Maddy Price has continued to fine-tune her track and field skills during her four years at Skowhegan Area High School.
Her talent and hard work have paid off, as on Monday she signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Division I Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.
Price will receive a 50 percent athletic scholarship, while the rest of her education will be covered by academic scholarships.
Price has developed into one of the state’s top sprinters and jumpers. In February, she took home Class A indoor state championships in the 55 meters (7.40 seconds) and the triple jump (35 feet, 6¾ inches).
She was second in the triple jump at the 2015 Class A outdoor state championship meet after claiming her first individual title in the 100 meters (12.84) at the 2014 outdoor state meet.
Price’s top performances include 37-5½ (indoors) and 36-4 (outdoors) in the triple jump, along with times of 7.4 in the 55 meters, 12.77 in the 100 and 27.21 (indoors) and 27.14 (outdoors) in the 200 meters.
She achieved her personal outdoor best in the triple jump in an April 29 meet at Cony High School in Augusta. That is the top effort in the state this spring.
On April 14, Price notched an outdoor PR of 15-4¼ in the long jump on her home track.
Tardy on fast pace
Tia Tardy of Lincoln continues to set the pace among Maine’s girls distance runners this season.
The Orono High School junior boasts a time of 2:13.10 in the 800 meters and has clocked a 1,600 time of 5:05.80. Her time of 11:22.40 in the 3,200 trails only Yarmouth junior Abigail Hamilton, who has an effort of 11:19.65 to her credit.
The powerhouse Orono squad also has all-classes state leaders in 300-meter hurdler Lauren Stoops (48.21) and pole vaulter Allison Pickering (10 feet, 3 inches). The Red Riots also lead the way in the 4×400 (4:12.21) and 4×800 (10:20.33) relays.
Other North athletes atop the Maine rankings include Belfast sprinter Cassidy Hill (12.75 in the 100 meters), along with Camden Hills of Rockport 100-meter hurdler Melissa Kessel (15.71), javelin thrower Morgan Dauk of George Stevens Academy in Blue Hill (119-2), Foxcroft Academy’s Emily Mikous (discus, 121-7) and Hampden Academy’s Daija Misler in the shot put (38-1).
In the boys ranks, Belfast High senior Drew Nealey continues to provide the state’s standard of excellence in two events. He ranks first in the pole vault (14-6) and the high jump (6-2).
Jake Koffman of Orono owns the best discus throw of the spring at 176-10 and teammate Tristan Butterfield is the man to beat in the 800 meters (1:59.35).
Nate Pratt-Holt of Mt. Blue High in Farmington has a state-leading long jump of 21-7½.
Among Penobscot Valley Conference large schools, Hampden Academy’s Paul Casavant continues as the front-runner in the distance events. The senior has recorded times of 2:00.54 (a personal best in the 800), 4:32.22 (1,600) and 9:58.72 (3,200) after winning all three races at EMITL/PVC championships last winter.
MacLean shines for UMaine
Grace MacLean of the University of Maine was among the standout performers over the weekend at the America East Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at Burlington, Vermont.
The junior from Bangor emerged as the champion in the heptathlon, scoring 4,671 points over the two-day, seven-event competition. She outscored senior Paige Vadnais, who scored 4,549 points for eight-time defending champion Albany.
MacLean won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.66 seconds and claimed the high jump (5-6½) and long jump (17-9¾). She took second in the 200 (26.03), third in the javelin (80-4), fourth in the shot put (30-7½) and seventh in the 800 (2:36.95).