Monmouth Academy emerged the winner of Monday’s Mountain Valley Conference track and field meet hosted by Wiscasset Middle High School.

The predicted wet weather held off just long enough to get through the field events. Then the  rain came, lightly at first but eventually becoming a downpour drenching what was already a soggy infield. Two weeks ago, snow forced the cancellation of the Wiscasset-Boothbay annual alumni meet, rain then washed out last Thursday’s Black Bear Invitational at Maranacook High School.

Monmouth tallied up 98 points in the boys’ meet. The Wolverines finished second with 86.5, followed by Winthrop, 77.5 and Boothbay Region with 60.

Matt Chapman led the Wolverines winning both the high and low hurdle events. In 110 hurdles, Chapman crossed the finish line in 16.86. Quinn Ranta of Boothbay was second, 19.62. Chapman was the only competitor in the 300-meter hurdles. He won in 45.6.

One of the most exciting events was the high jump competition. Boothbay’s Will Perkins cleared a height of 5’8” besting Wiscasset’s Cedrick Loyola who bowed out at 5’6”.

Loyola easily won the long jump leaping 18’5”; his winning jump was two feet further than second place finisher Liam Callahan of Winthrop. Monmouth’s Ed Zuis was third at 14’11”. Loyola also won the triple jump, 40’3” with  Ranta placing second, 35’2” and Callahan third, 32’10”.

Among the biggest surprises was when senior Haiden Dunning won the javelin event for Wiscasset with a hurl of 91’1.” Winthrop’s Shane Tweedie and Justin Ferguson were second and third with throws measuring 85’10” and 83’5” respectively. Dunning who’s also pitching for the Wolverines baseball team placed third in the shot put with a throw measuring 34’4”. Tweedie won the shot put toss with 38’11”. Dunning capped the afternoon with a fifth place finish in the discus, 74’6”.

Wolverine Sprinter Josh Jones placed third in the 400-meter dash in 1:10. Monmouth sprinters Kyle Gunnells and Ben Story finished one, two with times of 1:01 and 1:04. WMHS’s John Hodson came in fourth, 1:11.22.

Jones placed fourth in the 100-meter dash, 13.44. BBR’s Gerald Gagne won in 12.45. Wiscasset’s Nate Gilliam was second in the 800, 2:44; Perkins’ winning time was 2:14. Mason Davenport placed fourth for the Wolverines in the 3,200, 15:27. Joe Crocker’s winning time for Monmouth was 16.86.

The Wolverine relay team of Chance Blagdon, Tristan Pope, John Hodson and Nate Gilliam placed second behind Monmouth.

The Wolverine girls team finished in third place. Monmouth tallied up 137 points, Winthrop 86, WMHS 47, BRHS 19 and Chop Point, with just one girl competing, had 18.

Chop Point’s Josie Harrington who’s training with the Wolverines this season won the high jump and placed second in the 100-meter hurdles. The freshman is the only athlete representing the private school in Woolwich. Harrington cleared 5’ in the high jump besting Winthrop’s Autumn Gerry, 4’10” with WMHS’s Gwenn Webber, third 4’8”.

Harrington recorded a time of 18:01 in the 100-meter hurdles. Monmouth’s Mya Sirois won in 18:01; Webber was fourth in 19.05. Lilly Souza had a good day in the weight events for WMHS. She placed second in the shot put, 26’8” and discus, 67’10.” She was fourth in the javelin throwing 58’.

Wolverine Cara Viele and Webber each picked up second place finishes in the 100 and 200-meter-dash respectively. Winthrop’s Jill Schmelzer won both events and the 800-meter race. Viele’s time in the 100 was 14.7 seconds; Webber finished the 200 in 29.59; she also placed fourth in the 100 recording in 19.05.

Viele placed third in the 400, 1:17 while Lily Cooper took fifth in the 800-meter in 4:15.

In the long jump Viele placed third leaping 13’. Winthrop’s Aaliyah Wilson-Falcone won with a jump of 14’6”.

The most exciting race of the afternoon was the girls’ 4x100 relay race. Monmouth crossed the finish just one second ahead of the Wiscasset team of Webber, Souza, Cooper and Viele, 1:02 to 1:03.

Next Tuesday, April 30 WMHS will host track teams from Richmond, Dirigo and Spruce Mountain. The meet will begin at 3:45.