In his 26 seasons as the University of Maine’s head track and field coach, Jim Ballinger has never had the chance to savor a conference championship.

Could this be the year?

It’s as good a year as any to do it, according to the 34-year member of the UMaine coaching staff and UM alumnus.

“It’s going to be a pretty exciting year. We’re looking to make some noise in the conference,” Ballinger said. “I see us as a potential top-three team on both the men’s and women’s side, and we should be even stronger in the spring season.”

Ballinger’s optimism comes from a third-place finish by the Maine women in last season’s America East Conference spring track championship meet and the fact the team suffered few significant losses to graduation.

The men’s team is also in good shape despite the loss of three high-scoring individuals.

This year’s incoming recruiting class is not only solid for both teams, it has a distinctively Maine flavor with plenty of home-grown talent.

“I’m real excited. Both teams look pretty strong. It seems like the nucleus of both teams is largely from the state of Maine and it’s exciting to have a real home-grown team,” he said.

The women’s team has solid leadership and infectious confidence with senior co-captain Jen Puiia of Brewer and junior co-captain Katie Page of Newport.

“There’s something about this season,” said Page. “It’s a little early to tell, but there’s something about the enthusiasm and optimism that’s on this team.”

Page, a chemical engineering major who specializes in shot put and the spring events, says it starts with the presence of senior standout Viktoriya Rybalko.

“She carries our team,” Page said. “And everybody’s really motivated and excited with a great group of recruits arriving.”

Rybalko won the long jump and was second in the triple jump at the New England Championship meet and took a third in the long jump at the ECAC championships last May. She is a fixture for the Black Bears in the long and triple jumps and the 55- and 200-meter dashes.

Rybalko joins other key veterans such as Puiia (400 and 1600 relay); Poland Spring’s Meg Muller, a 400-meter sprinter who is coming back from a ruptured Achilles tendon and is near 100 percent; distance runner Suzanne Hussey of Alfred; sophomore sprinter-jumper Silvia Scaldaferri of Vancouver, British Columbia; junior thrower Staci Short of South Berwick, and senior thrower Julie Williams of East Falmouth, Mass., to form a solid nucleus of experienced point producers for the Bears.

Then there’s that contingent of freshman talent Page referred to: Winslow sprinter-jumper standout Katie Souviney, Thunder Bay, Ontario’s Kristen Vidlak (middle distance), distance specialist Amanda Virgets of Annapolis, Md., Stephanie McCusker (triple, long jumps), and pole vaulter Shira Panelli of Salinas, Calif. Throw in Claire Poliquin, a talented member of the women’s volleyball team who joined up to do the high jump, and it’s easier to see why Ballinger is optimistic.

The men’s team returns solid talent as well with senior tri-captains Derek Semple (sprints/middle distance) of Baldwin, Ryan Harkleroad (middle distance/distance) of Lyndeborough, N.H., and Ken Bettis (middle distance) of Brunswick. Harkleroad will rejoin the team later this month after completing an internship in New Zealand.

Ballinger figures to get valuable points from senior Edward Caron (mile) from Topsham, junior Mike Lansing (distance) of Lovell, South China distance standout Nolan Tobey, junior throwers Andre Dubois of Lewiston and Anthony Morgan of Kittery, junior Joel Evans (sprints) of Fullerton, Calif., and sophomore hurdler Nate Holmes of Waterboro.

“As I look at our team, I don’t see a lot of holes that haven’t been filled,” said Ballinger, who sees the America East title battle being fought between Maine, Boston University, UNH, Albany, and Northeastern.

A key freshman recruit is South Portland’s Jesse Ludwig, a state champion who specializes in the jumps and hurdles.

“The best thing is the kids are all working really hard and we’ve all been pretty healthy, which is a change because we seem to usually be pretty beat up this early in the season,” said Semple.

The hardest part, at least early on, is not having any meets until early December for either team. It’s something that will affect the freshmen more than the veterans, who know to use the regular season as a vehicle to prepare for postseason meets.