Bears set for AE title meet

Through much of their split-semester season, winning meets has been a secondary focus for the University of Maine track and field teams.

Instead, the top Black Bears have competed in meets across the region with an eye on running fast enough to qualify for postseason meets. Last week, for instance, several of the Bears’ top performers headed to the St. Valentine’s Invitational at Boston University to face some of the region’s best, while other UMaine athletes participated in a less-competitive meet run concurrently at New Hampshire.

On Saturday, the Bears will change their focus to the team as they head to Boston for the America East men’s and women’s championships.

“Definitely everyone’s going into this looking to score points for the team,” said junior distance man Joey Luchini of Ellsworth.

That means that athletes may be a bit busier than normal, coach Jim Ballinger said.

“You’ll see some of these people run two or three events that won’t do it in a regular meet,” Ballinger said. “We’re giving it all we’ve got.”

The meet is set for the Boston Armory on the Boston University campus. Events begin at 9 a.m. Last year’s men’s team champion was Northeastern, while BU won their second straight women’s meet. Northeastern produced both of the meet’s outstanding performers in 2000 – David Klemic and Kikiya Reid.

Ballinger said he expects the Black Bears to be among five teams with a shot at the men’s title, while the UMaine women are one of three teams in a pack behind front-runners Vermont and Northeastern.

“The men’s meet is going to be real close,” Ballinger said, pointing at Delaware, Northeastern, New Hampshire and BU as the other contenders.

“I feel that there’s any one of five of us that on any given day could win it,” Ballinger said.

Ballinger expects his women’s team to vie with New Hampshire, and BU for third place.

In addition to Luchini, the Black Bears will be led by distance men Ben Ray and Gabe Rivard, jumper Justin Drew, sprinter-jumper Phil McGeoghan, and high jumper Derek Davis and sprinter-jumper Dave Cusano.

The UMaine women are led by school-record-holding long jumper Viktoriya Rybalko, middle-distance specialist Vanessa McGowan, throwers Angela Pulcifer and Julie Williams, hurdler Meg Muller, miler Rachel Borchers and high jumper Claire Poliquin.