KENNEBUNK – Still wearing her Kennebunk High softball uniform after a game, Alex Leonardi would show up at her sister’s track meet and people would tell her, “Oh, good job, Abbey.”

Such is the life of an identical twin. Of course, Maine hasn’t seen a pair quite like Alex (who goes by Aley) and Abbey Leonardi, soft-spoken seniors who each signed a letter of intent Wednesday.

Their college choices are 3,000 miles apart. Aley plans to play soccer at Stony Brook University on the northern tip of Long Island. Abbey plans to run track and cross country at the University of Oregon.

“They support each other no matter what,” said Shannon Corliss, the Kennebunk girls’ soccer coach who would stop practice to cheer the cross country runners as they passed.

“I could see the love between the two of them, when (Aley) was looking for (Abbey). It was important to her. It ranked high in her life. And certainly Abbey attended as many soccer games as she could. They back each other up for sure.”

In December, Abbey placed fourth at the Foot Locker championships in San Diego in her third trip to the nationals. She’s a four-time Class A state champion in cross country and a three-time winner of the state’s Gatorade female athlete of the year for track and field.

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Aley found success in soccer and softball, although she gave up softball to concentrate on soccer and last spring joined the track team.

In soccer, she was a two-year captain and MVP who scored 49 career goals.

“We were really hoping for that 50th,” Corliss said, “but she’s a generous player.

“She actually passed the ball off when she could have scored her 50th, so that says a lot about her as a player. Just a great, great kid.”

Joining the sisters in the signing ceremony in the high school lobby were their parents, Lynda and Jack Leonardi, as well as Corliss, cross country coach Mike Dinehart, track and field coach Gia Drew and Athletic Director Thor Nilsen.

“This is a huge moment for the Leonardi family and for Kennebunk High School,” said Nilsen, who presided over a similar ceremony in November when two other Kennebunk senior girls signed letters of intent, Maria Varano to play tennis at Siena and Janelle Bouchard to play softball at Valparaiso.

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Several other Maine high school seniors signed letters of intent Wednesday, including Emily Durgin of Cheverus, Matt McClintock of Madison and CeCi Hodgkins of Greely.

Durgin will run for Connecticut, McClintock for Purdue, and Hodgkins will play field hockey at St. Anselm College.

Kasia Jania, a senior at Scarborough High and the top-rated girls’ tennis player in New England, will continue her career at Penn. This fall she may even play against her sister, Camille, a senior at Harvard.

“It is possible, yes,” Jania said with a laugh.

“We’ll finally find out who’s the better one.”

Back in junior high, the Leonardi sisters dreamed of professional ski racing before finding their way in soccer and running. Now, with the recruiting process and college visits behind them, they’re thinking about possible fields of study.

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Aley is considering journalism or film. Abbey is thinking about psychology or business, and tinkers with the idea of opening her own bakery someday.

“I’m the tester,” Aley said.

Not that they ever tested the patience of their high school coaches.

“These two young ladies have excelled,” Dinehart said, “because they’re willing to work hard when they need to work hard.”

“They’re both extremely humble,” Corliss said. “No attitudes. Just positive, positive. It’s been a pleasure for four years and I know I’m going to be sad to see (them) go but I’m happy for (their) next adventure. They’re the athletes that you dream about.”

Staff Writer Glenn Jordan can be contacted at 791-6425 or at:

gjordan@pressherald.com 

Tom Chard contributed to this report.

 


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