Ian Rixon brought home a State Class B championship to Medomak Valley Saturday, with a 1st place finish in the 1600m racewalk. Rixon won the race in 7:28.73.
Rixon, a junior, lost just one race all season, and that was to a Class C runner at the KVAC championship a week earlier. He cut 11 seconds off his personal best time at the State Class championships.
“He came in as a freshman trying to find his way. Nobody comes out for track the first year and says I want to be a racewalker. He tried it out one meet and he enjoyed it. Success bred addiction to the sport,” coach Jacob Newcomb said.
Rixon was disqualified his freshman year at KVAC’s and States. “He broke his form. You need perfect form,” Newcomb added. He became more focused on the sport he learned to love, and sought help with his form.
“The first time he broke eight minutes, you could tell something clicked. He’s now an elite racewalker and competes year ’round. He’s intense. He’s fun to watch, his growth has been so phenomenal. He’s so focused – it’s his passion,” Newcomb said.Sophomore Jon Hendrickson-Belloguet also set a personal best mark at the State meet, breaking the 40-ft. barrier in the triple jump for the first time. Stefan Nicholls also set a personal best time in the 300 hurdles.
Waterville boys and girls won State team titles. Medomak boys placed 12th overall with 15 points. Rixon earned 10 team points.
Jonathan Hendrickson-Belloguet placed 4th in the triple jump (40’4.75″). Stefan Nicholls placed 7th in the 300 hurdles in 43.44.
Also competing for the Panthers were Deering Genthner (8th in the 100 in 11.75, 22nd in the 200 in 24.26), H-Belloguet (24th in the 200 in 24.23), Mike Gilman (13th in shotput (40’1.5″), 15th in discus (108’1″), Yannich Price-Prevot (21st in the shotput (35’11.5″), and Nelson Tolman (14th discus 111’11”).
Medomak boys competed in all three relays. They placed 13th in the 4×100 in 46.95 with Vinny Vannah, H-Belloguet, Nicholls and Genthner; 11th in the 4×400 in 3:48 with Devon Sproul, H-Belloguet, Nicholls and Genthner; and 17th in the 4×800 in 9:41 with Nick Anderson, Kyle Baubonis, Alex Casas and Ivan Johnson.
Several Lady Panthers qualified and competed at the State championships, held at Cony High School in Augusta, including Amanda Young (12th in the 100 prelims in 13.3), Elise Wallace (19th in the long jump 13’1.75″). Gwen Moiles (17th in 800 in 2:35), Julie Ennamorati (25th in the triple jump 29’4.25″), Jessica Prescott (10th in the discus 86’10”), and Ellen Tuttle 10th in the racewalk in 9:47).
Medomak girls also competed in three relays, placing 13th in the 4×100 in 54.16 with Ennamorati, Desiree Leary, Ashley Rackliff and Young; placing 20th in the 4×400 relay in 4:45 with Jocelyn Thames, Emily Leach, Moiles and Rackliff; and taking 10th in the 4×800 relay in 11:07 with Moiles, Megan Wyllie, Wallace and Thames.
Young set a personal best time in her 100m race, and Medomak girls’ 4×100 relay team registered their best time of the season.
Three Lincoln Academy female athletes competed in the State Class B meet. Teiga Martin took 16th in the 400 in 1:05, Hannah Fake 17th in the 100 hurdle prelims in 18:16 and Laura Otterbein 18th in the 300 hurdles in 52.27.