LISBON — Fractions of seconds and inches were all that separated the Monmouth and Lisbon girls track and field teams Tuesday at the conclusion of the Mountain Valley Conference championships.
Needing a win in the meet’s final event, the 4×400 meter relay, the team of Madi Bumann, Ashleigh Hartford, Shayna Frost and Emily Grandahl came through for the Mustangs to give Monmouth the MVC title 133-132 1/2 over the Greyhounds. Both the Lisbon boys and girls were attempting to win their 10th straight conference championships, a feat the Greyhound boys easily did by a margin of 216-77 1/2 over second-place Madison.
“It was very stressful,” Hartford said. “There was a lot of pressure on us. It means a lot to be able to win, especially it being my senior year.”
Monmouth and Lisbon were the top two seeds heading into the 4×400 with less than one second separating them, but the Mustangs wasted little time in opening up a big lead thanks to a strong first leg from an admittedly nervous Bumann.
“You can’t even compare it to anything else,” Bumann said. “It’s the most stressful thing ever.”
Bumann opened up about a 15-step lead over the Greyhounds by the time she passed the baton to Hartford, who in turn did her part to maintain the same advantage when it came time to give way to Frost.
“I just had to maintain my spot and try to get a better lead for Emily,” Frost said.
Both Frost and Grandahl made sure there was little drama at the finish line, as the Mustangs posted a time of 4 minutes, 27.21 seconds to finish a little over 11 seconds ahead of the Greyhounds.
While the final outcome of the meet — which began last Thursday at Cony High School, was postponed due to weather and finally concluded Tuesday at Lisbon High School — ultimately came down to the 4×400 relay, there were a number of other places where Monmouth narrowly managed to pick up just enough points to get the win.
“We really, really wanted to win this,” Monmouth’s Carey Knowles, who had a second in the 3,200 and fourth in the 1,600, said. “We knew it was going to be close, so yeah I was kind of surprised but we did really want to do it.”
The Mustangs trailed Lisbon 120 1/12-111 with just the discus and triple jump remaining before the 4×400. Monmouth picked up four points in the discus thanks to a fourth-place finish from Mahala Hayden, and in the triple jump they netted an additional four points thanks to a third from Grandahl and sixth from fellow freshman Maddie Amero — who also won the javelin — to counteract a fourth-place result from Lisbon’s Hannah Berube.
Earlier in the meet, Monmouth’s Izzy Lewis edged Winthrop’s Alison Berube by 11-hundredths of a second in the 100. Grandahl leaned at the finish line for third in the 300 hurdles to top Boothbay’s Angie Perkins by five-hundredth of a second, while Hayden got fifth in the shot put by 1/4 of an inch.
“We started getting nervous with the 4×8 on Thursday night because we knew everything was going to be important,” Monmouth coach Tom Menendez, who was named the MVC conference girls coach of the year along with fellow coach Norm Thombs after the meet, said. “It came down to the kids just stepping it up.”
It was another strong year in the throwing circles for Carrabec’s Shen Black and Emma Pluntke, as the two repeated as MVC champs in the discus and shot put, respectively.
“We’ve kind of helped each other out with technique and everything, giving each other tips,” Black said. “(My distance Tuesday was) not as good as I wanted it to be but I’m not disappointed either.”
Also picking up wins on the girls’ side were Madison’s Monica Ouellette in the pole vault and the Winthrop 4×100 relay team of Julie McConnell, Alison Berube, Kinli DiBiase and Sierra Huff.
On the boys’ side, Oak Hill senior Drew Gamage was named the boys most outstanding performer of the meet after winning the high and triple jumps and placing second in the long jump.
“(It was) good for the most part (in terms) of placing, just not personal bests or anything like that,” Gamage said. “I was ready to go last week and then this now it’s just, kind of, not in the same mood.”
The Madison boys got a win from Jordan Curtis in the 200 after he beat out Telstar’s Maverik Griffin by three-hundredths of a second, while Mt. Abram’s Logan Boyce threw 147-5 to take the top spot in the javelin.
Evan Crawley — 621-5640
ecrawley@mainetoday.com
Twitter: @Evan_Crawley
Send questions/comments to the editors.
