4x800m

The top seed is the Scarborough Red Storm, fresh off a state leading performance to win the SMAA title by 10 seconds.  They will likely run the same team that they did at that meet and will be gunning for the win here as well.  Bonny Eagle is next on the list and they should be able to push Scarborough the whole way.  Freshman Parker Moore has already run 2:00 and their anchor Xavier Lemieux has developed an impressive kick over the past 12 months so if he is in range with a lap to go the Scots could very well win.  Portland is not running all of their top athletes in this race with both Nathan Blades and Ben Prestes sitting the relay out to focus on individual events, but they should still compete for a top 3 finish.  Brunswick and Cheverus are also teams to look out for.  Brunswick won the 4 x 800m title a year ago and have 5 athletes that have run 2:06 or faster, although Ben Klingle is not listed on the relay.  Cheverus was 3rd during the indoor season and 5th outdoors last year. 

1600m

Everyone wants to see the State Meet record fall in this race.  Since this time last year, it has become clear that Maddox Jordan is the top distance runner in the state, and he has threatened the 4:10 barrier several times since then.  It was be a gigantic upset if he were to lost this race.  That being said, don’t expect Nathan Blades or Xavier Lemieux to hand him the state title.  Blades has experience going out at a fast pace and holding on for a good time, and Lemieux has a great kick that rivals that of Jordan.  Behind them, expect Bulldogs  Elias Coleman and Ben Prestes to be the next to the finish line.  Prestes has rarely raced this season but when he has he has only had strong performances.  Coleman on the other hand, had a stellar double at the SMAA meet that announced him as one of the top distance runners in the state.

800m

This race is also headlined by defending champ Maddox Jordan, who will be doubling back from the 1600m along with Prestes and Coleman. There are also going to be many athletes that competed in the 4x800m, such as Parker Moore, Harrison Dunne, Colby Shumway, and others.  The top seeded “fresh” athletes are Ben Klingle of Brunswick and Michael Lawlor of South Portland, who may push the pace early on to take advantage of the tired legs of their competitors. Unlike indoors, though, Maddox is not running the 3200m, so he may be content to push from the front and run away from everyone early on.  The 50.7 400m speed he demonstrated last weekend followed by an easy win in the 800m showed that no matter the situation he can take care of business.

3200m

If last weekend’s SMAA meet was any signal, we will be in for a treat as we watch these boys traverse the track eight times this Saturday evening.  5 boys ran under 9:40 in the same race, by far the most competitive 3200m we have seen in Maine in some time.  Four of those five competitors are in this race, and they are joined by Nathan Blades, Atticus Merriam, and Ambrose McCullough who are all capable of breaking that barrier, too.  Henri Rivard and Ellis Wood will both be fresh for this race, whereas last week they ran in the 9:30s on their 2nd event of the day.  Don’t be shocked if it takes a sub 9:30 clocking to place in the top 5.