Naughty lists, nice lists, wish lists, honey-do lists. This month has already been all about writing and checking off lists. So, what’s one more before you’re out of the blissful spirit?

Take a look back at 10 of the best sports moments from the Midcoast this year. From the high school game to the pros, whether it was across the street or across the ocean, there was always something worth celebrating on the Midcoast sports scene. Here’s a look back at 10 of the most memorable moments of 2024:

Brunswick’s Maddy Werner spins the net after the Dragons won the Class A girls’ basketball championship against Cony at Cross Insurance Arena on Saturday. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

Brunswick girls basketball wins program’s first state title

A year after falling to Lawrence in the state championship, the Brunswick girls basketball team returned to the Class A title game with unfinished business. On March 2, the Dragons capped off a 20-win season and won their first Gold Ball in program history by beating Cony. 54-30, the largest margin of victory in a Class A title game since 2017. Brunswick fell behind 8-0, but roared to a 30-point lead in the second half behind a strong zone defense and a 21-point, 10-rebound effort from Dakota Shipley. Class A South tournament MVP Lexi Morin contributed 12 points, while Maddy Werner added six points, five rebounds and three blocks. Morin and Evangeline Harvie both assisted six times.

Bowdoin women’s basketball wins NESCAC, reaches Elite Eight

With a 66-56 win over Bates, the Bowdoin women’s basketball team won its first NESCAC championship since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Polar Bears, who would finish the season 28-3 and ranked as fifth in the nation, continued the March Madness success with a run to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Div. III tournament. Point guard Sydney Jones was named the conference’s player of the year after leading Bowdoin in points, (16.5 ppg), rebounds (7 rpg), assists (3.3. apg) and steals (1.9 spg). Head coach Megan Phelps and assistant coach Abby Kelly were named conference coaching staff of the year in their second season at the helm.

Bowdoin tennis player wins singles national championship

Three days after earning a degree from Bowdoin College, Tristan Bradley earned a national championship trophy in St. Louis by beating Denison’s Kael Shah in three sets. Bradley beat Shah 6-5, 5-7, 6-0 on May 28 to become the second Bowdoin player to win a men’s tennis singles title. Bradley only lost one set during the NCAA Div. III, winning four straight-set matches on his way to the final. The two-time NESCAC Player of the Year finished his spring season with a record of 26-2.

Track and field teams head to Nike Outdoor Nationals in Oregon

From June 12-15, multiple members of the Brunswick and Mt. Ararat track and field teams made the cross-country trip to Eugene, Oregon to compete in the Nike Outdoor Nationals. Brunswick’s Lisi Palmer finished fifth in the girls high jump, while Mt. Ararat’s Ian Britt was the boys 3,000-meter race walk and fifth in the 10,000 racewalk.

Caleb Manuel hits out of a bunker on the 18th hole during the final round of the Charlie’s Maine Open last summer in Manchester. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Former Mt. Ararat golfer Caleb Manuel turns pro

Caleb Manuel’s amateur golf career — four all-state selections and two team state titles at Mt. Ararat, three straight wins at the Maine Amateur Championships and an appearance in the 2022 U.S. Open — is one of the best in Maine’s recent history, but that came to an end on June 14, when the Topsham native made the decision to turn pro. He made his professional debut less than a week later in New Hampshire. In October, Manuel won his Korn Ferry Tour Q School Stage 1 Qualifier with a score of 24-under and received full exemption into next season’s PGA Tour Americas.

Bowdoin swimmer Alexandre Grand’Pierre represents Haiti in Olympics

When Alexandre Grand’Pierre dove into the Paris La Defense Arena pool on July 27, the Bowdoin College senior not only became the 10th-ever Polar Bear to compete in the Olympic or Paralympic Games, but he became the third member of his family to swim for Haiti in the Olympics, following older sisters Naomy (2016, Rio) and Emilie (2021, Tokyo). Grand’Pierre raced in the 100-meter breaststroke and placed 28th overall with a time of 1 minute, 2.85 seconds.

Former Brunswick goalie makes emergency start for Merrimack

When Spencer Marquis signed up to be a student equipment manager for the Merrimack College men’s hockey team, he never envisioned being the starting goalie in the season opener. But on Oct. 6, when injuries and suspensions to the other rostered goalies forced head coach Scott Borek to look down the bench, the former Brunswick High goaltender suited up for the first time in months. Marquis, a senior, saved 22 shots and forced a missed penalty shot as he nearly anchored the Warriors to a win over Stonehill College. However, Stonehill would tie the game with 8.9 seconds left in regulation and scored shortly into overtime, beating Merrimack 3-2.

Senior Caleb Harvey (third from right) shot a 2-over 38 to help lead Morse to the KVAC Class B Shootout win at Rockland Golf Club on Oct. 2. Courtesy of Simon Elias

Morse wins multiple KVAC fall championships

October was an eventful month for the Shipbuilders as four teams — boys and girls cross country, golf and boys soccer — claimed their respective KVAC Class B titles. The golf team claimed its crown at Rockland Golf Course with a score of 165, two strokes better than defending champion Nokomis. Next was the cross country program, which swept the boys and girls competitions and had four runners on each side finish in the top 10 at the Cony course. Then was the boys soccer team, which won its first conference title since 1988 with an 11-1-2 regular season record.

Mt. Ararat football advances to 8-man Large School final

Mt. Ararat squandered a 24-point first half lead in a 36-30 loss at Camden Hills during the regular season. The rematch in Rockport on Nov. 8 produced a much different outcome, as the Eagles rolled to a 48-12 victory in an eight-man Large School semifinal game. Dash Farrell (201 yards rushing, 3 TDs) and Nick Doughty (126 yards rushing, 2 TDs) led the Eagles on offense, while Aidan Ramsay (interception ret. TD) helped secure the win on defense. Mt. Ararat clinched a spot in an eight-man title game for the first time since 2019, before falling to Greely the following week.

Richmond boys soccer wins Class D title in final minute

For the majority of the Nov. 9 Class D boys soccer state championship game, top-seeded Richmond was in control over No. 3 Fort Fairfield and seemed to be cruising to their sixth title in program history . Fort Fairfield, however, didn’t plan on making the near nine-hour round trip to Bath without putting up a fight, and tied the game at 2-2 in the 71st minutes. With 24.5 seconds left in the match, Ben Fournier collided with the goalkeeper, sending his shot off the crossbar. Richmond teammate Gavin Grover followed the shot, gathered the ball off the crossbar and tapped it in to give the Richmond the 3-2 win.