Hamstrung by injury as recently as two weeks ago, the bid of James Spaulding for his second straight All-America honor in decathlon gained momentum Friday by leaps and bounds.

Spaulding, a Lewiston High School graduate, won the New England Division III championship for the University of Southern Maine while shredding his own school record in the demanding, two-day event.

Competing at Springfield (Mass.) College, Spaulding rolled up 6,679 points in the competition, nearly 400 markers more than the senior’s previous best in the event last season. Spaulding also topped the qualifying threshold for the NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championships.

Friday’s finishing kick included a victory in the pole vault, adding to Spaulding’s event wins Thursday in the long jump and shot put.

Spaulding also placed second in the discus, javelin and 100 meters and third in the 110-meter hurdles.

Known primarily as a star football running back in high school, Spaulding was introduced to the decathlon as a Southern Maine sophomore.

Since limping to a 16th place finish in the Holy Cross decathlon on April 15-16 – a leg injury was the culprit – Spaulding recovered to the tune of his second field athlete of the week award of the season in the Little East Conference for the period ending April 25.

In that stretch, he won the Little East championship in the shot put, setting a personal record. Spaulding also was second in the pole vault and third in the discus and javelin while leading the Huskies to their second straight conference crown.

The decathlon is contested only in regional and national championship meets and in select regular-season events.

He’s going the distance

Spaulding was not the only USM men’s track performer from the area to win championships and honorable mention at the Little East showcase.

Justin Richardson of Turner (St. Dom’s) was feted as the league’s track athlete of the week after winning the 5,000 meters at the league competition by a margin of more than 30 seconds. Richardson completed the route in 15 minutes, 27.57 seconds.

Additionally, Orion Winkler of Brownfield (Fryeburg Academy) picked up rookie field athlete of the week merit for his triumph in the pole vault at the conference meet.

Polar cap

Lewiston’s Alison Coleman recently completed her softball career at Bowdoin College, but not before the four-year starting catcher and her senior class perched themselves near the top of almost every major statistical category in the history of the program.

Coleman concluded No. 2 on Bowdoin’s all-time list in at-bats (430), extra-base hits (47), RBIs (94), doubles (31) and home runs (15).

She ranks third in Polar Bears history in total bases with 214 and fourth on the school’s all-time hit list at 136. Coleman’s career batting average was a terrific .316.

This season, Coleman ranked first or second among the Polar Bears in eight offensive measuring sticks. She topped the club in doubles, RBIs, total bases, extra-base knocks and slugging percentage while ranking as runner-up in batting average, hits and homers.

Coleman finished the season at .350 with three round trippers and 24 runs knocked in.

With a season-ending sweep of Colby, Bowdoin finished at 22-16-1. Coleman celebrated 89 wins in her career, the most successful four-year run ever at the school.

Strong up the middle

While Coleman wrapped things up in Brunswick, another former Blue Devil is just getting started with the University of Maine at Farmington.

Samantha Morency started every game at shortstop as a freshman for UMF, which competed with Thomas and Husson in the championship round of the North Atlantic Conference tournament this weekend.

Morency was named NAC rookie of the week for the stretch ending April 19. She batted .500 in that span while playing error-free defense. Overall, she was second on the team with two homers, 17 RBIs and 16 walks and third with four doubles.

UMF’s McKell Barnes of Durham was named NAC player of the year this week. Barnes batted a sensational .595 while clouting four home runs for the Beavers.

Quick hits

Bates College women’s track standout Vantiel Elizabeth Duncan of Topsham (Mt. Ararat) won the bronze medal in the hammer throw Friday at the New England Division III championship.

Duncan, a 2008 All-American in the event, covered a distance of 154-6. That’s more than a foot better than her mark in the same competition last spring.

Garrett Lake of Farmington (Mt. Blue) has been selected to the North Atlantic Conference men’s lacrosse second team.