2024 track and field preview: Athletes to watch this season

Lisbon’s Owen Booker throws the javelin during the Mountain Valley Conference track and field championship meet in Lisbon on May 25, 2023. Booker is the defending Class C state champ in the javelin and triple jump. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Mya Austin, Buckfield, senior, sprints: The four-year standout for the Bucks was a state-championship qualifier last year in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, as well as a podium finisher in those events at the MVC championships. She will continue her career at University of Southern Maine after graduation.

Owen Booker, Lisbon/Oak Hill, senior, jumps/throws: The reigning Class C state champion in the triple jump and javelin returns, with a top finish in the long jump still to tackle as well as trying to repeat in his other events. He’s also the defending MVC champ in the pole vault.

Ella Brown, Gray-New Gloucester, senior, jumps/sprints: Brown was a medalist in the long jump at last year’s Class B state championships and qualified for states in the triple jump. She’s looking to move up the rankings this season while also being a factor in the sprint events.

Rohen Brown, St. Dom’s, junior, distance: Brown showed remarkable improvement in times throughout the fall cross country and winter indoor seasons, dropping more than three minutes off her 5-kilomter time in the fall and more than 90 seconds off her 2-mile time during the indoor season.

Carter Butterfield, Mt. Abram, senior, racewalk: The defending Class C racewalk state champion got an early start to this season with All-American performances at both the New Balance and Nike indoor national championships.

Brooke Chase, Mountain Valley, senior, jumps/hurdles: A Class C state finalist in the 100 hurdles and triple jump last year, Chase looks to be one of the top returning competitors in the MVC in both hurdles events and the long and triple jumps.

Makenna Drouin, Lewiston, senior, sprints/hurdles: Before she heads off to Division-I Elon University in the fall, Drouin has a chance to win a third-consecutive Class A state title in both the 100 and 300 hurdles. She was the runner-up in the 100 and 200, but the winner, Bangor’s Anna Connors, has graduated.

Serae Fish, Leavitt, senior, hurdles/jumps: Fish finished third in both hurdles events at last year’s Class B outdoor championships, and was fourth in the high jump. She is coming off a strong indoor season this year.

Arianna Gammon, Poland, junior, sprints: Gammon was a Class B state finalist in the 100 dash last year after winning the WMC Division 2 title in the event. She was also a medalist in the 200 at the WMC championships.

Cassidy Hardy, Mt. Blue, junior, throws/hurdles: A top-two finisher in all three throwing events at last year’s KVAC Medium School championships, including a title in the discus, Hardy won the Don Matheson Award at the meet as the top girls field athlete. She also placed fourth in the long jump at the meet. She qualified for all three throwing events at the Class A state meet, and made the finals in the shot put and javelin.

Saphryn Humason-Fulgham, Edward Little, senior, jumps: The University of Maine commit won the KVAC Large School title in the long and triple jumps last year, and anchored the Red Eddies’ winning 4×100 relay team. The relay finished third at Class A states, and Humason-Fulgham placed in that same spot individually in the long jump while taking sixth in the triple.

Lucas Hutchinson, Oxford Hills, junior, distance: Hutchinson qualified for Class A states in the mile and 2-mile, and ended up as a medalist in the mile. He’s one of the top returning distance runners in the KVAC.

Josia Katroli, Lewiston, junior, jumps/sprints: The Blue Devils boys athlete had a breakout indoor season, placing second in the high jump and third in the 55 at the Class A state meet, then earned All-America honors in the high jump at New Balance Indoor nationals.

Cadyn Langlois, Poland, senior, jumps/sprints: A Class B state qualifier in the long jump and high jump last year, he also helped the Knights take the runner-up spot in the 4×100 relay. Individually, he was the runner-up in the long jump at the WMC Division 2 championships, and nearly made the finals of the 100 dash.

Carter Libby, Gray-New Gloucester, senior, distance: The 2022 Class B state champion and 2023 runner-up in cross country, Libby placed second in the mile and 2-mile at last year’s Class B outdoor championships. He was the WMC Division 1 champ in the 800. This winter, he helped the Patriots win a state title in basketball.

Henri McCourt, Mt. Blue, junior, distance: A Class A state qualifier in the mile and 2-mile last year, he was the runner-up at the KVAC Medium School championships in the 2-mile and a medalist in the mile, plus he helped the Cougars’ 4×800 relay place second.

Nora McCourt, Mt. Blue, junior, distance: McCourt was a Class A state qualifier in the mile last year. At the KVAC Medium School championships, she placed in the mile and 800 and helped the Cougars’ 4×400 relay to a fifth-place finish.

Emmett Mooney, Lisbon/Oak Hill, senior, sprints/hurdles: Last year’s Class C state runner-up in the 200 and the 300-meter hurdles has unfinished business as he enters his final high school season. He’s the defending MVC champ in the 110 and 300 hurdles and the 100 dash.

Ryker Paradis, Lewiston, junior, throws: A Class A state qualifier in all three throwing events, Paradis finished third in shot put and fourth in javelin last year. He won the KVAC Large School title in both those events, and was second in discus.

Sara Patriquin, Gray-New Gloucester, senior, jumps: A state qualifier in the high jump, long jump and triple jump, Patriquin was a medalist in the high jump at last year’s Class B outdoor championships and this winter’s indoor championships. She is also the school record-holder in the pentathlon, proving her well-rounded athleticism.

Stephen Pierre, Leavitt, junior, jumps/hurdles: A medalist in four events at last year’s Class B state meet after winning the title in all four (110 and 300 hurdles, long and high jumps) at the KVAC Small School championships. The athletes who topped him in the 110 hurdles and long jump at last year’s states have both graduated.

Christopher Pottle, Winthrop, senior, distance: After winning the MVC title, he finished third in the 2-mile at last year’s Class C state meet. He was the runner-up in the 800 and mile at last year’s MVC championships to graduated teammate James Cognata.

Cody Roy, Oxford Hills, senior, pole vault/distance: Placed fourth in the pole vault at both the KVAC Large School championships and Class A state championships. He cleared 11 feet, 6 inches at states last year.

Haley Williams, Winthrop, senior, distance: A top finisher in the MVC and Class C during her cross country career, Williams joined the Ramblers’ outdoor track team this season, and she immediately becomes one of the top distance threats in the conference.