ETHAN HOFFMAN, Senior – Indoor track

Ben McCanna / Portland Press Herald

Courtesy Yarmouth Athletics.

Hoffman cemented his status as the state’s premier shot put thrower and in the process, he elevated his teammates to greatness as well.

Hoffman joined the Clippers team as a junior and came in third in the shot put.

Hoffman, who also scored in outdoor track in the throws and sprints, had a terrific senior campaign indoors.

Hoffman consistently left the competition in his wake during the regular season, winning the senior shot put by multiple feet.

At the Western Maine Conference championship meet, Hoffman captured the shot put with a top throw of 53 feet, 4 inches, nearly four feet better than his closest competitor.

Then, at states, Hoffman won the crown by throwing the shot put 50 feet, 10.75 inches. Hoffman completed his season by posting a top throw of 52-2 at the New England championships, good for 13th-place.

Along the way, Hoffman brought along the likes of teammates Abd Muayad and Tyler Vogel to make up one of the top throwing contingents around.

Hoffman will try to leave the opposition hopelessly far behind again this spring before matriculating at the University of Chicago next year.

Ethan Hoffman, Yarmouth’s Winter Athlete of the Year, has been devoted to becoming the best thrower he could be and it all came together this season, as he proved to be the finest in the state.

Coach Sarah Carrigan’s comment: “Ethan has put in an immense amount of work, both on his own time and in advocating for our shot put program. Ethan gathered a small group of shot putters over the summer and fall to train together and their work has really paid off. He put in long hours training in the circle and even constructed his own indoor circle to facilitate better training in our gymnasium. Ethan is willing to do all of the little things to make him the most successful shot putter he can be, lifting, sleeping, fueling, etc.”

Previous winners:

CELIA ZINMAN, Junior – Hockey

Derek Davis / Portland Press Herald

Courtesy Yarmouth Athletics.

Zinman is simply a star for all seasons and her winter campaign was no exception, as she again came up big in the clutch and helped her team go on a deep run.

Zinman was also named Athlete of the Year in the fall after leading Yarmouth’s field hockey team to the state final for the first time this century and she played a major role on the Clippers’ girls lacrosse championship back in June.

On the ice, Zinman stepped right in as a freshman, scoring seven goals and adding seven assists as the Yarmouth/Freeport co-op squad got to the state final. As a sophomore, Zinman had 13 goals and 13 assists and was named to the North Region all-star team as Yarmouth/Freeport got back to the state game.

This winter, she was even better, scoring 16 goals and adding 10 assists, earning All-State honors in the process.

Highlights were plentiful.

Zinman scored a goal and had two assists in a win over St. Dom’s, had two goals in a victory over Edward Little, two more goals in a win over Falmouth/Scarborough and a goal and an assist in a victory over Penobscot.

In the playoffs, Zinman gave Yarmouth/Freeport an early lead over Brunswick in the regional final, but the Clippers weren’t able to advance to a third consecutive state game, as they fell, 2-1.

Celia Zinman, Yarmouth’s Winter Athlete of the Year, is off to make her mark on her next sport, but rest assured, she’s got some unfinished business on the ice and that bodes well for the 2025-26 Clippers.

Coach Dave Intraversato’s comment: “Celia is the pulse of our team. There are some players out there that are flashing and skate all over the ice, like, ‘Look at me, I’m better than you’ and score tons of goals, but Celia is the type of player that skates around like, ‘Look at me, I work harder than you,’ and this makes her better. She scored many big goals in key moments. We asked her to learn the center position this season on the first line and the middle of our power play. Our team defense starts with our forecheck and Celia understands her role. She is always one of the first in the offensive zone with pressure on the puck. She’s a phenomenal forechecker. She plays all 200 feet of the ice, backchecking and swinging low for breakout passes. She is one of the top all-around skilled players in the state. Celia’s leadership and will to win are going to help the Clippers do great things in her senior season. You can’t ask for a better student-athlete to coach.”

Previous winners:

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.