Justin Wells doesn’t have to share the role of starting quarterback at Worcester Polytechnic Institute any longer.

The senior from Jay is making up for lost time, venturing into uncharted territory in the WPI record books. He rushed for the winning touchdown Sept. 5 to give the Engineers a 34-28 triumph over the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth in five overtimes.

Wells’ plunge ended the longest game in the 119-year history of the football program.

Earlier in bonus time, Wells hooked up with 2006 Fitzpatrick Trophy finalist Aaron Champagne of Fairfield (Lawrence) for a touchdown in the third OT. Next, he completed a two-point conversion pass to keep the game alive.

For his encore, Wells completed two TD passes last Saturday in the Engineers’ 31-10 victory over Worcester State. Through two games, Wells is 32-for-62 for 430 yards. He has completed four TD passes without an interception.

Wells attempted only 66 passes as a junior, his third year serving primarily as the backup to Rob Pantalone.

A four-year starter in high school, Wells was part of a Western Class C football championship team and a state championship basketball squad at Jay.

Flagg’s day

Knee injuries have been more than a minor nuisance to Taryn Flagg of Livermore Falls throughout her multi-sport athletic career.

Flagg’s college experience has mirrored her high school years, however, with a triumphant recovery and results that are good as new.

Now a junior forward at the University of New England in Biddeford, Flagg helped the Nor’Easters to their first win of the season last week, a hard-fought 4-3 victory over previously undefeated Saint Joseph’s College.

Senior Nicole Mace of Readfield (Maranacook) scored the first of two goals in the game with help from Flagg.

Through three games, Flagg and Mace share the team lead with eight points. Flagg has found the back of the cage three times.

Flagg picked up where she left off as a freshman in 2006, when she led the Nor’easters in every major offensive category with 12 goals, five assists and 29 points. She was named Commonwealth Coast Conference Rookie of the Year and was a second-team all-league selection.

She sat out her sophomore year with a knee injury. Flagg also lost much of her junior basketball season in high school to knee problems before returning to the court as a senior.

One of Flagg’s former high school opponents played an integral role in UNE’s breakthrough victory. Freshman Michelle Oswald of Jay assisted a goal by Michaela Franey to give the Nor’easters a 2-0 lead before the Monks briefly rallied.

Running man

One year after hinting at his potential in his first cross country season at the University of Southern Maine, Tyler Jasud of Rumford (Mountain Valley) appears almost unbeatable this fall.

Now a junior, Jasud was a perfect 3-for-3 headed into Saturday’s University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth Invitational.

Jasud was honored as the Little East Conference Men’s Runner of the Week for his individual victory at UNE last Saturday. Southern Maine took the top four spots in the race, with Jasud navigating the five-mile course in 28:01. Senior Nick Downing of Winthrop ran fourth.

In the Saint Joseph’s Invitational on Sept. 6, Jasud led a parade of nine Huskies in the top 10 finishing positions. Justin Richardson of Turner (St. Dom’s) crossed the wire fourth, with Downing seventh.

USM kicked off the season with its traditional alumni meet, and Jasud was king of the hill on his home course. He was six seconds ahead of 2008 graduates Nick and Curtis Wheeler. Curtis placed 43rd in last year’s NCAA Division III championship race.

Jasud earned all-New England Alliance status as a sophomore. He finished in the top one-third of the field at the New England Division III meet.

Cagy veteran

Brittney French of Auburn (Edward Little) faced more shots in her first game as a sophomore starting goaltender than she saw in her entire first season at Bates College.

The barrage was no problem. French made 16 saves – the most by a Bates goalkeeper in more than five years – to give the Bobcats a fighting chance in a 2-1 loss to Williams.

Williams, which won last year’s New England Small College Athletic Conference title and is the top-ranked Division III team in New England, unleashed 40 shots in the game.

French stopped 20 shots in three starts and other spot duty as a freshman, primarily serving as the backup to Nini Spalding. She’s also a member of the basketball team.

Thursday afternoon was less busy but just as effective for French. She made one stop in Bates’s convincing 4-1 victory over previously undefeated Wellesley.