Three area natives, including one with national championship meet experience and another who is one of the most decorated runners in state schoolboy history, are leading the charge for the University of Maine at Farmington cross country program as it makes the transition to NCAA Division III competition.

Nick Scott of Monmouth, Ben Fletcher of Auburn and Lewiston’s Joe Fitzsimmons give UMF a local flavor in its sixth season of varsity competition.

Scott has been a co-captain for half that history. The junior, who was an NAIA National qualifier last fall, is off to a flying start. He finished fourth in a recent race at St. Michael’s (Vt.), posting a time of 28 minutes, 32 seconds to lead the Beavers to a second-place finish.

UMF also ran second Saturday at the University of New England Invitational, this time among 10 schools competing at Rotary Park in Biddeford. Again, Scott was the pacesetter, as he and teammate Drew Croteau clocked identical runs of 29:35 at the front of the pack.

Fitzsimmons (16th, 31:17) and Fletcher (32:03, 22nd) also snagged high finishes as UMF finished 15 points behind victorious Gordon College.

Fletcher, a state champion at Edward Little and record-holder in the boys’ mile at the Maine Distance Festival, began his post-secondary career with the legendary University of Oregon program.

UMF, which captured the 2000 and 2001 Maine Athletic Conference title and was second in the Sunrise Conference last fall, is now a member of the North Atlantic Conference.

Strike four?

Also at Farmington, senior striker Adam Zukowski of Gray returns for his fourth year with the Beavers. Zukowski is the leading returning scorer from last year’s team.

UMF downed UMPI 3-2 in overtime in its season-opener last week. Jeff Beck of Salt Lake City had a foot in all three goals, scoring two and assisting the game-winner.

One of Zukowski’s former teammates at Gray-New Gloucester High School, 6-foot-6 goaltender Josh Cole, is a senior on the squad at Assumption College in Worcester, Mass.

His defense never rests

Think Winthrop High School football in recent years and offensive stars Lee St. Hilaire, Matt Whitehouse, Ian Mortimer, Derek Gray and others spring to mind.

Many forget that the starting defense of the Ramblers’ Class C championship team in 2000 allowed only two touchdowns all season. One irresistible force at the center of that group was Walter Polky of Kents Hill, who has made an immediate impact at the NCAA Division II level.

Polky, a sophomore defensive end for Southern Connecticut State University, was named the Northeast-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in a 33-27 triple-overtime win over Merrimack. The Owls had an easier team advancing to 2-0 last Friday night with a 49-7 rout of Pace.

SCSU’s name may not be synonymous with big-time football, but two of its recent alumni are in the National Football League. Offensive lineman Joe Andruzzi of the New England Patriots played his college ball for the Owls, as did Jacques Cesaire, a rookie defensive lineman with the San Diego Chargers.

Bear tracks

The University of Maine field hockey team is off to a 4-1 start after a win Sunday, and Winthrop graduate Emily Dooling leads the offense.

Dooling, a junior forward/midfielder, has three goals and two assists for a team-high eight points.

Also on the roster are senior Jana Ouellette of Jay, who has one assist, and freshman Kristen Healy, formerly a multi-sport standout at Leavitt Area High School in Turner.

Another local first-year collegian, McKayla Bell of Waterford, has contributed to the Black Bears’ 4-0 start in women’s soccer.

Faces in new places

The Sun Journal seeks information on all former local high school athletes now competing in college or at the professional level for this weekly notebook. Schools or family members are invited to e-mail all pertinent information to [email protected].