BELFAST — One year after becoming the first female team in school history to win a state championship, the Cheverus girls’ cross-country squad has done it again.

Saturday afternoon in Belfast, the Stags totaled 45 points to win the title, defeating runner-up Mt. Ararat by 23 points.

Individually, Cheverus was paced by junior Emily Durgin, who once again was second to Abbey Leonardi of Kennebunk, completing the 5-kilometer course in 18 minutes, 3.64 seconds. Junior Fiona Hendry (third, 18:34.86), freshman Shannon Conley (fourth, 19:08.93), freshman Kiera Murray (14th, 19:54.76) and junior Maddie Woods (22nd, 20:37.39) also scored.

Cheverus’ boys weren’t able to repeat, finishing ninth with 230 points. Scarborough (71) came in first.

Senior standout Jack Terwilliger, who has endured a difficult, injury-plagued season, had a fourth-place individual showing (16:45.70). Other Stags’ scorers included junior Lukas Temple (37th, 18:02.75), sophomore Chandler Dundas (54th, 18:25.88), junior David Woodbury (56th, 18:33.92) and sophomore Brady Foshay (79th, 19:14.76).

Portland freshman Ben Allen ran as an individual and had the 53rd-fastest Class A time (18:18.29).

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In Class C, Waynflete’s girls hoped to make it four in a row, but the Flyers came in second to Merriconeag (46-52).

Waynflete sophomore Martha Veroneau, who won the individual title a year ago, was credited first for scoring purposes this time around, but was second to Washburn’s Carsyn Koch in 20:48.93.

The Flyers also got points from junior Emily Trafton (fourth, 21:29.56), junior Chloe Rowse (12th, 22:18.37), senior Hannah Rindlaub (13th, 22:24.71) and sophomore Phoebe Suva (22nd, 23:25.89).

“The girls had their best race of the season,” said Waynflete coach Ziggy Gillespie. “Martha was first. Emily had a great race. Chloe and Hannah were just seconds apart. We were in great position until the fifth-place runner. Merriconeag’s runner moved up almost two minutes. I’m not disappointed. We got beaten by a better team.

“We have eight of 10 kids coming back and only lose Hannah out of our scorers. The kids are already talking about next year. That’s a positive.”

Waynflete’s boys (105 points) placed third behind North Yarmouth Academy (60) and Freeport (99).

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Junior standout Abshir Horor, battling injury, capped his superb campaign with a seventh-place finish (17:20.38). Sophomore Abukar Adan (12th, 17:40.47), sophomore Josh Espy (14th, 17:42.71), sophomore Jack Cutler (35th, 18:41.37) and Dylan Kingsbury (37th, 18:43.75) rounded out the Flyers’ effort.

“The boys were unreal,” said Gillespie. “We looked for Abukar and Josh to run 45 seconds faster than they have and they did. We needed Dylan and Jack to run a minute faster and they did. We hoped Abshir would finish third, but his T-band injury (the muscle outside the knee) became a problem. If he was third, we would have beaten Freeport by a point. It was a great season. Our goal was just to get here, not to finish third. We return everybody next year. That’s what’s so exciting.”

New Englands

The New England championships are a week from Saturday in Vermont. Terwilliger made the cut, as did the Cheverus girls’ team.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net

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Cheverus senior Jack Terwilliger shows his form en route to a fourth-place finish in the Class A boys’ race Saturday. The Stags weren’t able to repeat as state champions, coming in ninth.

Waynflete junior Emily Trafton came in fourth to help the Flyers finish runner-up as a team behind Merriconeag in the Class C championship race.


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