University of Maine senior Jesse Orach continued his blazing start to the cross-country season at the Battle in Beantown invitational on Friday in Boston.
The Gorham native placed a strong 15th out of 124 runners in the meet hosted by Boston College, leading the Black Bear men to a fifth-place finish out of 15 schools.
Coach Mark Lech’s team accumulated 183 points, finishing behind Dartmouth, Providence, Arkansas and Brown.
Orach completed the 8K course in 24 minutes, 55 seconds, averaging just over five minutes per mile.
All seven of UMaine’s runners finished in the top 50, while the difference between Orach and No. 5 man Lucas Bourget was a solid 1:03.
Jacob Johns was the Black Bears’ No. 2 man in 36th place, followed by Levi Frye (41), Simon Powhida (45), Bourget (46), Josh Horne (48) and Aaron Willingham (50).
The UMaine women went on to finish 12th out of 13 teams in the meet, with top runner Kaitlyn Saulter of Hermon recording a 55th-place finish. Providence cruised to the team title.
UMaine returns to action on Friday for its final home meet of the season against border rival New Hampshire at 3 p.m.
High school runners gearing up for festival
One of the largest high school cross-country invitationals in all of New England is only a fortnight away, and teams throughout the state are busily preparing for that midseason gauge.
The Maine Cross Country Festival of Champions, which this year will attract teams from Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Canada, is scheduled for Oct. 1 in Belfast.
Last weekend’s regular-season action included the three KVAC entries from Penobscot County — Bangor, Brewer and Hampden Academy — competing together in a multi-team race at Hampden Academy.
The three boys schools were separated by just one point, with Bangor (47) edging out Brewer and Hampden, both with 48.
Hampden’s Wyatt Lord continued his strong start to the season, covering the 5K course in 16:29.58.
The girls competition was close as well, with Brewer eking out a 35-49 win over Hampden, while Bangor was third.
Hampden’s Simone Withers was the top individual in 21:16.36.
Skowhegan, Winslow and Belfast also competed in the meet.
The final week of action before the Maine Cross Country Festival of Champions will be a busy one for Penobscot Valley Conference teams with three invitationals on the schedule.
The Lynx Invitational at Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln is scheduled for Tuesday, with the Seacoast Invitational at Sumner High in East Sullivan slated for Friday.
The week culminates with the Sectional Invitational meet in Old Town, traditionally run on the final Saturday of September.
