Another successful year for Windham and Special Olympics

Mary Greslick, AJ Mains, Kayla Fillinger, Dani Iaconeta,
 Eric Loftin, Austin Rice, James Tucker, Cam Malone 

By Matt Pascarella

Eight excited Special Olympics athletes made their way through the crowd of celebrating students, faculty and staff on Friday morning, June 7 to the vans that would take them to the University of Maine at Orono for the 50^th year of the Special Olympics Maine State Summer Games.

The weekend began with a huge parade and opening ceremonies on Friday night. Saturday was filled with great competitions. Many awards and personal bests were achieved. Saturday ended with a 1969-themed dance.

In the first event, the relay, the team came out on top and brought home the gold. The event started strong for Windham with Austin Rice and continued strong legs by AJ Mains and Cam Malone, putting Windham in the lead. James Tucker extended and held that lead all the way to the end.

Eighth grader Dani Iaconeta exclaimed this was the “best weekend ever.”

“All the athletes participated in three individual events and all did a fabulous job with some personal bests,” stated Coach, Anne Blake. “Thanks to all the support from RSU14 athletic boosters, administration, our volunteer assistant coaches, Margie Dionne, Nikki Rogers, Olivia Latham and Mitch Hodge, the parents and athletes.”

Congratulations to all the athletes: Mary Greslick, AJ Mains, Kayla Fillinger, Dani Iaconeta, Eric Loftin, Austin Rice, James Tucker and Cam Malone.

Windham lacrosse represented in SMAA All Conference photo shoot

SMAA All Conference team

On Monday, June 10 the Southern Maine Activities Association (SMAA) brought together all players on the SMAA All Conference Team for a photo. Representing Windham were seniors Tommy Lekousi and Tyler Woolston. Windham lacrosse finished their season ranked #1 in the conference, only losing one game in regular season play.

“The season was an overall success,” said Lekousi who is going to the University of Maine at Orono for Civil and Environmental Engineering.

“The season was a big confidence booster, to show that Windham has a good lacrosse program,” remarked Woolston, who is going to play at the University of Vermont next year.

Best of luck to Lekousi and Woolston next year and congrats to Windham varsity lacrosse on a great season.

Varsity softball left nothing on the field in playoff game

2019 Lady Eagles softball team

By Matt Pascarella

Coming off their June 4th 7-1 win against Marshwood in the prelims, the varsity softball team traveled to Thornton Academy for the quarterfinal playoff game on Friday, June 7.

After the first and second inning went scoreless for both teams, Chloe Wilcox, #22, stepped up to the plate in the top of the third. Three pitches and Wilcox sent that ball flying to right field and it was GONE! 1-0, Windham.

Next up was Erin Elder, #24. Elder swung and that ball was soaring to center field...going, going, GONE! Back-to-back home runs for the Lady Eagles and Windham stepped out with a 2-0 lead.

After three innings, Thornton Academy was up 5-2 and Windham’s defense would keep the score from moving until the end of the game. The Lady Eagles had no lack of effort or team spirit. 

Windham did well, getting several base hits and making several great plays, picking runners off at first and nabbing a runner headed home where a throw in time was able to stop a run from being scored. More than once the Lady Eagles left Thornton runners stranded on base.

Unfortunately, Thornton Academy was able to secure the lead and keep it into the seventh inning.

Final: 8-2

“I’m proud of the girls and how they battled today,” observed coach Fred Wilcox. “I told them before the game, ‘bring everything, leave nothing’ and they did. The energy was really good. Some of our captains led really well; they hit the ball well, they pitched the ball well. From the beginning of the season until now, I thought that they brought a lot more energy and I think that’s key to having a successful team.”

Varsity Baseball comes up short against Portland in prelim game

By Andrew Wing

On Tuesday June 4, the boys’ varsity baseball team hosted the Portland Bulldogs in the preliminary round of the Maine Class A South baseball tournament. Windham came in as the fifth seed after finishing the regular season with a 10-6 record.

Windham ace #22, Bryce Afthim started off red hot striking out four of the first six batters he faced. After a scoreless first two innings, the Windham bats came to life in their bottom half of the third inning when #20, Ryan Sargent roped a line drive into right field with the bases loaded that scored two runs for the Eagles. That wasn’t it though, #2, Brady Afthim hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field that scored #26 Caleb McCartney to put the fifth seeded Eagles up 3-0 going into the 4th inning.

Portland was able to get within one run of Windham in their half of the 6th before pitcher Afthim recorded his 9th strikeout of the evening to keep the Portland bats at bay heading into the bottom of the 6th. Score going into the 6th: Windham 3 - Portland 2

After some impressive defensive plays in the field from Portland, they came alive in the top of the 7th inning and took a 5-3 lead over Windham.

Windham needed two runs to keep their season alive, but unfortunately fell just short despite giving it their all. Final score: Portland 5 - Windham 3

Windham’s varsity baseball season sadly came to an end, but it was without a doubt another successful season for the Eagles, going 10-7 on the year and making the playoffs once again.

WHS sports awards and senior cording ceremony

On Monday, June 3^rd Windham High School held their spring awards and senior cording ceremony. Seniors received graduation cords based on the number of years they played a sport(s) during their high school career. Coach Matt Perkins won the first ever Coach of the Year award. Recent pictures of student athletes at games were shown. Athletic awards were distributed.

Congrats to all athletes and the class of 2019!

We’ve enjoyed watching you play over the years!

Tara Flanders and mother, Kelly

Ian McCuster and mother, Kim

 

Alanna Joyce and mother, Cindy

Congratulations to former Windham Middle School student

Friends of Anneliese Warnberg may be excited to discover that she has been named the varsity softball Rookie of the Year.

Warnberg, who was a student at RSU14 but moved with her family to Florida last year, now attends Allen D. Nease High School in St. Augustine. She not only made the varsity team, but she was part of the starting lineup as catcher, her favorite position. In a press release, Warnberg stated that the season shaped her into, “not only a better player, but a better person as well.”

Warnberg’s grandparents, Russell and Elaine Warnberg still live in the Windham and Raymond community.

Raymond baseball and softball play great games

Micah Knights 

By Matt Pascarella

The Raymond majors baseball team, Raymond Mosquito Ice Cream Shop, took on MPM Sealcoating of Windham at Mills Road Field in Raymond. The girls’ softball team, the Raymond Raptors went up against Yarmouth also at Mills Road Field in Raymond. Both games were on Saturday, June 1.

Baseball

In the bottom of the first inning, after a double and a line drive, Harrison Behnke #40, scored the first run for the Mosquitos.

Windham jumped to a 6-3 lead after two full innings, The Mosquitos answered with some excellent base stealing, and several solid hits. In the bottom of the third, Anthony Troiano, #34, and Griffin Richmond, #36, both walked. Then, they each stole home. Micah Knights, #33, stole home after he walked; the game tied at 6. Lachlan Warren, #39, and Jacob Buckley, #37, got base hits. Bryce Porter, #38, singled. A short time later Warren took home and gave the Mosquitos the lead of 7-6.

In the fourth, Carter Engleman, #32, stole home after he walked. Behnke singled and then Troiano singled on a bunt. Behnke and Troiano both scored.

In the fifth, Knights scored after a walk and Warren took home after being hit by the pitch.

Final: 12-8, Raymond Mosquitos

“They’ve learned a lot and are applying what they’ve learned, and it’s good to see,” commented coach Eric Richmond. “Like anything, we have our rough spots, but they did a pretty good job.”

Softball

Yarmouth jumped to a 5-0 lead early in the game, but Raymond answered right back tying the game at 5 after one inning.

Keley Hovey

Jump to the third inning, Kiley Hovey, #65, and MacKenzie Gervais, #56, both got base hits and then took home plate. After Diana Austin, #62, singled, Rilee Remington, #64, scored. At this point, Yarmouth had a small lead, but Raymond was not far behind, 13-8.

In the fourth, Raymond continued putting in a solid effort, with exceptional teamwork, battling it out, staying alive in the batter’s box by swinging the bat and continuing to get a piece of the ball. 

Yarmouth had taken a bit of a lead, but Raymond wasn’t done and stayed in the game. Raymond was making strong throws to first and second and nabbed a couple outs at third base, too.

In the fifth inning, Remington and Gervais singled and later scored.

Final: 28-10, Yarmouth

“They came together as a team for our last game of the season,” said coach Anthony Hovey. “We had a great team. They had their hearts in it from the very beginning. I think our season ended great...they improved throughout the year, only thing a coach can ask for is improvement and that’s what I got.”