The Cony High School boys track team enjoyed a surge in numbers that coaches hope translates into a strong showing this season.

The Rams certainly made an impact at their season-opening meet last Thursday at Alumni Field.

“We couldn’t have been happier with the way the kids performed in the first week of the season,” Cony co-coach Jon Millett said. “The returning veterans were way ahead of the game. We got at least 10 kids qualified for the KVACs. I expected a lot of good things, but we did better than imagined.”

Cony has fielded a strong core of sprinters but struggled to cover a lot of events in recent seasons.

Millett said things are changing this year.

“We’re a lot deeper,” he said. “Our team is different this year. We seem to be more balanced. In the past, we had a lot of good sprinters and just a couple good throwers and a couple good jumpers. We didn’t have the depth, but we do now.”

Julian Hubbard won the triple jump and long jump in the five-team meet, which included Mt. Blue, Winslow, Maranacook and Gardiner.

Hubbard won the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 9.5 inches. He went 40-6 in the triple jump. Hubbard also finished second in the high jump.

Mike Clark won the discus (120-3) and Chris Murphy won the javelin (139-0) to help Cony pick up points in the field events.

Coupled with Connor Dufour and Luke Dang — who each won a pair of track events — and the Rams certainly had reason to be optimistic. Dang won the 100 and 200 while Dufour won the 400 and 800.

“We’re way ahead of the game,” Millett said.

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Winthrop enjoyed a strong showing Tuesday at the annual Tom Foley Invitational in Falmouth.

Junior Zach Nadeau won the shot put and senior Kameron Souza won the 800 in a meet that featured an abundance of Class A and B powers, including Edward Little, South Portland, Massabesic, Greely, York and Falmouth.

Souza won the 800 in 2:02.84 while Nadeau threw the shot 45-5.5

“It was impressive for those guys,” Winthrop coach Ed Van Tassel said. “We love to go to this meet because it shows the underclassmen what kind of competition is out there, and for the older guys it gives them a chance to go against some great competition.

“It’s great to see what else is out there. When we come back to the (Mountain Valley Conference) schedule, those meets seem a lot less scary. We’ve seen the best of the best.”

Elsewhere at the meet, Gardiner senior Olivia Reny won the 100 hurdles (16.96) and finished second in the 300 hurdles (50.44).

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Hall-Dale junior Sam Shepherd came into the season close to breaking a school record in the high jump.

He wasted little time breaking it.

Shepherd cleared 6-2 at a meet last Thursday in Farmingdale.

Shepherd also won the 300 hurdles and was part of the victorious 4×400 relay team.

“He had a huge day,” Hall-Dale coach Jarod Richmond said. “We had strong meets on both sides, especially on the boys.”

Tyler Fitzgerald also turned in a strong performance, winning the 100 and 200.

“It was a strong showing from everybody,” Richmond said. “Tyler ran like an 11.2 in the 100, and he’s right up there making an early season statement.”

The Hall-Dale girls, led by Bri Crisci, finished fourth at the meet, which included Spruce Mountain, Monmouth and Madison. Crisci won the 100 and 200.

“It was another solid performance for Bri,” Richmond said.

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Maranacook coach Ronn Gifford treated the season-opening meet in Augusta as a chance to get his newcomers acclimated what can be a long afternoon of competition.

Hannah Despres and Sarah Clough, both freshmen, made quite a first impression.

Despres finished third in the 3,200 (13:11.89) and fourth in the 1,600 (5:50.54). Her times qualified her for the KVAC B meet. Clough also qualified in the 200 with a time of 28.14, which was good for second place.

“It’s definitely not the norm to have newcomers qualify in their first-ever meet,” Gifford said. “With freshmen, you never know.”

• • •

Messalonskee senior Harlow Ladd said he verbally committed to attend Purdue University in the fall.

“By the end of the week I’ll be signed,” Ladd said.

Ladd said he will receive a 50 percent athletic scholarship to run for the Boilermakers. He will join Madison senior Matt McClintock at the school in the fall as well.

“We are rivals in high school and now we’ll duke it out in college,” Ladd said. “We’ll push each other a lot in college. It’s going to be great.”

Ladd said he fell in love with Purdue on a recent recruiting visit.

“It felt like home,” he said. “It felt right. They have all the ingredients I need to build a successful career.”

Bill Stewart — 621-5640

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