A family tradition continues at Colby College.

So does the success that Courtney Erskine has enjoyed in field hockey since she took up the sport.

Erskine, a four-year varsity letter winner at Leavitt Area High School, has made a rapid transition to the collegiate game. She has scored in her last three appearances for Colby, both off the bench, leading the White Mules to a pair of victories.

Her first collegiate goal helped carry Colby to a 3-2 overtime win over Wesleyan last Saturday. Erskine was part of a five-goal barrage in a midweek shutout of Saint Joseph’s. And she rattled the cage again Saturday in a 4-3 loss to Williams.

Three goals and six total points place Erskine second on the squad in both categories.

Erskine is a second-generation Colby athlete. Her father, Jim, played ice hockey at the Waterville school from 1978-82.

FORMER DEVILS HOLD SERVE

She isn’t surrounded by the same depth on the talent ladder as she was in high school, yet, but Julia Bergeron has asserted herself as the top overall player on the Clark University women’s tennis team.

Bergeron, who was the second-ranked singles player at Lewiston High School during her senior campaign, has moved into the No. 1 spot for Clark at the outset of her sophomore season.

Not only is Bergeron playing the competition’s best, she’s beating them. Bergeron is 5-1 in singles this fall, including a 6-0, 6-0 shutout of Anna Maria College’s ace in her most recent outing.

The busy Bergeron also fluctuates between first and second doubles. She has posted a pair of wins to date.

Another LHS grad and current college sophomore, Katelyn Ouellette, was responsible for two of the University of Southern Maine’s match victories Saturday.

Ouellette teamed up with Tegan Talbot of Topsham for a 9-7 victory at No. 1 doubles. She also won her No. 2 singles event in straight sets.

BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER

Crowned the top runner in Little East Conference men’s cross country last autumn, Tyler Jasud of Rumford (Mountain Valley) has only cemented that status in September.

Jasud won the first two LEC runner of the week awards by virtue of two dominant performances for Southern Maine.

He set an new 8,000-meter course record at the University of New England Invitational, completing the race in 25 minutes, 58 seconds and leading a parade of nine Husky harriers at the front of the pack.

Only one competitor in a field of 262 runners at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth festival could beat Jasud. His five-mile time of 24:40 was good for second.

Jasud qualified for the NCAA championship meet last fall.

Two of USM’s senior tri-captains are local products. Justin Richardson of Turner (St. Dom’s) also placed in the top 10 at the UMass-Dartmouth event, and Winthrop’s Nick Downing was the fifth and final scorer in that showcase for the Huskies.

FARM REPORT

The University of Maine at Farmington men’s and women’s cross country teams swept their races Saturday at the UMF Invitational. Cam Betts of Gray was the men’s winner, completing the five-mile course at Mt. Blue High School in 29:06.94.

Alyssa St. Pierre of Jay scored two goals and added an assist for Farmington in a recent 4-1 field hockey win over Gordon College. St. Pierre leads the team with nine points and is tied for top honors with three goals.

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