Last year, the Messalonskee boys track and field team won the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championship and then finished fourth at the Class A state meet. And, yet, that could have just been the beginning for the Eagles.
The track program continued to roll with another conference title in the indoor season over the winter and return several of its top performers from a season ago.
“We’ve got really good numbers going into this year and our strong boy competitors are all returning,” Messalonskee coach Matt Holman said. “We’ve also got the added bonus of having Owen Concaugh back.”
Concaugh, who suffered an injury during the soccer season, missed all of the winter indoor season. Concaugh was the Class A 800-meter champion last spring, and Zach Hoyle isn’t far behind him.
Tanner Burton (Class A indoor track state champ in 55-meters), Cam Bickford (the Don Matheson Award winner for the top thrower at the KVAC outdoor meet last spring), Dylan Labun (sprints, hurdles) and Nate Violette (middle distance) give the Eagles plenty of production as well.
Cony coach Jon Millett has a young team of 41 boys that could make a little noise in KVAC A. Juniors Dustin Dyer (long jump), Nick Bolduc (pole vault), Eli Dutil (high jump) and Aaron Emerson (middle distance) all scored at the conference meet. Millett is excited to add a couple of sprinters in sophomore Hussein Albraihi and junior Ali al Ali.
“We should have a pretty good 4×100,” he said. “I think it’s going to be special.”
For Mt. Blue, Isaiah Reid enjoyed a season to build off in both the 800 and 1,600 events, with solid showings in the KVAC meet last year. Coach Kelley Cullenberg says the Cougars will try and continue to build a team with a goal of scoring points in championship meets.
“We have some additional athletes that will help to expand our depth,” Cullenberg said. “They would like to become a team that can score points in all of the different venues of track and field.”
CLASS B
Waterville finished third in the Class B state meet, and returns a host of capable throwers, led by Zach Smith (the KVAC B javelin champ) and Rasheed Parker, who finished second in the shot put during the indoor season. The Purple Panthers also have talented sprinters in the fold, but need to find some contributions in the distance events to contend again.
“At distance, we’re very much untested,” first-year coach Ted Brown said of the Panthers.
Winslow, too, should be very strong in the sprints, jumps and middle distance events. Junior Jake Warn was the triple jump state champion as a sophomore.
Gardiner returns senior R.J. Sullivan, who set state records in the wheelchair 100 and shot put, along with seniors Hunter Russell (400), Eli Kropp (throws) and junior Collin Foye (high jump).
Erskine should improve on its seventh-place KVAC finish based on a strong returning group led by senior Joey Gay (distance), sophomore triple and high jumper Chris Weymouth and a number of other proven scorers. Junior Jakob Peavey joins the team and is expected to make an immediate impact in the throwing events.
Lawrence appears poised to take a giant step forward.
Senior Cooper Mason claimed conference titles in both the 100 and the 400 last spring, and he placed in the 400 at the state indoor meet this winter. Junior Brandon Marx just missed placing in the 800 at the states last spring.
CLASS C
Hall-Dale figures to improve on its fourth-place finish in the conference meet last season based on its number of returning scorers: Senior Jon Whitcomb set a school record in the high jump and went on to win that event at the state meet, while senior John Longfellow is a threat in all three throwing events.
“I think our boys team has the potential to be really strong,” coach Jarod Richmond said. “We’re pretty athletic.”
Monmouth has a team of 20 boys who are spread out over most of the events. Juniors Zach Wallace (throws), Dylan Goff (middle distance) and Ethan Thombs (high jump, distance) are anticipated scorers.
Maranacook will be strong in the distance and middle distance events, led by Ruslan Reiter and Ian Halberstadt. The pole vault, sprints and jumps should also be a team strength.
With a team of 25, Winthrop should score well in regular season meets Seniors Andrew Pazdziorko (jumps, sprints) and Nate Scott (sprints, relays) will be counted upon to score points.
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