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| Windham High graduating senior Brady Afthim has been honored by USA Today as 2021 Male Athlete of the Year for Maine and also as Maine 2021 Baseball Player of the Year. PHOTO BY HEATHER SEAVEY |
Windham High School graduating seniors Brady Afthim and Emma Yale ended their spring seasons on very high notes. They both won several awards recognizing them for their hard work over their high school athletic careers and last month each were honored as winners of the National USA Today High School Player of the Year award.
Yale was recognized as Maine’s “Female Lacrosse Player of the Year” and Afthim was recognized as Maine’s “Baseball Player of the Year” and “Male Athlete of the Year.”
USA Today High School Sports Awards has 105 local and statewide award programs and is the largest high school athletic recognition program in the country. The best athletes from many individual sports are selected each year.
Top athletes from statewide levels advance to the national USA Today High School Sports Awards where the best of the best is selected. The selection process is not through application, but rather USA Today has their own selectors that pick athletes through “statistical analysis, game coverage and coach/athletic director feedback.”
Afthim and Yale were part of the virtual national awards show which streamed on Thursday, Aug. 5 and was hosted by Michael Strahan and Rob Gronkowski.
Afthim, who will attend the University of Connecticut on a baseball scholarship, recently won the Winkin Award, Gatorade Player of the Year and Varsity Maine Player of the Year among other honors. By the end of the season, he had struck out 128 batters in 53 and 1/3 innings pitched. He also had three homeruns over the course of the prep season and also threw a no-hitter.
Tufts-bound Yale set a new Windham High School record of 145 goals scored over a high school athletic career after the end of the 2021 season. She was also one of Windham’s “Female Athlete of the Year” for 2020-2021.
Yale won the WMTW News channel 8’s Travy Award and was voted the number one player in the state by Maineiax Lacrosse Club. She was a top 10 student of her graduating class at Windham High School and will play college lacrosse for Tufts University.
Afthim said he feels really good about having had a very successful final high school season. As he looks ahead to a collegiate sports career, ending his senior year so well has given him confidence for the next level.
“It’s always cool getting recognition for success,” said Afthim of being chosen for the National USA Today High School Sports Award. He said he did not apply for the honor but was notified a few days prior to being named as the male winner for the state.
He said the awards are a nice confirmation of the work he is putting in.
Recently, Afthim turned down an offer to be drafted to play professional baseball by the Toronto Blue Jays.
“[It was] a little bit scary but also really exciting to even have the opportunity. I turned it down just because I know that I’m not ready for that step right now and I think I’ll be more successful going to the University of Connecticut first,” he said.
As if being a master on the mound wasn’t enough, Afthim also has taken up another sport, bowling. He said it might just be a phase, but he goes bowling a lot and bought his own ball. While it may just be a hobby, he’s competitive and takes everything super seriously.
Windham varsity baseball coach Cody Dube said he was not surprised when Afthim was chosen for this USA Today award. Dube said it was well-deserved as Afthim is a hardworking, committed athlete who loves what he does.
Yale said she was unaware this award existed too until Windham’s Athletic Director Rich Drummond notified her about her being chosen for the USA Today honor.
“It took me by surprise, but it is something I really appreciate, as it recognizes everything I've been able to accomplish and all of the hard work I have put into the sport,” said Yale.
The awards are a nice confirmation for her that she is on the right path. They inspire her to do more as she knows she can achieve bigger goals in the future. Yale is excited to see what she is capable of accomplishing at Tufts.
Before she heads to college, Yale said she’ll be camping with her family as well as some other fun things with family and friends.
Windham girls’ varsity lacrosse coach Matt Perkins said of Yale earlier in the season, “she puts the time in, and she does the extra things. Yes, [Emma] is very gifted, but she works extremely hard.” <
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