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By GARY HAWKINS
Staff Writer 01/07/2008

Staff Writer

Despite the lack of practice time and facilities, the Waterville and Lawrence indoor track teams are faring well so far this season.

The defending Class B champion Waterville girls finished first in a meet Saturday against a field of Class A teams that included Brunswick and Lewiston while the boys finished second behind Brunswick. On Friday, the Lawrence girls placed second in a 10-team meet while the boys finished a strong third.

"That was a big win," Waterville coach Ian Wilson said of the girls victory. "Brunswick's pretty strong."

Among the many scorers for the Purple Panthers are a group of shot putters that broke records for the three best combined throws at both the Bowdoin and University of Southern Maine relays. They include seniors Bethany Carter and Nicole Fleming and juniors Danielle Fossa and Brittany Locke.

Ci'ara Williams (sprints, hurdles), Jessie Lefebrve (pole vault, sprints) and Shelby Tuttle (hurdles, jumps) have also been consistent scorers.

On the boys side, junior Dominik Alexis has been the team's most pleasant surprise with a 6-foot-4 high jump so far, the best in Class B.

"He hadn't blossomed as an athlete until this year," Wilson said. "He's also a very good long jumper and hurdler."

Senior Zach Jordan, who finished second in the outdoor 400 last spring, is excelling in that event, while Josh Sirois (sprints, jumps) and Brad Loomis are also scoring points.

Because the field house at Colby College is unavailable due to repairs to the basketball floor, high school teams have not had access to that facility. Wilson has scheduled additional meets and will take a group to Dartmouth next weekend, but training has been especially difficult this season.

"It's really stretching my creative efforts to train kids in hallways and around snowbanks," Wilson said.

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Numbers are up at Lawrence where coach Tim Alberts has a squad of 36 boys and girls. Unfortunately, there aren't many freshmen and sophomores on the team, a group competes in the junior division at conference meets.

"We only have three," Alberts said.

There are seven junior events in conference meets which contribute to the overall score. Otherwise, the Bulldogs have fared well.

"I'm very pleased with the outcomes we've had," Alberts said.

The Lawrence boys placed second to Lewiston in their first meet and scored 118 points on Friday in a meet won by Edward Little with 188 points. Belfast took second with 122 points, but Alberts thinks that may change since his winning 4x800 relay team was scored as an exhibition win. He plans to check the score today with meet officials.

"If that happens that will move us into second place," Alberts said.

Sprinters Nick Sterling and Kyle Sanborn have run well, each winning once in the 55-meter dash while Sterling has also won a 200.

"The kid that's been shocking to me is Matt Linnell," Alberts said of his senior shot putter. "Without being able to go over to Colby, my throwers are at a disadvantage. We throw against the cafeteria wall."

Linnell, who is also a sprinter and hurdler, threw the shot 41 feet, 4 inches his first meet and 42-4 last Friday, about two feet more than his previous best last season.

On the girls side, freshman Sara Quimby took first in the 200 in the first meet and junior Abbey McQuilkin qualified for the states in the shot put with a throw of 33-4. Junior Molly Cooper has qualified for the conference meet in the 55, 400 and as a member of the 4x200 relay team.

The Bulldogs will only compete in four meets this season and have a break of three weeks between the final meet and the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference meet Feb. 9 at Bowdoin College.

"It's hard to get motivated when you don't have a track," Alberts said. "It's tough on all of us. The kids just live with it and are troopers."

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Messalonskee senior Jesse LaBreck is training with Waterville and rounding into the same form that helped her win three states titles last spring as well as a second place.

"Her marks have been off a little bit, but this week she was really sharp," Wilson said. "When we go to Bowdoin, she'll be in good shape."

Wilson said LaBreck has concentrated more on spring mechanics and form this winter than the long and triple jumps.

"I can't think of a more well-rounded gifted female track athlete I've ever worked with," he said.

Distance runner David Currier and sprinter Eric Anderson, both from Messalonskee, are also training and competing with Waterville.

Mt. Blue athletes training with Lawrence include distance runner Eric Marceau and high jumpers Melody Lam and Jared Jones. Marceau won the mile and 800 meter events on Friday, an impressive feat since there are only two events between them.

Also training with Lawrence is Maine Central Institute's Amanda Asaro, who has a win and second place so far in the mile.

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Indoor track differs significantly from the outdoor version because of the size of the tracks. Because of the indoor confines, there's much more jostling in races and runners must be able to hold there own to win.

"Track position is huge because the turns are so tight," Coach Wilson said. "Indoor track is kind of a contact sport. You have to be very aggressive physically."

Gary Hawkins -- 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com

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