Medomak Valley girls’ cross-country team successfully defended their KVAC title at UMA in Augusta on Saturday. The Lady Panthers placed five scoring runners in the top 20 to win with 54 points. The championship win wraps up a perfect season for Medomak, who won against every KVAC Class B team they faced this season.
Maranacook placed 2nd with 77, Winslow 81, Hampden 83, Leavitt 115, Lincoln 150, Erskine 169, and Camden 175.
The Panthers were led by Gwen Moiles, who placed sixth in 21:16. Kiana Ocean took ninth in 21:57, Megan Wyllie 10th in 22 minutes flat, Alyssa Griggs 14th in 22:26 and Nicole Weaver 20th in 22:51 to complete the scoring five. Jordan Hopkins placed 27th in 23:13 and Heidi Harris 31st in 23:27 for the Panthers.
Maranacook’s Abby Mace won the race in 19:03, beating out Winslow’s Molly Schassberger by almost two minutes. Lincoln Academy’s Nikki Leeman placed third in 21:04. Also running for the Lady Eagles were 18. Hannah Fake, 22:47; 38. Allison Fisher, 24:08; 54. Celia Howland, 26:17; and 64. Katie Williams, 29:14.
Leeman, Moiles, Ocean, and Wyllie earned top 10 KVAC honors.
Hampden won the KVAC team championship with 66 points, followed by Winslow 94, Maranacook 101, Medomak 130, Belfast 140, Leavitt 141, Waterville 142, Erskine 146, Gardiner 227, Camden 239, Rockland 272 and MCI 335. Lincoln Academy did not have enough runners to compete as a team. Hampden’s Darik Frye was the KCAC individual champion in 16:26, beating out Erskine’s Sam Seekins by 44 seconds.
O’Donnell led the Panthers to a fourth place finish, taking fifth in 17:33. Parmenter placed 10th in 18:19; Joe Murphy 29th in 19:25, Andrew Allen 42nd in 20:00, and Brendon O’Donnell 48th in 20:25 to complete the Panthers’ scoring five. Nick Anderson took 54th in 20:39 and Quinton Vannah 60th in 21:12.
Gary Ward placed seventh for Lincoln Academy in a time of 17:44, Alex Benner was 50th in 20:34, Shawn Grooms 68th in 21:38 and Ranger Langdon 81st in 24:35.”They sure did” have a great day, coach George Gould said. “They ran just about what we expected. It is really rewarding to win back-to-back championships. It is very significant for these kids.”
The Panthers return all but Kiana Ocean who graduates this spring. Willey improved greatly over the season, pulling closer to Ocean, and finishing just three seconds behind her in the KVAC meet.
“She has done great for us week after week. She has been steady and running aggressively. This has been a break through season for her.” Gould also credits the improvement of Alyssa Griggs and Nicole Weaver with the Panthers’ success this season.
