In the space of a week, Steve Monsulick went from a rare off day to running with some rare company.

Monsulick, a senior men’s cross country captain from Kents Hill and graduate of Maranacook Community School, launched his final campaign at Bates College in a fashion he’d rather forget. Halfway through the season-opening Bates Invitational at Twin Brook Recreational Area in Cumberland, Monsulick was stricken with a cramp in his side.

He soldiered on to a time of 27 minutes, 46 seconds, good only for second on the team and ninth in the meet.

Seven days later, Monsulick rebounded with a run at the Tufts Jumbo Invitational that only two previous Bates runners have exceeded.

Monsulick navigated the 8-kilometer course in Grafton, Mass., in 26:11. That was 16 seconds ahead of runner-up Justin Chung of Tufts. Justin Easter, a 2003 graduate from Jay, and last year’s captain Dan Johnson are the only Bates competitors to post a faster time on the challenging Tufts layout.

“Overall, we saw a lot of improvement from last week,” Bates coach Al Fereshetian said in a news release. “It was nice to see Steve back where he should be.”

Expectations are high for Monsulick after a junior campaign in which he won the ECAC Championship and placed 25th in the Open New England meet. Monsulick set a course record at the ECAC event, whittling 42 seconds off his personal record at the time. He also earned all-star laurels at the State of Maine Championship.

Two of Bates’ tri-captains are local products. Joining Monsulick is Matt Dunlap of Farmington (Mt. Blue), who ran seventh (27:05) at Tufts after finishing 21st in the Bates Invitational.

Men and women for all seasons

Spring is the traditional baseball and softball season for most colleges and universities, but Central Maine Technical College tackles an autumn schedule on the diamond.

Both teams have enjoyed three wins through last weekend, twice defeating Hesser College and enjoying a victory over rival New Hampshire Technical Institute.

Recent Mountain Valley graduate Marcus Palmer of Rumford, a pitching ace and infielder, leads a list of 10 locals on the baseball roster. Other area players include Dean Stowell of Wales (Oak Hill), Chris Ash and Jackson Keene of Auburn (Edward Little), Josh Pratt of Turner (Leavitt), Justin Dodge of Buckfield, James Young of Poland, Phil Drouin of South Paris (Oxford Hills), Matt Brennan of Readfield (Maranacook) and Lewiston’s Zack Timmermeyer.

Buckfield Junior-Senior High School products Tiffany Dunn, Shannon Ridge and Desiree Brackett share the spotlight on the softball squad with Andrea Millett of Waterford (Oxford Hills), Justine Frost-Kolva of Rangeley, Danielle Carr of Raymond (Gray-New Gloucester) and Robyn Gauthier and Nichole Lovejoy of Poland.

They shoot, they score

Junior midfielder Luke Welch of Auburn (North Yarmouth Academy) is one of seven different players to score a goal for the Bowdoin College men’s soccer team through its first five contests of the fall. Welch, who has started four games for the Polar Bears, has recorded a goal and an assist.

Samantha Johnson of Mexico (Mountain Valley) scored the game-winning goal for the University of Southern Maine field hockey team in a 5-2 victory over Plymouth State last weekend. It was the third straight win for the Huskies. That streak came to an end with Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Eastern Connecticut State, but Johnson, a junior captain, kept Southern Maine close with her first defensive save of the season.

Elyse Cole leads the University of Maine at Farmington field hockey squad with three goals in the Beavers’ first four games. Winthrop’s Cole found the cage and Alyssa St. Pierre of Jay chalked up an assist in UMF’s recent 4-0 triumph over Wheelock.