To the Poland Regional High School track and field team, happiness is looking over its collective shoulder and seeing North Yarmouth Academy and Gray-New Gloucester.

NYA, because it’s a contender for the Western Maine Conference and Class C titles every spring. And Gray-New Gloucester because, well, it’s Gray-New Gloucester, a geographically convenient rival that resides on the other side of Shaker Hill.

In its final Friday meet before the WMC showcase this weekend, Poland put the pedal down and produced a 112-80 girls’ win over NYA and a 126-110 boys’ nail biter over G-NG.

“Our season has been pretty decent,” said Poland coach Mark Soehren. “I don’t quite know how to describe it. We had the graduation conflict (Poland’s commencement is the evening of Saturday, June 6, coinciding with the Class B state meet). We had a class trip conflict and lost a few kids to that. We’ve talked about starting a habit of competing well no matter what.”

Poland put forth only 15 girls for its home meet.

“In the past,” said Soehren, “that number might have meant we’d get crushed.”

When one of those girls is Brittany Bell, however, your team’s in pretty fair shape.

Bell pocketed the maximum points by winning four events: 200 and 400 meters, long jump and triple jump. She set a personal record in the jumps and 200 and posted her best time of the season in the 400.

“She’s added lifting weights to her training regimen, and it definitely has helped her,” Soehren said.

The Knights don’t lack for potential late-season scorers in other events, either. Kendra Lobley (800 and 1,600) and Sophie Geelhoed (100 and 300 hurdles) each picked up a pair of victories Friday.

Lobley, a sophomore, has benefited from in-house competition in her events.

“Brittany’s class has a lot of sprinters, but Kendra’s class seems to have the middle distance runners, so that’s been good for her,” Soehren said. “She’s talented. She puts in a lot of work. She does everything we ask.”

Geelhoed was part of that deep group of sprinters before volunteering for an event that quite literally trips up many athletes.

“I don’t even remember how she started doing hurdles, but I know she wanted to do it,” Soehren said. “The 300 is not an easy event. Those hurdles are right there and keep coming up. You have to attack them all.”

Poland’s boys were able to overcome G-NG’s overwhelming depth in sprints – including Sun Journal indoor track athlete of the year Ben Miklovich – by sharing the wealth.

Tyrus Steinman (shot put), Joe Murphy (long jump), Evan Flynn (triple jump), Dylan Lajoie (3,200), Chris Coolidge (400) and the Knights’ 4×800 relay team each prevailed.

Murphy, who moved over the baseball team to join younger brother Eli, has emerged as one of the top 10 long jumpers in Class B.

“He just took off,” Soehren said.

Cam Woodford also transitioned from the diamond this spring, giving Poland a potential state scorer in the discus.

The newcomers bolstered a team that took a huge hit when stellar sprinter T.J. England and distance standout Nick Williams graduated.

“Gray-New Gloucester is a very good team. I didn’t know what the result would be, but we were very pleased,” Soehren said. “We know we’ll see them again. We know NYA is always a big-meet team.”

A spotlight of their own

Track and field is traditionally a sport from which no athletes are cut. The down side is that it’s easy for a runner, jumper or thrower to get lost in a numbers game.

Competing against yourself can be exhausting. That’s one motivation for Mt. Ararat High School’s annual KVAC “Under the Lights” meet for athletes who have not yet posted a state qualifying time. It’s a chance for athletes to set personal bests and try to clear the state threshold without the pressure of elite athletes on the leader board, or for people who shine in one event to try their hand at another.

Leavitt finished second in the boys’ meet, while Mt. Blue was runner-up in the girls’ division and third among the boys behind the host Eagles. Best of all, several athletes from both schools had the chance to celebrate victory.

Simon Tutlis and Jordan Hersom of Leavitt finished one-two in the boys’ 100 meters. Hersom also won the 200 and was second to teammate Elliot Wiegman in the long jump.

Elizabeth Everett took top honors in girls’ javelin for the Hornets, with Lauren Lord winning the high jump. Derek Drouin topped the boys’ high jump.

Kelton Cullenberg, normally a distance threat for Mt. Blue, won the 400. Marjorie Hardy and Sam Mungin swept the 800s for the Cougars. Melody Lam, one of the state’s top milers, ruled the 3,200.

Arin McLaughlin (girls’ triple jump), Ashley Sampson (girls’ pole vault) and Kris Nadeau (boys’ racewalk) also were winners for Mt. Blue.