Less than a week after finishing third in the America East Conference championship meet, the University of Maine men’s and women’s track and field teams cast their eyes toward New England championship awards hardware.

For the first time in recent history at least, the Maine contingent will be fairly large.

“We had 20 women and 19 men qualify and that’s the largest combined group we’ve ever had,” said assistant track coach Rolland Ranson. “We have so many, we’re finally taking a bus for the first time.”

The University of New Hampshire is hosting the two-day event, which gets under way at 10 a.m. Friday with the start of the heptathlon. The rest of the schedule starts at 1 p.m. Saturday’s action begins at noon.

“At New Englands, we always do very well,” Ranson said. “I think we can finish in the top eight somewhere. That’s a safe goal and we can maybe go from there.”

On the women’s side, jumping-sprinting standout Viktoriya Rybalko leads the Black Bears. Rybalko won both the long jump and triple jump last week took third in the 200-meter dash, and fourth in the 100. Rybalko will only compete in the long jump and 4-by-100 relay as she gears up for NCAA championship events.

Other key women include Palmyra’s Katie Page (shot put, discus, javelin), Silvia Scaldaferri of Vancouver, British Columbia (long jump, 200, 4×100, 4×400), Brewer’s Heather Jovanelli (4×800, 1,500), Alfred’s Suzanne Hussey (5,000), North Vancouver, B.C.’s Claire Poliquin (high jump), and Vassalboro’s Kate Souviney.

The women’s success will be contingent on how they do in the field events – Maine has at least one competitor in each event – and individual distance races.

In the men’s meet, Maine’s success will depend on its strength (middle distance, distance) and how many points the Bears can grab in the jumps and hurdles.

Leading the men are Brunswick’s Kenny Bettis (800, 4×800), Ryan Harkleroad of Lyndeborough, N.H., (800, 4×800), Topsham’s Eddie Caron (1,500, 4×800), South China’s Nolan Tobey (5,000), Lovell’s Mike Lansing (steeplechase or distance runs), Waterboro’s Nate Holmes (hurdles) and Joel Evans (400 hurdles, 4×400 relay) of Fullerton, Calif.

Maine’s top competition figures to come from both the men and women’s teams from Northeastern University, Connecticut and Wheaton College, as well as the Dartmouth, Harvard and Rhode Island teams.