Alpine Skiing
Coaches: Sonny Davis, Scott Davis
Key athletes lost: Taylor Davis
Key athletes returning: Jon Grant, Paige Davis
Outlook: The Lakers are a small bunch, but dedicated to building numbers and skills. Because of the low head-count last year, Sonny Davis can’t offer an accounting of Lake Region’s record as a team, but happily notes that “individual results were quite promising, and we are looking to continue our progress.” The loss of Taylor Davis, a four-time WMC Champion, is a huge blow to the boys’ side of things; the task of marshalling the Lakers’ newcomers now falls to Grant. “The new additions to the ski team will have a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in our success in the future,” Sonny Davis says. On the girls’ side of things, four skiers return, including Paige Davis, a WMC all-star and a top-10 finisher at last winter’s States.

Boys Basketball
Coach: John Mayo
Last year’s record: 20-2, Class B State Champions
Key athletes returning: Tyler Walker (sr., G); Doug Mayo (sr., F); Tristen Chaine (jr., G); True Meyers (jr., F); Mark Mayo (so.)
Key matchups: Wells, Yarmouth, Waynflete
Outlook: Graduation took a heavy toll on the Lakers in June, claiming a huge swath of last year’s State-Championship roster, including Jack Lesure, Alex Langadas, Nate Smith, Marcus DeVoe, Nick Wandishin and others. Still, that squad was deep, and an impressive cast returns for another go-round this winter. Tyler Walker is an excellent point guard; when he subbed in for Lesure last year, the team barely missed a beat. The rest of John Mayo’s “key players” were all part of the gold-ball run as well, and thus know how to assemble a dominant season. “Our outlook is like most teams’: to get into the Tournament and be playing our best basketball at that time,” Mayo says. “Coming off a state championship, everyone wants to keep that excitement going. Tyler is our most experienced guy and he is leading by example, working hard each day in practice and pushing the other players. The more this group plays together and gets comfortable with each other and trusts each other, the more success they will have.” Mayo’s key games are his team’s first three of the winter; they fell 60-47 in their season-opener at Wells. Yarmouth – the Lakers’ major rival in the South last year – will no doubt have reloaded for the coming months and can be expected to put up a fight worth watching.

Girls Basketball
Coach: Paul True
Key players lost: Spencer True, Kaitlin Terry
Key players returning: Kristen Huntress, Melody Millett, Lauren Jakobs, Chandler True, Brooke Harriman, Aisley Sturk
Key matchups: G-NG, Yarmouth, Lincoln, Wells
Outlook: The Lake Region girls have been a strong outfit for some time now, and should figure into the mix this winter as well. “The Lakers look to improve throughout the season,” says Paul True, “and hope to be playing their best basketball at the end. Their goal is to make the Southern Class B Tournament. In order to reach their goal, they will have to stay healthy, rebound and take care of the basketball. I’m very much looking forward to coaching this group of young ladies.” 

Indoor Track
Coaches: Mark Snow, Dana Caron, Dan Dors
Last year’s record: Boys 9-23, girls 21-9
Key athletes returning: Dakota Stover (sr., sprints/jumps); Catherine Christiansen (sr., sprints); Meghan Boos (sr., hurdles/jumps), Thomas Noble (jr., shot put); Theo Snow (jr., hurdles/jumps); Sam DeSouza (jr., shot put); Danica Chadwick (jr., hurdles/jumps); Hannah Chadwick (jr., jumps); Maraia Nason (jr., shot put); Emily Colson (so., triple jump)
Outlook: Mark Snow is cautiously optimistic about his kids’ improving on last year’s efforts. “Our boys’ leaders – Dakota, Thomas and Theo – will place well in their events most meets, but that’s only five or six events out of 21 in a meet. We feel we can do better than last year’s nine wins. The key will probably be the numerous sophomore boys we have and if they are successful in the junior division.” The junior division includes grades nine and 10. Similarly, Snow’s girls are strongest in the senior division (the upperclassmen years), but “unproven” in the younger tier. “The girls are also a bit lacking in the open events,” he says. “This will make it difficult to match our record from last year. If some talent develops in the junior and open events, then we will have a great shot.” The first meet of the season – that Dec. 16 dustup – features many of the WMCs smaller teams, and should set the tone for the rest of the winter.

Cheering
Coach Kaitlyn Hall couldn’t be reached.

Laker Melody Millett – seen here in last year’s playoffs, battling a pair of Patriots – returns to the court this winter.

Lake Region’s Kristen Huntress attacks the net vs. G-NG last winter.