FARMINGTON — The competition raised Jillian Schmelzer’s game at the Class C track and field championship meet Saturday, and Schmelzer raised the bar for herself and others to come after her.
The Winthrop junior won the girls 100- and 400-meter titles, set school records in three events and tied a state record in one at Mt. Blue High School.
Schmelzer equaled a 15-year-old state record in the 400 at 58.47 seconds, edging Maranacook’s Molly McGrail by .32 of a second.
“My own record before that was 59.0, and I knew today there was going to be some tough competition,” Schmelzer said. “Molly McGrail is a great runner and she was on my tail and she really pushes me to chase my own record. I’m happy to have that experience.”
Schmelzer won the 100 in 12.50 seconds to beat Penquis’ Cymeria Robshaw (12.64). She set her third school mark in the 200 (26.28) when she was runner-up to defending champion Camille Kohtala (26.13).
Her performance helped lift Winthrop to fourth in the team standings. Orono (112 points), which had a string of six consecutive state titles snapped by Maranacook last year, easily reclaimed the crown, followed by Maranacook (67), Caribou (57), Winthrop (52) and Wells (46).
On the boys side, Sacopee Valley (69) won its first state title since 2010 by holding off Hall-Dale (56.75). Orono (51.75), Mt. Abram (50) and Caribou (47) rounded out the top five.
Jon Jordan led the Roadrunners into the top five by winning the 400 title in (53.19) by passing Boothbay’s Blake Erhard (53.43) in the final 20 meters.
At last week’s Mountain Valley Conference championships, Jordan kept pace with Erhard before pulling away late to win by over one second.
“This time,” Jordan said, he was a good 25 meters ahead of me, which has never really happened. So I really had to push and start running quicker than I usually do. Toward the last 50 meters, I started feeling like I could reel him in.”
Camden Spencer-Thompso of Mattanawcook Academy was the star of the meet, setting state records in the boys triple jump (48-03.75), long jump (23-02.75) and high jump (6-11).
Other boys winner were: Hall-Dale’s Zander Bourne (1,600 race walk), Dirigo’s Cam Kidder (300 hurdles), Mount View’s Matt Overlock (javelin) and Maranacook’s Ryan Worsted (discus, shot put).
Other winners on the girls side included Monmouth Academy’s Libby Clement (300 hurdles), and Mount Views Sage Pound (1,600 run) and Shala Davis (discus).
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