BRUNSWICK — Fernando Kele may have slipped out of the blocks during the 55-meter dash prelims, but the Lewiston senior was still able to win his heat with a seemingly effortless run of 6.85 seconds.

As Kele came back to the infield, ready to head over to the pits for his first triple-jump attempt, another athlete made a comment about the top seed’s time.

“Watch me in the finals,” Kele said with a smile.

That smile grew larger when Kele breezed through the finish line in 6.67 seconds, earning his second win of Monday’s KVAC A indoor track and field championships, and it was larger once more as the Lewiston boys team took a victory lap around the Farley Field House at Bowdoin College.

Lewiston won its second straight conference title with 141.5 points, beating out Cony (108.5), Mt. Ararat (84), Brunswick (70) and Edward Little (46). The Blue Devils won five events and placed multiple athletes on the podium in seven.

“This is what I was expecting, honestly,” said Kele, who sat out last year’s meet with a hamstring injury. “This team, they really show up and work, and they deserve it. They deserve to win.”

Kele also won the long jump with a best leap of 21 feet, 2 inches.

Enzo Giampaolo (2-mile, 10:12.13), Larson Stone (high jump, 6 feet) and Nsungai Mankatu (triple jump, 45-5.75), all seniors, also earned first-place ribbons for the Blue Devils.

“(Winning the long jump at 21-2) kind of set the mood for the rest of the meet, and I kind of had that mindset where I was going to get first in everything else,” Kele said. “I mean, I didn’t get first in triple, but I’m still proud of what I accomplished today.”

Mankatu edged out Kele for the triple jump crown, and Giampaolo, the only boy to defend an individual title, also earned second in the 800 and the mile.

Edward Little junior Thomas LeBlanc won the 55-meter hurdles (8.01) and the pole vault (14-6, first attempt), beating Mt. Ararat senior Bryce Holden by 0.01 seconds and one fewer attempt.

Brunswick senior Eben White won the 200 (23.06), Cony junior Joseph Knapp won the 400 (52.04) and Skowhegan senior Thomas Hebert won the shot put (50-6.75).

Brunswick won both relays, as Jansen Weaver, White, Sebastian Martini and Simon Stadnicki closed Monday with the 800 relay (1:32.37), a new KVAC meet record by 2.61 seconds.

BRUNSWICK STAYS ON TOP

Ellie Musica and the Brunswick girls team like to set goals at the beginning of the indoor track season. This winter the Brunswick junior wanted to break the 1-minute mark in the 400, and the Dragons wanted to win their fourth conference championship in the past five years.

Both goals were accomplished Monday as Brunswick scored 133.5 points to defend its 2025 title over Mt. Ararat (100), Skowhegan (80.5), Lewiston (77) and Messalonskee (45).

Musica contributed 30 of those points, earning meet MVP with first-place finishes and PRs in the 55 (7.46), 200 (27.27) and 400 (59.96). She was the only individual athlete to defend multiple titles (55 and 400) from last year’s conference championships. She placed fourth in last year’s 200.

“I think it’s great,” Musica said about her continued success. “I want to keep working hard and I want to keep getting better as I get older, and I’m really happy that it’s been working out.”

Senior teammate Lacey Dinsmore repeated as the 800 champ (2:28.64), was the runner-up in the mile and finished third in the 2-mile. Like the boys champs, the Dragons placed multiple podium finishers in seven events.

“They did such an amazing job,” Musica said. “I think we tried so hard, we cheer each other on so well, and I’m just so proud, as a team, how we performed today.”

Mt. Ararat earned top finishes in the 1,600 relay and the pole vault with sophomore Cecelia Minet (7-6). Skowhegan senior Grace Mayo won the long jump (16-8.75) and triple jump (35-0.5). Messalonskee sophomore Destiny McLaughlin tossed the top shot put (30-8.75).

Lewiston won the 800-meter relay.

KVAC NEWCOMERS FIND SUCCESS

Three athletes from Mountain Valley Conference schools won their first KVAC ribbons with the introduction of co-op teams in the central Maine region.

BryAnna Hagopian, a senior at Madison competing with Skowhegan, won the mile (5:24.24) and 2-mile (12:00.51). The 2025 Class C cross country state champ felt comfortable with her KVAC opponents, so she focused on fine-tuning her 2-mile form and race preparation for next Monday’s Class A championship meet at the University of Southern Maine. She was also encouraged by her progress in the mile after being stuck around the 5:27-5:28 mark for the past month.

This is the first year Hagopian has competed in indoor track, and while it’s taken time to get used to the dry air, she has adjusted well.

“I like competing with this group of girls and being in a different class,” Hagopian said.

Winthrop junior Alfie Cognata used to race for the St. Dominic indoor track team, but this winter he’s a Cony Ram. The most recent Class C cross country state runner-up is holding his own with Class A competition, outkicking Giampaolo in the final stretch of the 800 (2:02.87) and the mile (4:41.11), and placing second in the 2-mile.

“I knew that if I could just stay behind Enzo, pretty much the entire time … I knew that I’d have that speed to try to be (near the front) by the end of the race,” Cognata said. “I knew that like, 100 out, if I’m just close to Enzo, I can close, and I can win. That was pretty much my strategy for every single race I did, so I just thank God for it.”

Cognata and Kele shared the co-MVP award for the boys meet with 28 points.

Ella Giles, a junior from Maranacook, earned 10 points for Gardiner in the high jump. She was the only one of the three jumpers to clear 4-10 in one attempt.

Skowhegan’s Gracie Jewell was the only freshman to win, claiming the 55-meter hurdles in 9.04 seconds. She also placed third in the long jump.