Pardon Jim Ballinger for being greedy, but after 27 seasons as the University of Maine’s indoor track and field coach without a conference championship, he feels he’s entitled.

Given Maine’s returning talent on both the men’s and women’s squads, this is a good year to feel greedy.

The women’s team finished third in the America East Conference outdoor title meet last year before winning the program’s first New England title, and the men’s team finished third in the conference and sixth in New England. Both have set their sights higher.

“We had never, ever won New Englands before. We’re hoping to repeat this year. That’s our goal,” said Ballinger. “We also want to win the conference championships; that’s foremost in our minds.”

Two weeks into their preseason, the Black Bears are shaping up as a well-balanced overall team with talent enough to cover every event.

“At this time of the year, we’re not doing any specific training, it’s more conditioning work with strength and power drills,” Balliger said. “I think the teamis in better shape, condition-wise, coming into the season, but we still need to keep thingslight to avoid injuries.

“They’re ready. Right now it’s tough because they want to get right back to it and you have to kind of rein them in a little bit.”

On the women’s team, it won’t be easy to replace the graduation losses of five standouts who placed at New Englands. It will be impossible to replace all-time great long jumper and overall track standout Viktoriya Rybalko, who holds six indoor and five outdoor UMaine records.

“As a team, we might be a little deeper, but we don’t have anyone who’s a surefire point producer and who’s as accomplished as Viktoriya,” Ballinger said. “We have experience plus good leadership to go along with a group of talented new faces.”

The leaders on this team start with tri-captains Katie Page of Palmyra, Staci Short of South Berwick, and Claire Poliquin of North Vancouver, British Columbia.

Page and Short, both seniors, are stalwarts in the weight events while Poliquin is Maine’s top jumper.

Other women expected to provide plenty of meet points are juniors Silvia Scaldaferri (sprints, long jump, relays) and Heather Jovanelli of Brewer (distance); sophomores Katie Souviney of Winslow (sprints and hurdles), Stephanie McCusker of Lisbon (jumps, sprints, relays), and Carly Bunyan (triple jump) of Antigonish, Nova Scotia; and freshmen Hana Pelletier of Oakland (middle distance), Shelby Howe of Harrington (distance), and Erin Hatch of Saco (sprints, hurdles).

“This class has a lot of potential this year,” Ballinger said.

Maine’s overall depth is so good, even a traditionally weak event such as pole vault now is stacked with point-producers. Sophomores Shira Panelli and Anne Wyllie both figure to be strong in the event.

The men’s squad is equally strong, maybe even more so.

“This is one of our stronger teams in recent years. I just think it’s a deep and well-rounded team,” Ballinger said. “The men may be a little deeper in some areas than the women.”

Leadership will come from Old Town’s Scott Godsoe (long and triple jump), Topsham’s Andy Caron (middle distance), Dirigo’s Peter Gilbert (hurdles), and Lovell’s Mike Lansing (distance).

Depth is especially true when it comes to distance, where the Bears have been able to absorb the losses of Kenny Bettis and Ryan Harkelroad. Senior Nolan Tobey of South China, the 2002 Murray Keatinge Invitational champ, and Lansing lead a solid corps of runners, including senior Jeff Caron of Auburn and freshmen Donny Drake and Sean Steinhagen, teammates at Deering High in Portland.

Hurdles is another area of strength with Gilbert; sophomore Nate Holmes of Waterboro, a former state hurdles champ; seniors Joel Evans and David Cusano (javelin and hurdles), and freshman Chris Warren, who could become the team’s best high jumper. Also complementing the lineup is the prodigal return of Waterville’s Troy Irving, who transferred from the University of Rhode Island to become one of Maine’s top hurdlers and pole vaulters.

South Portland’s Jesse Ludwig returns from a leg injury last year and is one of the best long jumpers in the conference.

And weaknesses? Very few, according to Ballinger.

“Right now I don’t foresee an event that I don’t have someone who can put up some points for us,” he said.