3 min read

AUGUSTA — She spent years watching Ashlyn Poulin dominate the 1,600-meter race walk. Now, Natalie Grant has finally gotten her chance — and Monday saw the Gardiner sophomore shine.

The state’s fastest race-walker, Grant easily won the event at the KVAC Large School track and field championships with a time of 8 minutes, 11.41 seconds. That gave Gardiner four straight race-walk titles following Grant’s win last year and Poulin’s in 2022 and 2023.

“I’ve really been working on having more consistent laps so that I can give myself more of a time buffer,” said Grant, who ran the opening lap in 1:51.06. “It’s really important for me that I get out to a strong start so that it’s me against me out there.”

Grant is now in prime position to follow Poulin, who set the Class B state record in 2023 (7:12.15), with her own state record Saturday at Freeport High. That’s one of the five takeaways from Monday’s meet.

BRUNSWICK GIRLS COMPLETE THREE-PEAT

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Brunswick entered the meet seeking its third consecutive KVAC championship and did so, finishing with 200 points to beat out midcoast rival Mt. Ararat (128 1/2) for the title.

Lacey Dinsmore (800-meter dash, 2 minutes, 28.77 seconds; 1,600, 5:25.97) and Eliette Musica (200, 26.74; 400, 59.23) won two events each for Brunswick. Lisi Palmer (high jump, 5 feet, 2 inches) and Lexi Morin (javelin, 113-3) added wins for the Dragons.

The meet was close early, with Mt. Ararat within 15 points of Brunswick halfway through. The Dragons then piled on the points, earning a number of top-five finishes in the individual track events and capping their title by winning the final event, the 1,600 relay, in 4:19.01.

“We’re a team where, even if we don’t win or get top-three, we really know how to get those points,” said Musica, who was named the girls meet track MVP. “I think we did about how we were supposed to do. We did a great job and competed really well.”

LEWISTON BOYS RUN AWAY FROM PACK

While the girls meet was at least tight for a little while, the boys competition was over early. Lewiston finished with 216 points, easily finishing clear of defending champ Mt. Ararat’s 102 to clinch its first regional title since winning KVAC Class A in 2019.

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The Blue Devils were clear favorites, entering as the top seed in 10 of the 18 events. They won nine, led by three individual wins each from Josia Katroli (100-meter dash, 11.33 seconds; long jump, 21 feet, 8 inches; high jump, 6-0) and Ryker Paradis (javelin, 163-8; discus, 141-8; shot put, 58-8 1/4). Paradis was named boys field MVP.

“Everybody worked really hard for this, and it’s great to be able to perform so well at KVACs,” said Katroli, who was named the boys meet’s all-around MVP. “We all push each other every day. It’s a great experience to be a part of this team.”

COUGHLIN RISES, SHINES IN DISTANCE EVENTS

Messalonskee’s Pierce Coughlin wasn’t necessarily at the forefront of KVAC distance runners entering the season. In the 1,600, three returning runners were ahead of him in the conference; in the 3,200, he was coming off a ninth-place finish in 2024.

But on Monday, the senior showed he belonged with the best. He won the 3,200 in 9:56.71 — an improvement of eight places from a year ago — and finished just 0.02 seconds behind Enzo Giampaolo in the 1,600 (Giampaolo: 4.28.73, Coughlin: 4:28.75.).

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“I’ve had a lot of trust in my coaches and I’ve been running a lot more,” Coughlin said. “I was able to do indoor this year and swim, so that was a good base coming into outdoor. … I’m satisfied with today and I’m ready for states next week.”

OTHER NOTABLE WINNERS

• Brunswick boys 1,600 relay team (3:29.63)

• Edward Little girls 400 relay team (52.33)

• Jenni Flynn, Lewiston (girls 100 hurdles, 16.10; 300 hurdles, 47.39)

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• Caroline Gonzales, Mt. Blue (girls 100, 13.01) 

• Cassidy Hardy, Mt. Blue (girls shot put, 35-7 3/4; discus, 97-4), girls meet MVP

• Bryce Holden, Mt. Ararat (boys 110 hurdles, 15.76)

• Grace Mayo, Skowhegan (girls long jump, 17-3 1/2, triple jump, 33-10 1/2)

• Mt. Ararat boys 3,200 relay team (8:36.49)

• Carly Satterfield, Mt. Ararat (pole vault, 9-0)

• Ritangel Silva, Lewiston (boys 200, 23.19), boys meet field co-MVP with Giampaolo.

Mike Mandell came to the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel in April 2022 after spending five and a half years with The Ellsworth American in Hancock County, Maine. He came to Maine out of college after...

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