BELFAST — Nerves were not a concern for Cony High School senior Anne Guadalupi as she began the final state championship cross country race of her career.
“I felt pretty relaxed. Going out, I felt more relaxed than I had in the last couple of races. I was thinking to myself, this is really going to be a good race,” Guadalupi said.
Guadalupi surged down the final stretch of the Troy Howard Middle School courses, finishing in fifth place, just a step behind Marshwood’s Natalie DuBois, with a time of 19:23.12.
“It wasn’t my best time, but as the race goes, it was well-run,” Guadalupi said.
The Class A race was the closest of the day, with Falmouth’s Malaika Pasch holding off a late push from Louis Holway of Kennebunk. Pasch won in 18:22.02, under a second ahead of Holway (18:22.50).
Pasch pulled ahead with around a mile to go, but when she was within sight of the finish line, she felt Holway coming. Fifty yards from the finish, Pasch glanced over her left shoulder, to see Holway almost upon her. A sophomore, Pasch picked up the pace to hold on for the win.
“I knew she was going to come fast. I had a feeing it would come to the last 800 (yards) and she’d be really sticking on me. I was trying to surge, keep my pace steady, and hold her off for as long as possible,” Pasch said. “I was planning to go out with the pack and just sticking with them for two miles or so, or until I felt like I could really pull away. I knew she would come in at some point.”
In Class B, Abigail Hamilton of Yarmouth took the win in 18:05.31, nine seconds ahead of second place Tia Tardy of Mt. Desert Island. Orono’s Kassidy Dill was the Class C champion, winning in 19:29.97.
The Greely girls won the Class B team title with 71 points, just ahead of second place Yarmouth (82) and third place York (84). Maranacook placed sixth, led by Molly McGrail and Laura Parent, who placed 18th and 20th, respectively. George Stevens Academy won the Class C crown with 52 points, with Orono second (61) and St. Dominic third (86).
The Bonny Eagle girls won the final race of the day to take the Class A championship, with 77 points. Falmouth was second with 83 points, well ahead of third place Massabesic (143).
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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