Portsmouth, n.h.
Lozeau admitted the thought had crossed his mind for his star runner, though he didn’t want to mention it out loud. When Kennedy approached him, it solidified, in his mind, Kennedy’s eagerness to push herself to be better, her willingness to take on more than just what was asked. How could he say no?
The result was everything Lozeau could have expected and more, as the Lebanon girls took second place, 7.5 points behind first-place Milford for the D-II state title Saturday afternoon. The Raiders were led by three first-place finishes by Kennedy on the track and three first-place finishes in field events from Kath Merchant, and a second-place finish in the triple jump by Sophia Miller.
“We knew coming in that we had a really, really young team,” Lozeau said. “The real question was what could we get from some of the younger kids. … I think we’re set up really well for next year.”
The Hanover girls took ninth, led by a win from junior pole vaulter Hannah Whittman, who was ranked 15th in D-II heading into Saturday’s meet. She defeated last year’s champion, Pelham’s Skyler Goss, by six inches for the victory.
The Lebanon boys fell to ninth with an off day by Ryan Milliken, who was overtaken by Souhegan’s Sebastian Eaton and Windham’s Jared Hathaway in the boys 100, normally his specialty. Milliken took third, 0.24 behind the victorious Eaton. Nate Herndon placed fourth in the boys 400, Ryan Sullivan took second in the boys long jump and Marcus Roper took second in the boys shot put.
Hanover’s boys placed 16th out of 19 teams. Sam Ives placed fifth in the boys 200, 2.72 seconds behind the leader.
Heat was a factor all morning, as temperatures reached the low 90s on Portsmouth High’s black asphalt track surrounding Tom Daubney Field. For the runners, the scorching heat made conditions more uneasy than normal.
“Running was like running on liquid fire,” Kennedy said. “The black track and the friction. … It was so hot. It was painful.”
Though the heat didn’t seem to affect some, as Milford freshman phenom Viankah Williams broke a D-II record at the girls 200 by 0.31 seconds and was 0.02 seconds away from beating a three-year-old D-II state record in the girls 100. Oyster River senior Meagan Doody also broke a D-II record at the girls 1600 by 7.5 seconds and was 0.37 away from beating a six-year-old state record in the process.
Kennedy won her third straight girls 300 hurdles title at 45.53 seconds, 2.99 seconds longer than the state record she set for the event in 2014, though following up her specialty with a tough win at the girls 400 definitely made things more interesting.
“I think today, I broke down a major barrier,” said Kennedy, who edged Pelham’s Morgan Walsh by 0.2 seconds for the win in the girls 400. “I knew I’d be able to do it, but I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to do it well. I succeeded today.”
Merchant wasn’t nearly as affected by the heat in her field events, earning first-place finishes at the girls javelin throw, shot put and discus. In the javelin, Merchant edged last year’s winner, Coe-Brown’s Christen Gallant, by less than seven feet.
“I expected to be a little bit lower in a couple of things, but coming out of it I feel pretty good,” Merchant said. “I feel pretty good about the competition next year, too.”
For Lozeau, the challenge for his talented girls team is to help each of his athletes develop fully at her own pace. That can create a challenge to fight against a win-now mentality, even if his team is already set up nicely for a run at a D-II state title within the next few years.
“I think, with the history we have of winning all those championships, it’s good because it gives the kids something to look forward to,” he said. “I think all the kids come in knowing they can get there. Like, I know Lauren Anikis was leading the charge of the seniors, saying, ‘We’re going to win a championship, and we’re going to do it this year.’ It was like, ‘You know what? Let’s go for it because even if we don’t make it, we’re going to be close.’
“There’s that general feeling in Leb., like, ‘We can do it.’ ”
Kennedy is competing at the New Balance Nationals outdoor meet in Greensboro, N.C. this summer, with the hope of beginning to attract the interest of colleges. Taking a risk at a D-II championship meet, one she is already familiar with, is just another way to keep herself mentally challenged. Competing on a bigger stage, she said, is a big step forward in her development.
Her success and the success of her teammates also says a lot, she said, about the state of Lebanon track and field.
“(The team) has come pretty far,” Kennedy said. “We have only a few juniors and seniors; we have a lot of young kids. Our girls, since we’ve been able to come in second, it is a good omen for the future.