Exeter girls wins fifth straight Seacoast Championship; Poulin shares track event MVP
EXETER – Rachel Poulin has been battling an injury for most of the season with the Exeter High School girls track team.
You would never know that by looking at what the junior did at Friday’s Seacoast Championships at Exeter High School.
Poulin won both the javelin (115 feet) and the 100-meter hurdles (16.61 seconds), and was second in the long jump (14-9.25), leading the Blue Hawks to their fifth straight Seacoast Championship title with 126 points.
Coe-Brown was second in the 13-team meet with 96 points. Dover (68), Oyster River (68), Portsmouth (57), Winnacunnet (39), Spaulding (24), Somersworth (22), Portsmouth Christian (20) and Sanborn Regional (18) rounded out the top 10, respectively.
Poulin and Coe-Brown senior Madeleine Grenier both scored 18 points, and shared the meet’s field event MVP. Dover sophomore Demaiyah Woodard was named track event MVP. Woodard won the 200 (27.5).
“(Poulin) was able to really put things together (Friday),” Exeter head coach Laura Smith said. “She’s competitive and typically competes well at big meets, she thrives in that atmosphere.”
It was Exeter’s 10th overall win at the meet, which started in 2007. Exeter also won in 2007, 2009 through 2012, and since 2017. There was no meet in 2020 and 2021.
Exeter won both the 4x400 (4:12.14) and 4x800 (10:35.93) relays. The 4x800 relay team consisted of Ainsley Grant, Danica Caron, Amber Orleans and Lily Maher; while the 4x400 was comprised of Taylor Seaman, Emma Smith, Clara Knab and Meadow Gregory.
And Exeter senior Runa Kersten-Guiler won the shot put (29-9)
Other top-three performers from Exeter included Knab (400, second, 1:01.33), Rayna Thompson (200, second, 28.0), Carly Castaldy (javelin, second, 103-0), Gregory (1,600, third, 5:46.43), Smith (triple jump, third, 32-3.5), and Martelle McBride (200, third, 28.27).
Oyster River’s Kavanagh, Somerworth’s McKay shine
Oyster River sophomore Haley Kavanagh won the 1,600 (5:13.94) and placed third in the 800 (2:19.92).
Somersworth’s Sya McKay was second in both the high jump (4-11) and triple jump (32-10.75).
Other first-place winners
Oyster River’s Mackenzie Cook (3,200, 11:20.58), Spaulding’s Hannah Drew (high jump, 5-0) and Portsmouth Christian’s Brianna Malone (800, 2:15.29) and Sierra Lignes (300, 52.91) won their respective events.
Oyster River’s Sophie Durant and Mia Higginbotham and Dover’s Grace Nkounkou all tied for first in the pole vault (8-1).
Other top-three individual results
Dover’s Anique Poulin (800, 2:18.06), Winnacunnet’s Marisa Reuss (3,200, 12:17.26), Portsmouth’s Mariam Nada (100 hurdles, 17.13), Portsmouth’s Ella Carter (300, 53.27), Oyster River’s Avery Baumgardt (long jump, 15-5.5) all placed second in their respective events.
And Oyster River’s Erin Carty (400, 1:01.82), Dover’s Madeline Bachrach (3,200, 12:54.87), Winnacunnet’s Hayden Adams (100 hurdles, 17.39), Somersworth’s Savanna Comeau (high jump, 4-9) and Spaulding’s Natalie Young (long jump, 14-8) all placed third.
Coe-Brown wins boys title
Coe-Brown won the 12-team boys meet with 128 points, while Portsmouth was second with 78 points.
It was Coe-Brown's first team Seacoast Championship.
Winnacunnet (75), Exeter (69), Oyster River (64), Spaulding (39), Sanborn Regional (38), Portsmouth Christian (20), Somersworth (17) and Dover (13) placed third through 10th, respectively.
Junior breaks long-standing school record
Winnacunnet junior Wyatt Patterson won the pole vault with a leap of 13 feet, 10 inches, breaking a 41-year school record.
Winnacunnet teammate Oliver Duffy was second in the long jump (19-5.75), and third in both the 300 hurdles (43.74) and high jump (5-9).
PCA junior wins two events; other dual event placements
Portsmouth Christian Academy junior Tim Kelm won both the 100 (11.40) and 200 (23.39).
Winnacunnet’s Ryan Jamison won the 300 hurdles (42.22) and was second in the 110 hurdles (16.66).
Oyster River’s Talon Ouellette was third in both the 100 (11.53) and 200 (23.41).
Other first-place individual winners
Exeter’s Spencer Mann (3,200, 10:14.35), Winnacunnet’s Erik Marelli (110 hurdles, 16.52), Oyster River’s Daniel Doherty IV (high jump, 6-1), Spaulding’s Chris Santana (long jump, 19-10.5) and Ethan Sawyer (shot put, 45-6.5), Somersworth’s Tayshawn Shepard (triple jump, 40-5), and Portsmouth’s Jason Yeaton (javelin, 164-11) all won their respective events.
Other top-three individual results
Oyster River’s Ty Dorow (100, 11.42), Chris Jernigan (1,600, 4:25.87), and Cameron Faulkner (high jump, 5-11), Portsmouth’s Jake Lovern (300 hurdles, 43.3), Princeton Daniel (triple jump, 39-5) and Evan Venn (javelin, 143-3) all placed second in their respective events.
And Exeter’s Colin Grant (400, 53.5) and Michael Dettore (triple jump, 39-2.5), Portsmouth’s Jake Haley (800, 2:00.41) and Tyler Wilson (pole vault, 11-1), Oyster River’s Micah Bessette (110 hurdles, 16.89), Dover’s Brady McInness (long jump, 19-3.25), Spaulding’s Jackson Rup (shot put, 42-1) and Winnacunnet’s Alex Frost (javelin, 136-11) were all third.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter girls track wins fifth straight Seacoast Championship title
