Falmouth’s Sofie Matson speeds to the Class A girls’ cross country individual championship. Matson won for the second year in a row.

Maine Coast Waldorf’s Matinicus Neveu helps his team to the Class C boys’ title by placing sixth individually.

Eleven local teams took part in the state cross country championships Saturday in Belfast and one came home with a title, as did a couple of individuals

With bad weather in the forecast, the meet was moved up to an earlier start and for the most part, runners competed in tolerable conditions.

Class C

Maine Coast Waldorf’s boys’ team took the Class C state championship with 72 points, which was 16 better than runner-up Orono. MCW was led by Matinicus Neveu (who was sixth on the five-kilometer course in 17 minutes, 39.09 seconds) and Aiden Kusche (seventh, 17:43.66). Also scoring were Max Waldron (13th, 18:20.10), Finn Dierks-Brown (17th, 18:29.84) and John Miles Muentener (29th, 19:06.71). MCW won its second championship (2014 was the other).

“We had a long conversation about how everyone needed to buckle down and perform better this week and they did,” said MCW coach Morgan Lake-Adams. “They all really challenged themselves and we saw a lot of improvement out of every one of them.”

North Yarmouth Academy had 172 points and finished seventh. Chris Hamblett led the way with a ninth-place showing (18:03.93). Also scoring were Clement Delisle-Blais (22nd, 18:41.79), James Tourigny (24th, 18:44.36), Noah Hallward-Rough (45th, 19:42.58) and Felix Lesperance (72nd, 21:44.14).

In the Class C girls’ meet, won by Orono with 41 points, MCW (81) came in third. MCW did produce the individual winner in Olivia Reynolds, who had a time of 19:05.87.

“I wasn’t looking back, but I could tell there was quite a pack with me,” Reynolds said. “There was a lot of back and forth and people coming out on either side. I would surge, but they totally stayed with me until the last, maybe, 400. It was difficult. With the weather and the rain and it just being so cold, everyone’s mentality was just not as positive going into it. But you have to make the most of it.”

Also scoring for MCW were Ava Teegarden (12th, 21:43.36), Mamie Whittier (15th, 21:52.85), Nora Goldberg-Courtney (23rd, 22:30.48) and Wilson Haims (30th, 23:10.59).

Class A

Falmouth’s girls team tallied 106 points and was runner-up behind Bonny Eagle (63) in Class A. The Yachtsmen did produce the repeat individual champion in Sofie Matson (18:33.51). Also scoring were Karley Piers (seventh, 19:18.22), Malaika Pasch (24th, 20:12.16), Eva Clement (29th, 20:29.42) and Kayla Sarazin (45th, 21:18.09).

Greely (207 points) finished sixth. Scoring for the Rangers were Marin Provencher (ninth, 19:20.28), Carolyn Todd (10th, 19:26.99), Julia Curran (25th, 20:13.97), Elsa Dean-Muncie (65th, 22:20.38) and Anna Briley (98th, 24:40.71).

In the Class A boys’ meet, won by Scarborough with 69 points, Greely (119) was third and Falmouth (137) finished sixth.

The Rangers were led by Luke Marsanskis (ninth, 16:32.20). Also scoring were Matthew Todd (14th, 16:43.47), Riley Franklin (16th, 16:44.90), Sam Wilson (38th, 17:19.45) and Nicolas Giandrea (42nd, 17:24.50). 

The Yachtsmen’s top finisher was John Auer (third, 16:05.32). Also scoring were Benjamin Potter (12th, 16:38.37), Faran Igani (27th, 17:03.10), Douglas Cooke (44th, 17:29.04) and Kade Kelley (51st, 17:39.58).

Class B

Yarmouth’s girls came very close to a repeat championship, posting 90 points to finish three shy of first-place Ellsworth. The Clippers were led by top-10 finishers Maddie Marston (seventh, 20:34.38) and Abi Thornton (eighth, 20:40.46). Also scoring were Sadie Cowles (11th, 20:46.22), Isabel Brennan (26th, 21:14.79) and Natalie Teare (38th, 21:52.01).

Freeport (148 points) came in seventh. The Falcons featured individual runner-up Lily Horne (19:19.66). Also scoring were Allison Brown (23rd, 21:06.24), Elsa Blease (33rd, 21:29.96), Jane Dawson (34th, 21:36.83) and Emma Abbott (56th, 22:24.90).

York won the Class B boys’ crown with 84 points, Freeport (126) placed fifth and Yarmouth (161) finished eighth.

The Falcons were led by individual runner-up Martin Horne, who finished behind Fryeburg Academy’s Alfie Walker, but was first for scoring purposes in 16:19.92. Also scoring were Alex Les (ninth, 17:12.42), Paul Biberstein (33rd, 18:00.09), Heath Cockburn (36th, 18:06.20) and Nick Mitch (47th, 18:22.00). 

The Clippers’ top runner was Ben Cox-Faxon (seventh, 16:59.92). Also scoring were Odeh Rizkallah (14th, 17:17.17), Anders Corey (35th, 18:05.94), Grady Welsh (46th, 18:21.01) and Dan Lamourie (59th, 18:45.03).

One race left

The New England championships will end the cross country season Saturday, Nov. 10 in Manchester, New Hampshire. 

The championship teams from each class and the top 25 finishers from the combined Class A, B and C field are eligible to take part.

That group will include the MCW boys’ team, as well as Falmouth’s Auer, Matson, Piers and Potter, Freeport’s Lily Horne and Martin Horne, Greely’s Franklin, Marsanskis, Provencher, Carolyn Todd and Matthew Todd and MCW’s Reynolds

Press Herald staff writer Glenn Jordan contributed to this story.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.