A general lack of participation may be hindering the Goffstown track and field team’s ability to win as a unit, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t several individual athletes standing out this season.

“Once we started having lacrosse a couple years ago, it really killed the numbers, so the team is a little small, which obviously makes it tough to be really competitive during dual meets,” said boys coach Darren Hartung.

“I mean going against teams like Pinkerton or Londonderry that have 80 or 90 kids on the team, and you have 30 … You just get wiped out.”

Still, Hartung said he’s been pleasantly surprised by several runners, leapers and throwers this season.

Kiah Colbert, best known for his accomplishments on the football field and basketball court, decided he wanted to participate in track and field as opposed to lacrosse this season.

“He doesn’t know what he’s doing, but his pure athleticism is really showing,” said Hartung. “He’s throwing the shot put 40 feet, the javelin 150 feet and his high jumps are consistently around 5 (feet), 8 (inches), 5-10. He could be jumping 6-foot plus if he had his technique down. Man, I wish I had gotten ahold of him a few years ago.”

Another athlete new to the sport is Aaron Noga. The senior has run cross country under Hartung the last four fall seasons, and told the mentor he would forgo the baseball season this year in favor of track and field.

Noga’s decision is paying dividends. He’s already qualified for the state meet in javelin, where he placed fifth with a heave of 141-6 at the Merrimack Invitational meet on Friday, May 16. He also finished fifth in the triple jump at 38-10.

Junior Nick Aubit, who finished fourth in the 400-meter dash in Merrimack at 53.41 second, has been one of Hartung’s biggest surprises.

“I don’t know what he’s been doing out there,” said the coach. “I mean, he’s … just kind of gowith- the-flow, easy-going, sweet kid, but when he runs the 400 … Man, that kid’s an animal.” Aubit is roughly one second away from state qualifying in the 400.

Another athlete close to qualifying, said Hartung, is sophomore Kyle McNamara, who like Aubit exhibits nothing but hard work and dedication “As a coach, you want a whole bunch of kids on the team like that,” said Hartung.

McNamara, who took 10th place in the 300-meter hurdles in Merrimack with a time of 44.43 seconds, is likely to be one of the best hurdlers in the state the next two seasons, said Hartung.

One harrier who hasn’t surprised anyone is Sean Colligan. The senior cross country star has improved each year and has qualified in both the mile and 2- mile runs.

“He’s just flying right now,” said the coach. “Now the hard part is deciding which race to run at states because there’s just no way he could do both. He doesn’t necessarily have that speed a lot of the top milers have, but he’s so strong and has so much endurance that it’s in the 2-mile and in cross country where he really shines.”

Colligan placed third in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 9:48.98 in Merrimack.

As talented as he is on the track, it’s his leadership that makes him a true asset to the team, said Hartung.

“He’s literally a second coach out there,” said Hartung. “We get together and exchange ideas, but he takes (distance runners) out there and does his own thing, and I pretty much leave him alone because he knows what to do.”

Two runners who have benefited working with Colligan, said Hartung, are juniors Andrew and Tyler Fournier. Both have adopted Colligan’s attitude and have solid shots at qualifying in the 3,200. They’re also likely to be top distance runners in both track and cross country next year, said their coach.

Among those excelling for the girls are senior Amanda Berube and sophomore Jana Hieber.

Hieber, after finishing in third place with a time of 16.54 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, ranks in the top five in the state, said Hartung.

“She’s going to be a terror the next few years,” he said.

Berube took fifth in the high jump at 4-8 in Merrimack. Like Hieber, Hartung said Berube is a top hurdler who is likely to qualify for states. The Grizzlies close the season at the Concord Invitational on Saturday, May 24.