PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Track and field athletes from U-Maine at Presque Isle competed in the 2019 opener at Bridgewater State University Friday and Saturday with 20 institutions represented from locations throughout New England.
Five Owl athletes participated in the shot event Friday under cold, rainy and windy conditions. Sam Carpenter (New Bedford, Massachusetts) threw a near personal best with a throw of 29-9.25 feet, while Allen Stanback (Salem, New Jersey) did indeed break his best throw of 2018 at 26-1.75.
On the women’s side, rookie participants Marge Dickinson (Lisbon Falls), Liz Ward (Winthrop), and Dianna Poulin (Woodland) all established first meet marks of (23-5.25, a school record), 21-7.25, and 18-8.50 respectively.
Day two of the competition saw the balance of the teams endure a one-hour delayed start due to light snow having fallen the previous night. Highlights of the two-day meet were the setting of U-Maine at Presque Isle records by Ward (100m), Zach Boyle (javelin), Irina Norkin (1500m), and Dickinson (shot, discus, javelin) and the second place finish of Andrew Hunt (Peterborough, New Hampshire) in the 3000m steeplechase, good enough for eight team points.
This being the second year for a fully sponsored program has been a long time coming.
“I’ve looked to begin varsity track and field since I first began coaching cross country back in 1987,” head coach Chris Smith said. “In 1989, we made our first trip to NAIA nationals in Kenosha, Wisconsin and we got a first-hand look at how competitive it is on the national scene.
“After competing at nationals for three years, I did some research and found that we were one of but two or three teams represented who did not sponsor at least an outdoor season in the spring,” he added.
With ever improving weather, comprehensive individual results for the two days were:
Women’s team
Ward — 100m, 16.80 seconds (school record); shot, 21-7.25 (better than last year’s school record); discus, 51-2; and javelin, 59-5.
Jenny Sanborn (Sangerville) — 100, 19.63; and 200, 41.65.
Norkin (Denmark, Maine) — 800, 3:07.62; 1,500, 5:58.17 (school record).
Rebecca Griffin (Hodgdon): 800, 3:31.83.
Dickinson — shot put, 23-5 (school record); discus, 71-10 (school record); javelin, 95-7 (school record).
Poulin — shot put, 18-8.50; discus, 37-5; and javelin, 36-5.
Men’s team
Stanback — 100, 14.12; shot put, 26-1.75; and discus, 72-10.
Devon Maynard (Perham) — 400, 57.08.
Matthew Payan (Auburn, New Hampshire) — 400, 1:00.41 and discus, 70-1.
Kyle Davis (Addison) — 800, 2:30.25 and 1,500, 5:02.51.
Hunt — 3,000 steeple, 11:42.41 (8 team points).
Boyle — long jump, 16-11.50 and javelin, 146-11 (school record).
Carpenter — shot put, 29-09.25 and discus, 83.05.
Paul Kaplan (Embden) — discus, 89-7.
Tyler Beach (Kennetcook, Nova Scotia) — javelin, 132-6 (better than last year’s school record).
After the opener at Bridgewater State, the Owls travel to U-Mass Dartmouth, Regis College, Bowdoin College, Thomas College (hosting at Colby College), Fitchburg State University, and to the NAC championship meet to be hosted by Regis College in Wenham, Massachusetts. Should athletes meet NCAA standards for NCAA D3 New Englands they will be headed to Williams College for the early May championship meet.
