The Cony track and field teams turned in some strong performances — some expected, others not so much — at its annual Under the Lights meet last Friday.

Senior Luke Dang won the 200-meter sprint and 400 run and was second in the 100 after he stumbled a bit out of the blocks. Dang ran the 200 in 22.91 seconds and the 400 in 51.85. Despite the stumble in the 100, he still ran his fastest time in the 100 this season — 11.29.

Chris Paradis won the pole vault when he cleared a personal best 12 feet.

“We had a ton of good performances,” Cony coach Jon Millett said. “The performances speak for themselves.”

The Cony girls received pleasant surprises from a pair of freshmen, Lindsay Watts and Alison LaPlante.

LaPlante was third in the pole vault (7-6) and fifth in the high jump (4-6). She also ran on two victorious relay teams, the 4×100 and 4×400.

Watts also ran on the 4×400 relay team, which finished in 4:29.47. She finished second in the 400 (1:09.37) and fourth in the 200 (30.19).

“That was just awesome to see,” Millett said. “Those were some pretty big performances from freshmen.”

• • •

Tyler Fitzgerald is finally healthy — or healthier, anyway.

The Hall-Dale senior and top sprinter missed about three weeks with a left leg injury he suffered in advance of the second meet of the season in Wiscasset.

“It sucked,” Fitzgerald said. “I thought I was done for the season. I couldn’t even bend my leg. I had to have my dad carry me to my car. I was pretty bummed out.”

A day before the meet, Fitzgerald was walking the track at Hall-Dale when “he felt something” near his Iliotibial (IT) band. He hoped the injury was minor and at first thought it wouldn’t prevent him from competing.

No such luck.

Fitzgerald shut it down for a several weeks before returning Friday for Cony’s Under the Lights meet. He made his return a triumphant one, winning the 100 in 11.16 seconds and the long jump (19-9).

“It felt good to be back out there,” he said.

• • •

There aren’t a lot of athletes who embrace running the 300 hurdles, one of the more grueling events at a track meet.

Cony senior Erin Bolduc isn’t one of them.

“I like the 300 hurdles,” she said. “I know a lot people don’t, but I do.”

The reasoning?

“I feel so accomplished when I’m done,” Bolduc added. “It’s a hard race but when you finish, it feels rewarding.”

Bolduc won the 300 hurdles at the Cony meet Friday in 48.57. She also won the 100 hurdles in 16.22.

• • •

Erskine senior Bridget Humphrey won the discus with a throw of 103-2, but it was her high jump that had her smiling Friday at Cony.

Humphrey cleared 5 feet for the first time this season. Her previous best was 4-10.

“That was nice,” she said. “I was looking to do that.”

Humphrey’s best events come in the throws, but she’s competed in the high jump at a few meets since the end of last season.

“It was good to get a (personal record),” she said. “We’ll see what happens at KVACs.”

• • •

The Messalonskee girls are gunning for a top-three finish this weekend at the KVAC A meet. The Eagles will come to Bath with an abundance of point-producers, including Knight, Samantha Alanis, Emily Deering and Taylor Lenentine.

Lenentine broke her own school record in the pole vault by clearing 10 feet to win the event. The sophomore also set a meet record.

“She just gets better and better all the time,” Wilson said. “She’s getting used to the higher level. She got up to 10-6 and was pretty close. The pole vault is right in front of the crowd, too, so that was kind of nice.”

The Messalonskee boys 4×800 relay team also set a Community Cup record. Logan Moses, Emmitt Heath, Kyle Holmsen and Travis Stacey combined to finish in 8:39.94.

“They really stepped it up.”

Bill Stewart — 621-5640

bstewart@centralmaine.com