Sports Awards
2006 Spring Sports Awards highlights big year for York
By Stan Ross
York Girls Track Captains Haley Blackburn, Lauren Blackburn, Casey Hoatson and Liana Grieg hold the Maine State Outdoor Track championship trophy awarded to them at last Monday's York High School Sports awards. Photo by Steve Rasche
Last Monday, June 12, York Athletic Director Ted Welch recognized the 340 participants in York High Spring Sports and thanked parents, players and participants for their cooperation in dealing with the many postponements caused by "the record rains of May and June." Welch added this "teaches us to handle adversity!" Welch then introduced Carl Pepin, Sports Editor of the York County Coast Star, who presented a trophy for the first annual "All sports award." Pepin explained that they considered all 11 public high schools in York County and calculated the winning percentages of 21 programs in the fall, winter and spring of 2005/06. York finished first with an overall record of 69.7%. Kennebunk was a close second.
Welch then presented the "major jacket award winners" which means earning three varsity letters in one sport or a combination of five varsity letters in a career. There were 13 winners this spring including Susan Barton, Lacey Cartier, Cameron Dillon, Candra Glenn, Emily Goering, Kelsey Greenier, Jenna Hosmer, James Joyce, Jon King, Jason Means, Sam Ramus, Alyson Sweet and Jenna Yeomelakis. Welch also introduced the Track Champions. Boys and Girls were both Western Maine Conference Champions and the Girls were also State Champions while the Boys were State Runners UP. Welch also presented individual awards to Track State Champion Sidney Blum in the pole vault, Lauren Blackburn in the 100 yard hurdles and Michelle Carson in the triple jump.
All Star Awards, as selected by the opposing coaches, were presented to seniors Lindsay Robinson, Maura Roche and Haley Woods in softball. All Star Awards, normally reserved for seniors in baseball, were presented to junior Danny Moran, sophomore Kevin Moran and sophomore Matt Haight. All Star recognition in lacrosse went to Jessica Cassotis, Ginny Lee, and Kiah Voyer-Colbath and in tennis to Jake Posternak, Elizabeth Barton and Lauren Coupal.
Welch explained, to the loudest cheers of the night, in order to have a state champion you must have many stars and this year's York High champion track teams had 20 student All Stars as follows: Lauren Blackburn, Sidney Blum, Lacey Cartier, Regan Cleminson, Emily Goering, Lianna Grieg, Chelset Tewell, Danielle Clements, Jenna Hosmer, Molly Carl, Morgan Taylor, Brendon Boston, Tom Ciampa, Brandon Cross, Mickey Rose, Gabe Zinck, Matt Hosmer, Nate Green, Nick McMahon and Sam Ramus.
After Welch completed his major presentations in the Robert E. Butler Gym the individual teams had break out sessions in seven different rooms in which the individual coaches could reward their players and talk to the parents. Baseball Head Coach Gordon Lewis announced that the "Moran twins" were his co-MVP winners. Actually no relation. Pitcher, Junior Danny Moran, went 7-0, in the regular season highlighted by a 1-0 win in the fog at Cape Elizabeth and sophomore Kevin Maran was a defensive force behind the plate and led the team with a .458 batting average. His moment to remember had to be the "mammoth walk off home run at Fryeburg that cleared the barn beyond the fence in left field." Sophomore Kal Decato, who pitched and played the outfield, won the Coach's Award and sophomore David Nieves was the "unsung hero". Lewis said Nieves showed up early and stayed late. Lewis had a special memento for senior co-captain Jeff Cole who made all the infielders look better with his long stretch and showed good senior leadership. Lewis added "I will always remember coming off the field after our win over Wells on a Saturday morning and Cole putting his arm around freshman pitcher Jimmy Kennedy to congratulate him on his first varsity win." Lewis went on "Kennedy is a kid who wanted the ball when I first met him as an eight year old and he wants it now!" Ryan MacGlashing may be a "loose spirit" but he is very versatile and played five different positions for us. Nick Mercurio is a good sophomore but was stuck behind our senior co-captain Cole at first base.
Lewis continued "Matt Haight is my grandson, and a good short stop with a .345 BA, but I left his coaching to my assistants Ellis Lane and Fred Knox. Sophomore Matt "Puppy" Prewitt used his speed as our lead off man and center fielder and sophomore Nick Richard saved his best for last--a home run in the playoff game in his last at bat."
JV Coach Richard Sirois, and his assistant Albie Goodrich were new to the program this year but led the team to a 10-3 record with the help of Alez Blasik who was chosen for the Coach's Award. Sirois commented briefly and complemented Ryan Keating who was hurt in the third game of the year but stayed with the team all season and kept the book regularly. Sirois was asked to recall his story of "one run at a time" and responded by describing the game they were down by six in the last of the seventh. "We always told the boys 'remember you can only score one run at a time'. We started our come back with a single, a walk another single etc. until we were only three down with the bases loaded. Then Alex Martin came to the plate and hit a grand slam walk off home run. Believe it or not I was speechless."
Meanwhile Softball Coach Lynne Michaud presented awards to her four seniors, all co-captains. Mo Roche was chosen MVP and Lindsay Robinson was picked as the Unsung Hero. Kellie Lajoie received the Coach's Award and Haley Woods was named for Outstanding Leadership. On the JV softball team Brittany Morley was selected as Most Improved, Melissa Enright as MVP and Cara Cavalieri received the Coach's Award.
In Girls Lacrosse the MVP was Ginny Lee and the MVP-Offense went to Kiah Voyer-Colbath while the MVP-Defense was Katherine Lindbom. Jessica Cassotis received the Coach's Award and Michaela Schilling received the JV-Coach's Award.
In Boys LaCrosse the MVP and the ground ball award both went to Cameron Dillon while Dan Powers was named Most Improved and Tom Ross the Defensive Player of the year. Nathan Willette was selected MVP on the JV team.
Boys Tennis gave Jake Posternak the Coach's Award and named Giancarlo DeSario as the Most Improved Player. Girls Tennis named Elizabeth Barton for Outstanding Leadership and Jennifer Pritchett as Most Improved.
The Track Team awards are as follows: MVP Lauren Blackburn and Mickey Rose. Coach's Awards to Liana Grieg, Lacey Cartier, Josh Moulton, and Nate Green, Most Improved to Jason Means and Michelle Carson; Mad Dog Award to Morgan Taylor and Brendon Boston, and the High Scorer Awards went to Chelsey Tewell and Gabe Zinck.
This concludes our coverage of York High School sports for this season.
