Female Sophomore Runner of the Year: Grace Iltis (Camden Hills)



Grace Iltis (Camden Hills) Iltis had a tremendous sophomore year that saw her finish first six times on the season. Iltis started with a win at Bangor breaking the 20 minute barrier with a 19:54 clocking. She won the next two times out, first at Belfast (19:39), then at Medomak Valley (19:09). At the Festival of Champions Grace ran to a 4th place effort in a then personal best time of 18:46, in the process she helped her team to the runner-up finish. She continued her winning ways with a victory at the Camden Hills invitational (19:18), then opened the postseason winning the KVAC Class A title (19:56). Iltis was the Northern Maine Regional runner-up behind her teammate Augusta Stockman, she ran 18:48. At the Class A state meet at Twin Brook, Grace finished third overall with a strong 19:17 effort, her finish helped the Windjammers to the team title as well. She closed out her season with a personal best 18:43 at the New England Championship finishing 23rd to earn All-New England honors. Next fall she will be of the top returners in Class A.


The best of the rest

Iris Kitchen (Gorham) Kitchen helped a resurgent Gorham team this fall while running under 20 minutes four times on the season. She got her season off a 4th place effort at the Scot Laliberte Invitational. At the Southern Maine Classic she clocked 19:37.17 to finish fourth in the freshman-sophomore race, helping her team to the overall title. At Thornton Academy two week later Iris ran a personal best 19:37 placing 5th overall. The following week at the Festival of Champions she ran 19:41.36 finishing 27th. Kitchen opened the postseason with a 20:11.95 effort at the Southern Maine Regional to place 9th, and help her team to the win. At the Class A state meet she was 20th (20:36). She closed her season out running 19:44 at New England to place 89th. 



Miranda Dunton (Camden Hills) Dunton ran in just two races her freshman year before getting injured. This fall she showed her talent running under 20 minutes for 5k three different times. She started off running 21:09 at Bangor placing third. Two weeks later at Medomak Valley she broke 20 minutes for the first time as she crossed the finish line in 19:56.89 finishing fourth. Two weeks at the Festival of Champions she ran a personal best 19:41 finishing 25th overall. Dunton would go on to place 6th in the KVAC Class A race, then the next week was fourth at the Northern Maine Class A regional (19:44). Miranda then had a very strong effort at the Class A state meet placing 14th in a time of 20:18. She would close out her season at New Englands running 20:03 finishing 117th.


Molly McGrail (Maranacook) McGrail had a solid sophomore campaign that saw her run a 20:12 best for 5k. She opened her season with a third pace finish at the Scot Laliberte Invitational then added a win on her home course a week later. Molly added a 43rd place finish at the Festival of Champions running her seasonal best 20:12. In the postseason McGrail was strong, placing second in the Class B KVAC race, then adding a runner-up finish at the Class C Southern Maine regional race where she ran 20:51. At the Class C state meet she would improve down to 20:42 good for 6th best overall.


Kahryn Cullenberg (Mt Blue) Cullenberg improved 1:12 from her freshman to sophomore year. She opened her season with a 8th place finish at the Scot Laliberte Invitational. At Leavitt she almost notched a personal best as she placed third running 21:09.50, then she had a breakthrough race at the Festival of Champions lowering her personal best to 19:59.83 to finish 36th. At the KVAC Championship Kahryn finished 9th in the KVAC Class A race, she followed that up with her best race of the season a 7th place effort at the Northern Maine Class A regional, running a new personal best 19:57.71. Cullenberg would close out her season at the Class A state meet finishing 25th overall.