ORONO – Hampden Academy coach Dave King had some words of advice for his distance ace, Oriana Farley, before she lined up for the two mile run in the Eastern Maine Indoor Track League meet Saturday night at the University of Maine.

“You don’t have to win the 2-mile today,” King said.

Farley is coming off a cross country season in which she won the Class B state championship. But King knew that she might not be in her usual top form.

Farley injured her left hamstring two weeks ago and had to sit out the Broncos’ exhibition meet last week.

Even so, Farley had no intention of curtailing her intensity.

“You’re asking way too much,” she said with a mischievous smile.

Farley then reeled off a 12-minute, 13.02-second effort to win the race, seven seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.

Bangor won the team competition, chalking up 72 points behind senior Emily Capehart, who took firsts in the long jump, triple jump and 400. Brewer was second with 65, followed by Hampden (46) and Mount Desert Island (20).

In another EMITL meet conducted simultaneously, Hermon amassed 71 points to top John Bapst of Bangor (56), Orono (28) and Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln (15). Chantelle Haggerty paced Hermon with victories in the 60-yard dash (7.88) and 200 meters (28.29).

Bangor proved its quality and depth in this early-season test against the Witches and the Broncos. Those three teams are likely to be the top contenders for the league championship in February.

The Rams received a significant boost from Capehart, who is new to the indoor track scene. Although she has starred in outdoor track, she spent her first three winters at Bangor playing for the basketball team.

Capehart, who will participate in track at Brown University next year, said she decided to join the indoor track team in order to better prepare for college competition.

Capehart leaped 16 feet, 71/2 inches in the long jump and 34-81/2 in the triple jump. She held off a determined Leslie Rosa of Brewer to take the 400, 1:03.59 to 1:04.21.

She said she is adjusting to indoor track and that she appreciates the climate-controlled conditions, especially in the jumps.

“Outdoors, the wind is always a factor. It’s nice to have consistent conditions,” Capehart said.

The Rams were aided by Abby Buchanan (first in the high jump and second in the 60-yard hurdles), Lauren Quaglia (first in the 60 and second in the 200) and Lindsey Bigda (second in the high jump, third in the long jump, and fourth in the triple jump).

Bigda said it was satisfying to come out on top against such high-caliber competition.

“It was a big meet for us because we were competing against Brewer and Hampden. … even though everyone is still warming up [for the season] now,” Bigda said.

Brewer was paced by Heather Clark, who won the mile handily (5:20.77) and came back to finish second to Farley in the 2-mile (12:21.06). She also anchored the Witches’ victorious 880 relay.

Clark’s time in the mile tied her personal best.

“The 2-mile was OK, not as fast as I wanted, but I’m pleased with the mile. That made my day,” she said.

Brewer coach Dave Jeffrey said Clark’s performance in the mile was impressive because she ran most of the race by herself. Her closest competitor was 33 seconds back.

The Witches were aided by Leslie Rosa, who was second in the 400, third in the 200 and fifth in the long jump.

Jeffrey said he was encouraged by his team’s performance.

“We know Hampden and Bangor will be the teams we have to measure ourselves against. I love going up against the best. Hopefully, that will make us better,” Jeffrey said.

Farley is easing her way into the season after injuring her hamstring while doing plyometric (jumping and bounding exercises to build strength) drills in an early-season practice.

She competed with her hamstring taped and iced it immediately after she had finished the race.

Farley said she was hoping to run under 12 minutes.

“The first mile felt pretty good but – you know how injuries are – they just kind of attack. I felt sluggish after that. It was hard to pick it up,” she said.

King said he expects Farley to bounce back from her injury and to eventually run in the low 5-minute range for the mile and under 2:10 in the 800 meters – her specialty events.

Farley may miss next week’s meet when she travels to Portland to compete for Hampden’s Mock Trial team in the state championship against Cape Elizabeth.

“The injury might set Oriana back a little, but not very much,” King said. “We’ll start working her hard next week.”

MacKenzie Rawcliffe contributed to the Hampden cause with a victory in the hurdles and second- place finishes in the long jump and triple jump.

Hermon’s Haggerty experienced success in a new event and disappointment in an old event as she paced her team to a victory.

Haggerty had never run the 60 before, but her time (7.88) was well under the state-meet qualifying standard of 8.14.

But she no-heighted in the pole vault, an event in which she holds the EMITL record.

“I’ve just started with a new pole,” Haggerty explained. “But with more practice I’ll get it figured out.”