The track and field program at Orono High School has consistently produced some of the state’s most talented athletes since Chris Libby has been in charge.
This spring, two more Red Riots have announced they will be heading to Division I institutions.
Hannah Steelman and Kassidy Dill, each of whom has enjoyed an outstanding track career at Orono, were scheduled Tuesday to sign National Letters of Intent to attend Wofford College and the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, respectively.
Steelman will join record-breaking Brewer High School shot putter Austin Lufkin at Wofford as she and Dill become the second and third Red Riots to sign Division I track and field NLIs this year.
Both girls are receiving scholarship money.
The duo joins thrower Jake Koffman, who is headed to Stanford University in the fall.
Dill and Steelman have been models of versatility over their high school careers, and the Red Riots have won Class C state championships outdoors in all three of their seasons at Orono.
The Riots have won the last five state titles.
“They have both been members of our 4×800 [relay], and they’ve already won state championships in that relay,” Libby said.
One thing that played a factor in Steelman’s choosing Wofford, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, was the fact her father is the women’s basketball coach at Presbyterian College in nearby Clinton, which is about 35 miles from Spartanburg.
“She comes from a really strong family unit, so that was quite important for her,” Libby said.
Todd Steelman served as an assistant coach and associate head coach at the University of Maine before accepting the Presbyterian job in 2016.
Hannah Steelman, who also plays basketball for the Red Riots during the winter, helped lead Orono’s cross-country team to runner-up finishes at the North regional and state championship races last fall.
Dill had an outstanding fall cross-country season for Orono that saw her qualify for the New England championships.
She was the individual champion at the Penobscot Valley Conference, Northern Maine Class C regional championships and Class C state championship races.
Dill played basketball for Orono last winter.
“She also wanted to go south,” Libby said. “When she came back from her visit, she was really excited about her experience there.”
Another interesting factor is that Steelman and Dill are close friends, Libby said, and they’ll only be separated by about 160 miles.
“They’ve been inseparable since ninth grade,” Libby said.
No matter what, Libby feels both athletes will fit in nicely with their respective programs.
“I’m certain that they’ll do whatever the teams need from them to be successful,” Libby said. “The quality of [their] character might be stronger than their athletic ability.”
Now comes the focus of finishing their high school careers by pursuing a sixth consecutive state team track and field championship.
Follow Ryan McLaughlin on Twitter at rmclaughlin23.
