AUBURN – Poring over piles of paper, each sheet covered in names and numbers, can be nerve-wracking. That’s why Edward Little girls’ indoor track coach Rebecca Hefty would rather do that on her own, and leave the important stuff – actually competing, and competing well – to her athletes.

“All they can do is focus on themselves, and their individual goals,” Hefty said on the eve of the state indoor track meets. “We have to perform, and then we’ll let everything else fall where it falls.”

It’s a position the Edward Little girls haven’t been in for a while. On paper, at least, the Eddies have a chance to dethrone four-time state champion Scarborough.

But it’s going to be tight.

“You almost have to throw the seeds out, it’s going to be so tight,” Hefty said.

And the greatest unknown, the 4×200-meter relay, may ultimately decide this year’s state champion. By the seeds, not accounting for any improvement or any athletes having an off day, Brewer, Scarborough and Edward Little fall within four points of each other at the top.

But those seeds do not count the 4×200 relay, which is unseeded due to discrepancies in the distance each conference competes at during the regular season.

“It’s a total crapshoot between the four teams, especially when you consider that 4×200 might make all the difference,” Hefty said. “Most of the teams have their best sprinters already doing three individual events, so this is where depth will matter.”

EL will trot out two seniors and two juniors, and, Hefty hopes, experience will be a factor. The Eddies also get lucky in their heat assignment. They’ll run head-to-head against rival Lewiston, which also has a solid relay squad.

Brunswick, which EL upended in the KVAC meet for the first time since 2004, should also be a factor, but the Dragons will need drastic individual improvements in a few events to really rock the boat.

By the seeds, EL is slated first in two events – the long jump and the triple jump. Emily Dodge will be the favorite in the triple, and is seeded second behind teammate Muriel Schwinn in the long jump.

But it’s the team’s depth and potential for improvement in the other events that has the team optimistic.

“If you look at everything, Brewer and EL are the teams with the best chance to move up from their seeds,” Hefty said.

Lewiston’s girls are seeded near the bottom overall, but between Toby Crispin and Lea Morin, the Devils should finish respectably. Melody Lam will be Mt. Blue’s points hope this indoor season in the distance events.

On the boys’ side, EL has an uncharacteristically low seed total going into the meet, which could shape up into a high-end duel between Scarborough and KVAC champion Brunswick.

The Dragons and Red Storm are seeded first in one event each, but both squads have strength in numbers.

Matt Driscoll will lead the local contingent in the distance events. The Lewiston senior is seeded first in the two-mile run. Edward Little’s Josh Clark is tied for the top seed in the pole vault.

In Class B, the Greely boys will be the heavy favorites at Bates College. The Rangers have every running event covered, and covered well, and by seeds, are 24 points ahead of fellow WMC school Falmouth. The best team from northern Maine appears to be Hampden, which is slated to finish third.

Locally, look for Gray-New Gloucester to make some noise. The Patriots are seeded with a first, two seconds and a fourth, which would vault them into the top five with 30 points.

Ben Miklivoch is the top seed in the boys’ 55-meter dash and the No. 2 seed in the 200, and the Gray-New Gloucester 4×200 team is also seeded second.

Poland’s Matt York is the second seed in the boys’ high jump.

On the girls’ side in Class B, Cape Elizabeth is the favorite, by seed, but the Capers have little room for error. With five No. 1 seeds, teams below them will have more of a chance to improvement. Waterville, York and Greely are all within 15 points of Cape Elizabeth, and each of those schools has room to improve upon their seeds.

Locally, Poland has earned a couple of top seeds. Brittany Bell is No. 2 in the 400, and tied for the top seed in the long jump.