Maine news, sports, weather | Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

CROSS COUNTRY: McClintock has sights set on course record

By Gary Hawkins ghawkins@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

Madison’s Matt McClintock is gunning for the course record while Messalonskee’s Harlow Ladd, Waterville’s Bethanie Brown and Maranacook’s Abby Mace are among a handful of central Maine runners in contention for individual titles Saturday at the cross country state championships.

Boys and girls in three classes will compete for team and individual titles at Twin Brook Recreation Area in Cumberland. Mace won a Western Maine Class B title there last week while McClintock won the Class C championship.

“That’s my favorite course in Maine,” McClintock said. “I love the way it flows, the curves and the rolling hills. It’s fun to run.”

McClintock, who is aiming for his third straight Class C title, posted the best time in any class last week at Twin Brook, finishing in 16:00.23. He’d like to knock about 20 seconds off that time.

“I’d like to take a shot at the course record which is mid to low 15:40s,” he said.

Like many of the runners and teams in the race, McClintock is hoping to peak for the New England meet in two weeks in North Scituate, R.I. The top three teams in each class, along with the next best three regardless of class, qualify for the meet.

Individually, the top three boys and girls in each class, along with the next best 22 times qualify for the New England’s.

Mace also calls Twin Brook her favorite course. After losing in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B meet to Brown, she bounced back and won last week in Cumberland. At the same time, Brown won the Eastern B meet.

“There are a lot of great girls in Class B this year,” Mace said. “I  know Bethanie Brown will also give me great competition. There are also two girls from Camden, a girl from Ellsworth and a girl from York.

“I’m just going to concentrate on running my pace and see what the other girls do.”

Ladd, who won Eastern A and KVAC A titles this fall,  has never run the course before but is prepared for challenges from a half dozen runners, including Brunswick’s Benson Worthington and  Scarborough’s Nick Morris.

“I’m going for the win,” he said. “I just need the right plan to get there. It’s not going to be easy.”

  Lawrence’s Erzsebet Nagy handily won the Eastern Maine Class A race last week but will be up against three-time New England champ Abbey Leonardi of Kennebunk on Saturday.

  “I just have to run my race or I’m not going to run well,” she said.

  A number of central Maine teams qualified but will have to have an exceptional day to finish among the top six overall.

  “Because there’s so many good teams out there, it’s just who shows up and has a good day that day,” Mt. Blue girls coach Kelley Cullenberg said.

Gary Hawkins — 621-5638
ghawkins@centralmaine.com