After sweeping the Mountain Valley Conference Championships and the boys team winning the Southern Regional Championship title, the state championship meet on Saturday, Oct. 31 was anticlimactic for Boothbay Region High School cross country teams. With top runners sidelined with injuries, the boys placed fifth overall and the girls were unable to score as a team.

Freshman Faith Blethen continued her record-setting first season by placing fourth overall at states and running fast enough to be the first Lady Seahawk to qualify for the New England cross country championship race.

This year, George Stevens Academy and Orono teams have boasted the fastest runners and teams in Class C and they arrived at the state meet virtually assured of the top two spots for both genders.

With Matt Burnham out of commission and a more daunting lineup of competitors, the Seahawks were unable to capture the third place position, despite strong individual performances.

Kyle Ames led the BRHS scorers, finishing 17th at 18:03, followed by Blake Erhard, 32nd, 18:54, Liam Conlin, 43rd, 19:22, Bayly Gaughan-Carrasco, 56th, 19:51, and Shane Johnson, 69th, 20:25. Morgen Wilson (78th, 20:42) and Will LaBrecque (88th, 21:42) also competed but did not score.

With three finishers in the top ten, including overall boys winner John Hassett (16:46), George Stevens Academy won the state title with 60 points, followed by runner up Orono, 71, Lisbon, 120, Winthrop, 153, BRHS, 158, Monmouth, 167, Waynflete, 169, Maine Coast, 182, Washburn, 216, Old Orchard Beach, 216, Lee Academy, 238, and Fort Kent, 263.

The Orono girls dominated the Class C competition, with juniors Tiara Tardy (19:43), Hannah Steelman (19:59) and Kassidy Dill (20:17) finishing 1, 2, 3 and the entire team in the top eleven.

Boothbay’s Blethen was not far behind Orono’s top three, finishing 4th at 20:28. Blethen’s race time was fast enough to qualify her for the New England competition. Prior to Saturday, Chase Brown was the only individual BRHS runner to ever qualify for the New Englands, Coach Nick Scott reported.

Hannah Morley finished 27th at 22:42, Loren Gengrich, 55th, 24:02, and Kate Friant, 68th, 25:21. Lincoln Hamblett was unable to run due to a knee injury. Orono easily captured the state title with 24 points, followed by George Stevens, 51, Waynflete, 104, Maine Coast, 113, St. Dom’s, 137, NYA, 166, Monmouth, 180, Mattanawcook, 183, Washburn, 214, and Lee, 280.

The Lady Seahawks were too short-footed to score as a team but they did bring home the Class C Good Sportsmanship award.

For most of the BRHS runners, another award-winning BRHS cross country season reaches its finish line. Blethen has one more major competition ahead of her, the New England Championship meet in Thetford, Vermont on Nov. 14.