This weekend’s America East track and field championships at the University of Maine in Orono will be a homecoming for Casey Quaglia.

The former Bangor High School running standout will return to his native Maine for the Saturday-Sunday competition at the Beckett Family Track Complex, where he’ll run the 4×800 relay and 1,500 meters for Binghamton University.

“I haven’t been home in like four or five months. To see some old friends [and] the hometown crowd will be nice,” said Quaglia, the only runner on the Bearcats’ roster who isn’t from New York.

Action kicks off Saturday at 10 a.m. with the men’s decathlon, with trials running throughout the day, and continues at 9 a.m. Sunday.

UMaine last hosted the championships in 2003.

Quaglia had a successful indoor campaign for the Bearcats, placing fifth in the America East championships in the 1,500 and running a personal-best time of 4 minutes, 20 seconds in the mile.

However, he has been feeling a bit fatigued this spring and is hoping for the best this weekend.

The favorites in the team competitions, according to UMaine coach Mark Lech, are Albany in the men’s ranks and Boston University on the women’s side.

“They won the indoor championship, too,” he said.

The Black Bears are strongest in the sprints, the 4×400 relay and the hammer throw on the women’s side.

Their 4×400 quartet of Vicki Tolton, Vanessa Letorneau of Fairfield, Lindsay Burlock of Caribou and Allyson Howatt broke the school record in that event at the Penn Relays, clocking a 3:48.65.

Burlock, who owns the indoor school record in the 400, is one of the favorites in that race, along with teammate Tolton.

Letourneau is a mid-distance threat who could provide solid points in the 800, and Howatt will be tough in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.

“We’ll be strong in the sprints, 100, 200, 400, 4x[400] and the hammer on the ladies’ side,” Lech said.

For the men, Matt Holman of Gardiner has been putting up speedy times in the 400 hurdles, and those efforts have earned him the top seed in that event.

His most recent effort was a 55.93 clocking in an April 19 meet at Holy Cross.

Like the women, the Maine men figure to be solid in the mid-distance areas.

“Probably the 400 again, possibly the 800, the [steeplechase] and the javelin, those will be our biggest points scorers,” Lech said.

Brewer’s Brendan Carr has been taking a crack at the steeplechase this spring and finished third in the 3,000-meter event in a meet at New Hampshire last weekend.

“It’s a totally different kind of animal than running flat races … you not only have to go over those barriers but have to water-jump, too,” said Lech. “It’ll take your momentum away easily.”

Other top threats include the versatile Miles Bartlett of Casco, who can run anything from the 800 to the 3,000 steeplechase and beyond, Travis Cook of Raymond in the 400, and distance runners Donny Drake and David Englehutt.

Quaglia, for one, is excited to see old high school rivals such as Carr and Lake Region of Naples’ Bartlett.

“I can’t wait to be back in the state hanging out with old-time rivals,” he said. “[I], Miles and Brendan all raced in the mile indoors. It was awesome.”

Quaglia’s Bearcats expect to battle for second place with New Hampshire, but Albany is clearly the overwhelming favorite, Lech said.

“They just have too many people everywhere. They have somebody that’s going to score pretty high in just about every event,” he said.

rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net

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