Golden Trojans edge Portland by a single point for historic Class A cross country crown
In an era where razor-thin margins of victory define state championship cross country meets, what unfolded at Cony High School on a Saturday in Augusta might top them all. According to reporting from pressherald.com, the Thornton Academy boys cross country team edged Portland by a single point to secure the Class A state title on Saturday.
The Golden Trojans registered 79 points to the Bulldogs’ 80, capturing the first state championship in program history just a week after finishing as runners-up to Portland in the South regional.
The wait for the final tally proved agonizing for the competitors standing on the grounds in Augusta.
“We were all standing around after the end and trying to calculate it in our heads because we knew it was close, and someone’s mom read out that we won. It’s an incredible, surreal feeling,”
Ryan Bolduc
said Thornton senior Ryan Bolduc, who finished fourth overall with a time of 16 minutes, 36.88 seconds.
How the Championship Unfolded on the Course
Scarborough’s Atticus Merriam claimed the Class A boys individual crown in 16:06.78, pacing a fierce front-running group that included Falmouth’s Mateo Diaz in second at 16:19.79 and Bangor’s Sam Bergmark in third at 16:26.84. Bolduc and Thornton teammate Noah Loveys-Messenger, who took seventh in 16:57.72, anchored the front of the scoring for the Golden Trojans.
Portland countered with a tight, deep pack led by Ambrose Clarke in 11th at 17:18.61, Reid Hughes in 14th at 17:32.01, Emile Olins in 17th at 17:36.47, and Everett Smith in 17:36.51. Yet Thornton secured the decisive edge through Jonathan Perry in 12th at 17:21.54, Mason Thurlow in 30th at 17:55.23, and William Tripp in 31st at 17:55.36.
Thornton coach Josh Wynne pointed to a persistent team identity that shaped the training cycle since the summer months. “All of this started back in mid-June, and they’ve been locked in ever since then for this day,” Wynne noted. “We’ve had this motto all year of working together as a wolf pack, and that’s what they did today: They worked together.”
Title Decisions Across Classes B and C
In the Class A girls race, Portland’s Nora Schmidt took off from the starting line and secured the individual title in 18:00.58. Schmidt held off Falmouth’s Georgia Moon, who finished second in 18:05.05 just a week after edging Schmidt by 1.12 seconds in the South regional. Addison Elliott took third in 18:33.39 to help Hampden Academy claim just its second girls state title, following a previous win in 2003.
In Class C, Dirigo’s William Morris successfully defended his boys crown in 16:18.47. Winthrop’s Alfie Cognata repeated as runner-up in 16:51.20, holding off Waynflete’s Tadhg Lake. Supported by top-10 finishes from Sawyer Wess and Sam St. Germain, the Ramblers captured their second state championship in program history, adding to a title previously won in 2007.
