Brunswick, ME – The CMCC Men's and Women's Cross Country teams got their first official action of the season on Saturday, competing against the best-of-the-best across the state in the 2025 Maine State Championships. The meet, which brought together teams from Bowdoin, Bates, Colby, USM, UNE, Husson, Thomas, Maine Maritime, Saint Joseph's, UMaine, UMaine-Farmington, UMaine-Presque Isle, UMaine-Augusta, York County, Washington County, and Kennebec Valley, was a tough field for Central Maine to battle against. Both teams showed a lot of determination in their races.
In the women's 6K, sophomore Eva Fleurent led the Mustangs with a strong finish in 68th place out of 129 runners with a time of 25:55.28. Teammate Abby Therriault crossed the line in 37:40.65 to take 115th overall. With only two competitors on the women's side, CMCC was unable to score as a full team but gained valuable championship experience against a deep field.
On the men's side, CMCC finished in 13th, placing ahead of four teams that did not have enough runners to score. Owen Heseltine paced the Mustangs, finishing 109th overall in 32:25.52. He was followed by Zachary Peirce (119th, 34:52.41), Robert Spears (129th, 37:49.86), Hugo Lopes (141st, 45:54.14), and Henry Avery (143rd, 51:22.21).
Head Coach Kevin Mitchell praised both of his squads for their effort on a challenging course.
"The Maine State Meet always brings together some of the fastest programs in New England, and this year we had the opportunity to line up against NCAA Division I and III schools," said Mitchell. "Competing in that environment is no small task, and our athletes rose to the occasion. I am incredibly proud of how CMCC stepped to the line and held their own against such a competitive field."
The Mustangs have next week off before returning to action on Saturday, October 4th, at the NAC Preview hosted by Husson University in Bangor.
