pair of victories, each besting the top seed to do it. Albert’s win came in the javelin, and the MVC champion’s throw of 163-7 beat Mountain Valley’s Chris Glover by 6 feet, 9 inches.
“I wasn’t expecting it, so it’s a great surprise. I’m on top of the world right now,” he said. “It’s a much better feeling winning it at stakes than at MVCs. … I know that I have to do my best and bring my best when I go to a meet like this.”
Abbott was second in the high jump at the MVC championships to Boothbay’s Jay Hasch but edged him Saturday with a jump of 6-4, tying the school record set by Jon Whitcomb last year. Both Abbott and Hasch jumped 6-4, but because Abbott had no misses before clearing it, he prevailed in a tiebreaker.
“Jay is a great competitor. He’s the reason that the pressure is so high,” Abbott said. “We love to go back and forth, and I think today that pushed me over the limit, wanting to be better. … It was anyone’s event, and coming in I thought I could definitely take it.”
Drew Bonifant — 621-5638
dbonifant@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @dbonifantMTM
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