BUCKSPORT, Maine – Maine Maritime placed four runners in the top five to win the Mariner Invitational at Bucksport High School. 

Jess Faltings (Northport, N.Y.), Emily Fanning (New Boston, N.H.), Caroline Martin (Scarborough, Maine) and Catherine Bailey (Scarborough, Maine) finished second through fifth place in that order to lead the Mariners to the win. MMA was the only one of the four teams represented with enough runners to post a team score. Thomas College and Central Maine Community College each entered four runners, while Eastern Maine Community College entered one into the 15-runner field.

Faltings finished the three-mile race in 22:26. She finished 1:29 seconds off of the pace of Thomas first-year, Crystal Peatfield (Salem, N.H.), who claimed the individual championship in 20:57. Fanning crossed 11 seconds after Faltings. Martin ran a 25:25 with Bailey nine seconds in tow. Alice Stenquist (Bath, Maine) was the fifth Mariners to cross the line, taking eighth place overall in 26:36. Elin Sonesson (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) finished ninth in 26:36.

Thomas junior, Samantha Felbaum (Saco, Maine), and first-year, Nicole Ryder (Enfield, Maine) crossed second and third for the Terriers, placing seventh and eighth overall. Felbaum finished 26:24. Ryder finished nine seconds later. 

Simplice Iradukund was the only runner not from Maine Maritime or Thomas in the top ten. The CMCC runner placed 10th in 27:31.

Maine Maritime and Thomas return to action next weekend at the North Atlantic Conference championships. Thomas will host the event.