The most difficult part of David Leclerc’s job as Telstar Regional High School track and field coach might be instructing Frankie DelDuca to take it easy.

With a straight face, at least.

DelDuca is one of the most accomplished athletes ever to roam the halls, circle the tracks and blaze the trails in Bethel. He’s a seven-time Mountain Valley Conference champion and reigning Class C triple jump winner who is good for 40 points just about every time he tapes a number to the front of his blue jersey in April or May.

Right now, however, the senior simply would like to have something left to offer in June.

A hamstring injury has stifled what should have been a fabulous finishing kick to DelDuca’s career.

“He broke two school records in our first meet,” Leclerc said. “Then he started saying something about (the pain) for a few days in row.

“It progressively got a little worse. I think the up-and-down temperatures probably had a lot to do with it.”

Competition has been minimal for the Rebels’ versatile leader ever since. DelDuca didn’t run or jump at all in a home meet last Thursday.

The weekend gave him enough respite and recovery time to try the long jump Monday and win the event with ease.

His distance of 18 feet, 10 inches topped Khyle Whittemore of Livermore Falls by more than a foot.

“He did that just to qualify,” Leclerc said. “That guy could pretty much walk into the long jump and qualify for states.”

DelDuca picked up 24 points for Telstar at last year’s Class C state meet, adding a silver medal in the 200 meters and bronze in the 100 to his triple jump crown.

He swept the MVC 100, 200, long and triple jumps as a junior after failing to win only the long jump as a sophomore.DelDuca was second in that event.

Time, space and the rules have been his lone limitation until now.

“I think I could put him in the 3,200 and he would turn some heads,” said Leclerc.

For someone so consumed with speed and distance, DelDuca’s most challenging task of all these days is to hurry up and wait and see if he’ll be available at the finish.

“I’ve really had to hold him back,” Leclerc said.

“I know he wants to be out there, but as far as I’m concerned he doesn’t have anything to prove to anybody. I want him to be able to do things later on.”

Others have stepped up to fill the void in DelDuca’a absence.

A.J. Hebert (triple jump, pole vault) and Alex Gundersen (800, 4×400 relay) were multiple event winners as Telstar’s topped four MVC rivals for the Monday win.

Evan Fessenden captured the 3,200 and Tony York the racewalk for the Rebels.

“I was kind of worried coming into this season about what would happen next year,” Leclerc said. “But we’ve had some younger kids step up. The future is looking bright.”

Not to be forgotten

Lisbon’s dominance of the Mountain Valley Conference can be a little daunting if you only look at team scores. When the Greyhounds compete against exclusively MVC opponents, the margin of victory on both the boys’ and girls’ side is likely triple digits.

That doesn’t mean a few talented individuals can’t occasionally get in their licks, however.

John Gorham of Mountain Valley achieved the rarity of a win over Lisbon’s Joe Doughty, throwing 108 feet for the discus victory last Thursday at Telstar.

Telstar sophomore Taylor Maines won both the 1,600 and 3,200 at the same meet.

Emily Chase of Dirigo led the 100 meters and the 100 hurdles, while teammate Hannah Knight showed the way in the 800.

Jay celebrated wins by Mallory Bonnevie (400) and Artie Thomas (300 hurdles). Ayla Woodford of Livermore Falls posted the top distance in javelin.

“We’re most concerned with how we’re going to do against them in the big meets, especially the MVCs,” Leclerc said. “They’ll probably win, but I don’t think you’ll see a 200-point margin.”

Eddies take bridge

Friday’s marathon baseball game between Edward Little and Lewiston at Auburn Suburban Little League complex might have stolen the show, but the Eddies and Devils also went head-to-head in a five-team Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference track meet at LHS.

It was no contest.

As expected, the EL girls more than doubled the score of runner-up Bangor in the girls’ sweepstakes while enjoying a 46-point margin over the Rams in the boys’ tally.

Lewiston’s boys were third and its girls fourth.

Multiple-event winners for EL were Danielle Paul (800, 1,600, 4×400 relay), Muriel Schwinn (100, 4×100 relay), Emily Dodge (long jump, triple jump), Hanna Mogensen (400, 4×400) and Josh Clark (pole vault, boys’ 4×400 relay).

Andrew Pulk (400), Derick Roy (long jump), Abdinoor Hassan (triple jump) and Josh Pelletier (javelin) each picked up first-place points for Lewiston.