Tia Tardy of Orono High School rang in the new year Saturday by adding to her impressive list of track records.
The junior provided further evidence she is among the elite athletes in the state by shattering the 800-meter mark in a Penobscot Valley Conference/Eastern Maine Indoor Track League meet at the New Balance Field House at the University of Maine.
Tardy breezed to victory in 2 minutes, 15.00 seconds, eclipsing the previous PVC/EMITL standard of 2:17.31 set by Aleta Looker of Ellsworth on Feb. 2, 2013.
“It was the first time I had run it this season, so I was kind of going to see where I would end up,” Tardy said. “I definitely think I can get down to that time (2:12) by the end of the season.”
Looker, home on semester break from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., was in attendance to watch as Tardy broke her record. The effort was more than 32 seconds faster than runner-up Jenna Gaetjen of Orono (2:47.08).
Tardy was thrilled to see Looker, who autographed the sheet listing the new 800 record.
“I’ve always admired her since freshman year. She’s a great athlete,” Tardy said. “What also strikes me is her sportsmanship and her great attitude toward everyone.”
Tardy also dominated the 2-mile run in 11:26.10, which gave her a second high school facility record on the day and helped Orono take second behind Hampden Academy in the team competition.
Part of Tardy’s preparation for the meet was a New Year’s Day “ice bath.”
After a 5-mile run around Lincoln with her cousin and a friend, she stopped by Mattanawcook Lake, where she often cools down her legs after long summer run. On Friday, it was covered in ice.
“I thought it would be funny if I took a video of myself chopping a hole with a shovel and a crow bar,” Tardy said of the idea.
Once they had cut a hole over less than 2 feet of water, she lowered herself into the frigid water, as shown in a Twitter video filmed by David Nantkes and posted by MaineTrackXC.
“It was really cold, and it was hard to get out,” said Tardy, who spent a couple of minutes in water up to her knees.
A week earlier, Tardy was a runaway winner in the mile with a time of 5:08.64, which is only four seconds off the league record of 5:04.66 set in 2003 by Heather Clark of Brewer.
On Saturday, Tardy will be at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, for the 47th annual Dartmouth Relays. She will run in the seeded heat of the mile.
“There’s going to be some really good competition,” Tardy said. “I’m really excited for it.”
Hampden, Brewer teams post wins
In the PVC/EMITL meet, junior jumper Simone Withers was among the catalysts in the win for the Hampden Academy girls. She took the long jump with a leap of 15 feet, 5¾ inches and won the triple jump in 33-0¾ and picked up a third in the high jump.
Sophomore Christie Woodside won the 55 hurdles in 9.22 seconds and took second in the long and triple jumps, while senior sprinter Brooke Hardy sped to a win in the 200 meters (28.60), placed third in the 55 and competed in the Broncos’ third-place 4×200 relay entry.
HA’s Daija Misler added a second in the shot put (34-4¼).
Senior speedster Lauren Stoops was a repeat individual winner for Orono, claiming the 55 dash (7.57) and the 400 (1:05.01).
In the 2A boys meet, Hampden was a 52-point winner over Orono.
Junior Paul Casavant won the 800 (2:02.75) and the 2-mile (9:53.22), senior Alex Charette took first in the triple jump (38-4¾) and the high jump (5-8) and junior Thomas Darby won the 55 meters (6.94) and the 200 meters (24.98).
Senior Zac Conners (shot put, 37-10¾) and freshman Jack Dunning (long jump, 17-3¼) also won events among a well-rounded Broncos performance that included several other point scorers.
In PVC/EMITL Meet 2B, the Brewer boys easily outdistanced runner-up Old Town behind an outstanding performance from Erick Seekins.
The senior jumped 21-2 to capture the long jump, went 5-6 to claim the high jump and was second to Mount Desert Island’s Ryan Bender (23.47) in the 200 meters. Seekins’ long jump was the top performance in the state so far this season.
Other event winners for Brewer included Caleb Marsh in the 800 (2:17.68), junior Austin Lufkin in the shot put (54-3½), junior Cayd Wortman in the pole vault (11-0) and sophomore Avery Hallahan in the 55 hurdles (9.12).
The Brewer girls also won their meet, beating Old Town by 37 points, led by Moriah Newcomb. The senior won the 55 meters in 7.97 and was second in the 55 hurdles and the long jump.
The Witches received significant scoring from their underclassmen, sparked by freshman Hannah Hopkins’ win in the 55 hurdles (9.38) and second in the 400. Seven sophomores and three freshmen scored points for Brewer, with sophomore Arianna Geiser posting two seconds (mile, 800).
Its other event winners were junior Alyssa Vargo (pole vault, 8-0) and the 4×800 relay squad (11:39.21) made up of senior Lindsey Joliat and sophomores Maria Maxsimic, Hannah Smith and Geiser.