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BY BILL STEWART
Staff Writer 05/28/2008

Staff Writer

As a freshman last season, Kayla Tuttle competed in the 100-meter dash, 300-meter hurdles and saw some time in the 4x800-meter relay team for Waterville. This year, the 16-year-old Tuttle is competing in distance events.

So, why the switch?

"Coach Wilson offered it to me," she said. "He told me I should do distance."

Goodbye sprints, hello distance.

Tuttle said she is adjusting to the new events, but she turned in a strong meet Saturday at the fourth annual Community Cup in Winslow. She won the 1,600 with a time of 5 minutes, 48.75 seconds and finished fourth in the 800.

"I'm getting used to it," she said.

Tuttle edged out teammate Kate Croswell by six seconds in the 1,600.

"I tried to stay back and stay with Kate," Tuttle said. "In the last 200 I just picked it up and finished strong."

• • •

Madison senior Jeff Richards has competed in track and field for just two years, but he now holds the school record in the high jump. He set the record May 13 in Dover when he jumped 6 feet, 2 inches. He then broke his own record with a jump of 6-3 last Thursday at Hall-Dale.

"He just missed 6-5, too," Madison coach Bob Hagopian said. "Jeff is starting to come around. At the beginning of year he had a few problems. It just took some time to get used to the event. He came out last year, really enjoyed track, and now he's off to the races. I think he's got a good chance at 6-5, too.

• • •

Fresh off its fourth consecutive Community Cup victories, Waterville is dealing with some injuries that couldn't come at a worse time for coach Ian Wilson.

Sprinter Zach Jordan, who won the 400 at the meet Saturday, pulled out of the 200 and 4x400 relay because of a tight hamstring.

"It was mostly preventative," Wilson said. "At that point in the meet, it was much smarter to be cautious."

Furthermore, senior Josh Sirois pulled a hamstring at practice Tuesday, and Wilson said the team will know more about the severity of the injury today.

"He's a versatile kid," Wilson said. "I'd hate to see him have a bad injury at this point."

Sirois can compete in the 4x100 relay, long jump, triple jump, 100 and 200.

• • •

Jesse Labreck is just about done trying out -- and winning -- new events.

"In the states, I'll do both hurdles, the triple jump and high jump," said Labreck, a Messalonskee senior who will attend the University of Maine next fall.

Labreck picked up the 200 during the last month, and at the Community Cup she gave the 100 a whirl. She won both events, prompting coach Scott Wilson to say, "She can enter just about anything and win." Labreck set the school record in the 200 with a 26.25 on Saturday.

Labreck gave the 100 a shot to work on her start for the hurdles.

"And I wanted a new challenge," she added.

• • •

There is a nice, friendly rivalry brewing between Lawrence senior Nick Sterling and Waterville senior Dominik Alexis -- at least in the 200.

On May 7, Alexis edged Sterling by nearly a quarter of a second in the 200. On Saturday, Sterling sought and earned redemption, winning the 200 with a time of 23.80. Alexis checked in at 23.87.

"I really wanted to win that one," Sterling said. "It was an intense race."

• • •

Labreck isn't the only athlete who picked up a new event and found instant success. Winslow freshman Kelsea Bouchard won the 400 on Saturday in just the second time she's raced in that event.

"I usually do jumps and relays," she said. "I just wanted to try something else."

The 400 may be a good start. She finished in 1:08.25, just ahead of Waterville's Laura Tozier (1:08.30) and Skowhegan's Adrienne Davis (1:08.35).

Bill Stewart -- 623-3811, ext. 515

bstewart@centralmaine.com

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