Choosing Cam Bubar as Sun Journal All-Area Athlete of the Year for boys’ track and field is no stretch and no chore.

Giving him the nod at the expense of multiple Lisbon High School teammates is the tough part.

Bubar’s results at the Class C state championship and Mountain Valley Conference meet — two titles, five runner-up finishes, 62 team points — are tough to ignore. But so are the overwhelming contributions of Kyle Huston, Erik Metzger, Junior Clement and Joe Doughty, to name four.

In fact, Bubar would be the first to advocate for one of those fellow Greyhounds, all of whom performed in tandem splendidly as they defended their MVC crown and fell two points shy of North Yarmouth Academy for state laurels.

“I felt that I competed better last year,” Bubar said. “It was still definitely a solid year. I’d say this was more of a team-oriented year. We did a lot better in the relays.”

Whenever Lisbon needed a team boost over the last four years and specifically the last two spring seasons, however, it usually turned its eyes to Bubar throwing the javelin. Or pushing across the wire in the 800 meters. Or running a flawless leg of the 4×100 or 4×400.

Bubar snagged second in both of his individual events as well as the sprint relay at the Class C state showcase.

“My motivation was higher last year,” Bubar acknowledged. “I think graduation and finals definitely took a lot of time and energy. There’s a lot on your plate. Last year I did a lot more running, and I think it helped me going into states. I felt better and stronger.”

The flip side of being a senior was relying on his years of institutional memory as part of the Greyhounds’ perennially powerful program.

Whenever there was a temptation to back off his training regimen this spring, Bubar heard voices, so to speak.

“As a senior you’re trying to repeat what you did the year before. In the past I would have tried to pick somebody better than I was and follow him,” Bubar said. “For me it was Tyler Clark. This year I tried to picture him still there running beside me. I focused on what I thought he would do.”

Bubar has patterned himself after Lisbon’s best and brightest since sixth grade, when he first joined the middle school track team.

There was a brief hiccup in his development when he followed brother Marcus to the baseball diamond in his final year of middle school.

“It wasn’t the same,” Bubar said. “I’m kind of partial to the individual sports. You’re not watching someone else make a mistake and going, ‘Awww.’ Track kind of gives you the best of both worlds.”

With the exception of intramurals, Bubar’s athletic career might have reached an abrupt end this spring.

He’s chosen a Division I school: Northeastern University. Bubar plans to study biochemistry in Boston.

koakes@sunjournal.com

Faisal Abdillahi, Lewiston
Cameron Bubar, Lisbon
Chris Caiani, Edward Little
Tyler Campbell, Lisbon
Josh Clark, Edward Little
Kelton Cullenberg, Mt. Blue
Matt Driscoll, Lewiston
Buddy Foss, Edward Little
Tyler Gammon, Edward Little
Kyle Huston, Lisbon
Erik Metzger, Lisbon
Ben Miklovich, Gray-NG
Joe Murphy, Poland
Josh Pelletier, Lewiston
Andrew Pulk, Lewiston
Jeff Ryder, Livermore Falls
Tyrus Steinman, Poland
Jeremy Theriault, Edward Little
Dylon Therrien, Edward Little
Keith Tremblay, Edward Little
Lauren Turner, Leavitt