Pair of Pony alumns run at state collegiate track championship

    GORHAM — Foxcroft Academy graduates Emily Panciera and Chelsea Oldfield both were among the University of Southern Maine competitors at the Maine Indoor Track Championship Feb. 7 at USM.

Panciera   

    Panciera, a resident of Monson and 2011 Foxcroft graduate, came in second in the 1,000 with a career-best time of 3:07.01. She also anchored the fourth-place 4×400 relay team, which ran a time of 4:26.81.
    Oldfield, a Dover-Foxcroft resident and 2012 Foxcroft graduate, anchored USM’s second-place 4×800 relay squad. She and three teammates combined for a time of 9:56.67. Individually, Oldfield was 17th in the mile at 5:56.81.
    USM scored 111 points to finish fourth out of sixth teams. Bates College was first with 205.5 points and second was Bowdoin with 195.5.
    On Feb. 15 at home, the two helped USM win the New Alliance and Little East Conference championships for the 14th year in a row.
    Panciera was the individual winner in the mile, running a career-best time of 5:21.08. She also ran the second leg of the winning 4×800 relay, which had a time of 9:51.29.
    With another new career mark of 2:21.43, Panciera finished second in the 800. Her day included being the second runner on the Husky 4×400 relay, which was ninth at 4:21.58.
    Oldfield placed fourth in the 1,000, with a time of 3:10.70.
    In the New England Alliance standings, USM tallied 184 points or nearly double that of runner-up Bridgewater (Mass.) State’s 99 to finish first out of 10 teams. In the Little East standings the Huskies’ score of 208.50 points was double that of second-place Keene (N.H.) State with 104 points.