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CAPE ELIZABETH — Cross country races and track and field meets don’t always have the most picturesque backdrops.
At the TD Beach to Beacon High School Mile, however, the finish line is positioned with a view of Portland Head Light.
“It’s beautiful,” said Georgia Moon. “I mean, it’s awesome. I live not close enough to justify driving all the way here for a regular run, so I don’t get over here much.”
Moon, a rising senior at Falmouth High, won the girls race Friday evening at Fort Williams Park on Friday. Her time of 5 minutes, 27.3 was 11 seconds faster than runner-up Karen Higgins of Lincoln Academy (5:38.3). Ella Oshetski of Freeport (5:43.1) finished third.
A Varsity Maine All-State selection in track and field, indoor track and cross country, Moon raced the Beach to Beacon mile for the first time.
“Just the way scheduling and everything, I’ve never done it before,” Moon said. “And I usually don’t really do any hard training during the summer, I kind of just do all my miles.”
Moon was a Class A champion at 3,200 meters this past spring and was a member of Falmouth’s winning 1,600 relay team. She also had a top-five finish in the 1,600 at the New England championships.
In the boys race, Scarborough’s Atticus Merriam found his way to the top of the podium with a time of 4:49.2. Ian Guzman of Freeport (4:54.9) and James Vaillancourt of North Yarmouth Academy (4:55.2) placed second and third.
“I had a great last season in outdoor (track), and today I decided I’d just stick with the field, and then if I was feeling good, I’d just try and smoke ’em,” Merriam said.
A rising senior like Moon, Merriam earned Varsity Maine All-State honors based on his performances at the Class A state meet and New England championships. He won the Class A title in the 1,600 and was second in the 3,200, then notched a seventh-place finish in the 1,600 at New Englands.
“(My performance) really excites me to see what I can do this season and for the rest of the year,” Merriam said.
Official practices for cross country begin on Aug. 17.
Merriam also plans to run the 10K race on Saturday morning.
“That’s fun,” Merriam said. “(Saturday’s) all fun for me.”