Athletes of yesteryear

On June 22, The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram honored the state's best high school athletes at our annual banquet. A player of the year for each sport was honored and we named our male and female Athletes of the Year. What makes this year so special is that it's the 25th year of honoring Maine's best, and we were able to catch up with all our Athletes of the Year since the first banquet in 1988.

1989

Stephanie Carter Thompson, Schenck High and Rob Pendergist, Ellsworth High

Carter attended St. Joseph’s College for its nursing program and to play for Coach Mike McDevitt. She was last known to be a registered nurse.
Pendergist qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials but missed becoming an Olympian. He’s coached at Rider College, became an avid golfer and still competes in triathlons. Read more

1990

Christina Strong D'Appolonia, Georges Valley High and Dan Ladd, Oxford Hills

Strong is concentrating on a new business and career as a personal trainer, starting Strong Bodies LLC, a fitness and training center in Yarmouth.
Ladd played golf professionally on minor tours briefly after college and is currently the senior sales director of Cobra Puma Golf, a golf equipment and footwear company. Read more

1991

Melissa Lockman, John Bapst and Ryan Werner, Scarborough

Lockman works as a parent-infant psychotherapist in Boulder, Colo., where she lives with her husband and 1-year-old daughter, and was inducted in the John Bapst Athletic Hall of Fame last year.
Werner became a firefighter in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and won the South Carolina Firefighters Challenge, a competition in full gear. He's now an EMT and runs a fishing charter business. Read more

1992

Kristen Briggs Carmichael, York and Mike Brady, Cape Elizabeth

Briggs Carmichael won state championships in three sports and is now the science development director for nutrition for a global biochemical profiling company.
Brady played soccer professionally after college with the Cape Cod Crusaders and is now a VP for a Boston-area investment firm.. Read more

1993

Sandi Carver, Jonesport-Beals and Jamie Cook, Kennebunk

Carver was a captain for the University of Maine women's basketball team and is working toward her master's degree in nursing anesthesia at the University of New Hampshire.
Cook was a Big Ten decathlon champion at Penn State and is currently part of the coaching staff at the University of Oregon. Read more

1994

Cindy Blodgett, Lawrence and Jamie Cook, Kennebunk

Blodgett was a four-time MVP for basketball, went on to lead the University of Maine team to four straight NCAA tournament appearances and is currently an assistant coach at URI.
Cook was a Big Ten decathlon champion at Penn State and is currently part of the coaching staff at the University of Oregon. Read more

1995

Nichole Motil Jackson, Thornton Academy and T.J. Caouette, Winthrop

Motil Jackson broke three state track records in high school and went on to compete for the University of Maine. She's currently a state champion track coach at Munroe High School in N.C.
A multiple state champion in golf and track and field, Caouette went on to play four years on the court for Big East program Villanova. Read more

1996

Amy Vachon, Cony and T.J. Caouette, Winthrop

Vachon went on to captain the University of Maine women's basketball team and played in four NCAA tournaments. She's coached high school teams and is now a Maine assistant.
A multiple state champion in golf and track and field, Caouette went on to play four years on the court for Big East program Villanova. Read more

1997

Kristi Knights O'Donnell, South Portland and David Romilly, Wells

Knights continued her field hockey career at the University of Maine and earned a degree in kinesiology. She's currently a clinical assistant at OA Center for Orthopedics in Portland.
Romilly competed in decathlon for four years at Penn State and now works as a civil engineer for Wright-Pierce Engineering in Portsmouth. Read more

1998

Kate Toye Blake, Scarborough and Tom Waterman, Bangor

Toye, who lives in Cape Elizabeth, competed as a sprinter for four years at the University of Massachusetts and earned a degree in journalism.
Now an accountant for Wright's Sporting Goods in Hampden, Waterman played two years of basketball at the University of Maine before transferring to Franklin Pierce. Read more

1999

Jenn Moreau, Mt. Ararat and Roger Levesque, Falmouth

Now a high school track coach in Massachusetts, Moreau went on to compete in middle-distance events at Syracuse University.
After setting a record for goals in high school, Levesque was All-America at Stanford and is now in his fourth season with the MLS' Seattle Sounders. Read more

2000

Noel Beagle, Gorham and Jeremy Shorey, Lisbon

Beagle played four years of basketball at Yale, earned degrees in sociology and economics, and an MBA from Harvard, and now works in Bakersfield, Calif.
Shorey pitched three seasons of minor league baseball after three years as a quarterback at Husson College. He now works for Bath iron Works. Read more

2001

Lani Boardman Silversides, York and Parker Adams, NYA

After four years of basketball at Vermont, Boardman Silversides became a math teacher and basketball coach at Phillips Andover Academy.
Adams played lacrosse for four seasons at Loyola College and earned a business management degree. He is the owner of Thermal Solutions of Maine. Read more

2002

Sarah Marshall Ryan, McAuley and John Kane, Deering

Marshall Ryan spent four years on the basketball court at Boston College and graduated with a degree in communications. She is married to Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
Kane is a lieutenant in the Navy, flying helicopters for HSC-25 Island Knights in Guam. He wrestled for four years at the Naval Academy. Read more

2003

Erin Hatch, Thornton Academy and Ben True, Greely

Hatch competed in jumps and hurdles for the University of Maine and is currently studying for her doctorate in clinical psychology at Antioch University.
Now a professional runner planning to compete in the U.S> Olympic Trials, True is a graduate of Dartmouth College and currently lives in new Hampshire. Read more

2004

Brittany Veazie McAllister, Dexter and Mark Rogers, Mt. Ararat

Veazie McAllister went on to study exercise science and play field hockey at Springfield College, and got her master's degree in sports and business administration through an online program.
Rogers was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2004 Major League Baseball draft and is currently pitching for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. Read more

2005

Katie Rollins, Cony and Skip Edwards, Portland

Rollins played four years of basketball at Harvard and earned her degree in psychology. She played professionally in Germany for a year and currently works for Coca-Cola in Boston.
Edwards competed in track and field at the University of Maine. He is currently a child protective case worker for the Department of Health and Human Services. Read more

2006

Michelle Libby, Sacopee Valley and Josh Pelletier, Foxcroft Academy

Libby played softball at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, hitting 10 home runs as a senior. She lives in Emeryville, Calif. and works for Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
During his senior year of wrestling for Liberty University, Pelletier tore the MCL and meniscus in his knee one hour before the NCAA qualifying meet. He earned a degree in criminal justice. Read more

2007

Kelsey Wilson, Gorham and Jared Turcotte, Lewiston

After starring in soccer at the University of Maine, Wilson has spent time as an assistant coach with the team. She is applying to medical school.
Turcotte played football for the University of Maine but injuries sidelined during his sophomore and junior seasons. He earned his degree in kinesiology. Read more

2008

Becky O'Brien, Greely and Kyle Stilphen, Gardiner

After setting records in shot put and discus, O'Brien went on to the University of North Carolina and the University of Buffalo. She owns collegiate records in the shot put and javelin and will compete in shot put at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.
Stilphen attended the University of Maine on a baseball scholarship. His career was ended when he was hit in the face with a ball. He works for his father hauling logs. Read more

2009

Stephanie Whitten, Waterville and Nate Doehler, Bonny Eagle

After playing on three state championship teams as a high school senior, Whitten moved on to Sacred Heart University. She played soccer as a freshman and will be a senior in the nursing program this fall.
Doehler attended the University of Maine on a football scholarship for two years, then moved to Utah and now works with his father remodeling and selling homes. Read more

2010

Jenni Roberts, Sanford and Will Geoghegan, Brunswick

Roberts earned a swimming scholarship at the University of Maryland but after two years the school dropped the program. She is transferring to the University of New Hampshire.
Geoghegan is currently a sophomore at Dartmouth College where he competes in track and cross country and is majoring in computer science. Read more