The Twin Cities established twin school records for the University of Southern Maine men’s indoor track and field program last weekend.

Lewiston graduate George Foster moved to the top of the Huskies’ all-time list in the 500-meter run, while Edward Little alumnus Matt Harmon smashed his own standard in the 35-pound weight throw.

Foster and Harmon, both listed as seniors, delivered those performances in the ECAC Division III championship meet at New York University.

Not bad, in Foster’s case, for a guy who prefers the outdoor season and is traditionally better suited to the 600- and 800-meter distances.

“The leader went out pretty hard and I think all of us thought, we have to go now,” Foster said. “I drew the inside lane, which is probably not the one you want to be in on a banked, indoor track like that. After about 300 meters, I knew I had to go if I didn’t want to get boxed in.”

Foster finished sixth in the event with a time of 1:05.69, shattering the Southern Maine record by more than a half-second.

Doug Mercer set the bar at 1:06.24 in 2008.

“It will be completely different now, knowing that I can handle 1:05,” Foster said. “Now I can train at that pace.”

That final, triumphant run punctuated a breakthrough season for Foster.

He won the 600 meters and ran a leg of the victorious 4×800 relay at the State of Maine Championship.

In addition to his individual exploits at ECACs, Foster teamed with Seth Neuts of Portland, Corey Gobbi and Tim Even of Stoneham on a distance medley relay team that previously cleared the provisional qualifying threshold for the NCAA Division III meet.

The quartet failed to improve upon that time, however, and didn’t get the call to nationals.

Foster’s outdoor focus will be the 800, a race in which the indoor season didn’t satisfy his own standards.

“Outdoor it’s two laps. Indoor it’s four, which feels like more mentally,” Foster said.

Historically, the softer terrain and the cool breeze have treated Foster kindly.

“In high school, outdoor was my better season. Just being able to train on an outdoor track and not run only in the hallways of Lewiston High School was pretty special,” Foster said. “The indoor season is more tiring with the different track surface. Not just physically but mentally, I need a break. I’m exhausted. I’m trying to take it easy without doing anything to jeopardize the shape I’m in.”

After setting the Huskies’ outdoor record in the hammer throw last spring, Harmon made the most of his summer recess.

Harmon recharged his batteries but also committed himself to off-season workouts, consistent with his goal of becoming the first USM thrower to clear 50 feet in the indoor weight throw.

“I gained so much in the weight room over the summer. I hit (the school record) last year in practice, so I kind of knew this year it was eventually going to happen,” Harmon said.

He cleared the elusive mark in the Huskies’ first meet, then smashed his own record twice early in the season.

Then, as is the case with many folks who set a different sort of weight goal as a New Year’s resolution, Harmon hit a plateau.

“After (setting a record) just about every time out, I got stuck on 49-5 for about three or four weeks. It was kind of frustrating,” Harmon said.

Harmon flattened that record by more than a foot on the ECAC stage, covering a distance of 50-6.

He credits USM assistant coach Libby Bischof and late Bates throwing guru Joe Woodhead for their lessons in the throwing circle.

“I did the shot put in high school. I’m still learning the technique for the weight,” Harmon said. “Nobody throws the weight or hammer in high school.”

With the two local athletes leading the way, Southern Maine won the Little East and New England Alliance team championships for the third straight year.

Bates sends five to NCAAs

Three men and two women will represent Bates at the NCAA Division III championships starting today, hosted by Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.

All five are competing at nationals for the first time.

Four of the athletes are throwers: Chris Murtagh (35-pound weight), David Pless and Ethan Waldman (shot put) and Sara Ellen Godek (20-pound weight).

Dana Lindauer will compete in the women’s 400-meter dash.

Murtagh is seeded third out of 14 throwers in his event. He is a five-time NESCAC all-conference selection and two-time outdoor league champion in the javelin.

koakes@sunjournal.com