Windham’s Talon to attend UMaine on full basketball scholarship

By Matt Pascarella

Windham senior Sarah Talon will attend the
University of Maine at Orono on a full
scholarship to play basketball next year. Talon
signed her Letter on Intent at Windham High
School on Monday, Nov. 15 in front of her 
family, friends, coaches and supporters.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

Windham senior Sarah Talon has had the dream of playing Division I basketball since she first picked up a ball. Talon has made that happen through countless hours of work and practice and she verbally agreed to attend the University of Maine at Orono the summer before her sophomore year.

Talon made it official by signing a Letter of Intent in front of a big group of friends, family, coaches and supporters on Monday, Nov. 15 at Windham High School. She received a full scholarship to play Division I basketball and will major in sports medicine in college.

When Talon was little, she thought soccer was her strong suit, but realized in middle school she was better at basketball. She remembers watching Catherine McCauley player Allie Clement as well as her big sister Hannah. Clement and Hannah were role models of Talon’s; she wanted to do what they did. Talon wanted to play at Clement’s level and the collegiate level.

Talon has a love of the game which is what makes athletics important to her. She’s competitive and has the drive to rise to the occasion and succeed.

“That competitiveness is just incredibly unique with Sarah,” said Windham girls’ basketball coach Brody Artes. “[She’s] someone who is always looking to gain an advantage on the court and push her teammates, she just wants to win every single time down the floor. We don’t see a whole lot of athletes that have that drive that Sarah does each and every day.”

Talon has been dreaming about the day she would commit to play Division I basketball for a while and for it to finally be happening in front of everyone she loves is something she will never forget.

“I knew I couldn’t get to where I wanted to be by sitting at home; I had to go out and actually work for it. I had to wake up to those 5 a.m. mornings when I didn’t want to, and I had to come late at night even when I didn’t want to.”

Talon started a workout routine at New England Fitness and Athletics where she said they helped get her to become stronger, faster and more agile, along with everything she needed to do for basketball.

Thornton Academy junior Jessica Dow played on the Maine Attraction Amateur Athletic Union team with Talon. Dow described her as a leader. Dow said Talon has everyone’s back if they are behind in a game, Talon knows how to bring her team together and calm them down. She described Talon as an all-around good teammate.

Talon said she was definitely motivated to continue working harder by people who told her she couldn’t do it, no matter the reason. She used all those negative comments and transferred them directly to the basketball court.

“I proved them all wrong,” said Talon. “And it feels good.”

Talon said she’s grateful to her mom and dad and sister Hannah, for without them none of this would be possible. They have worked so hard over the years, the countless hours of driving, the money spent on hotels for tournaments and everything that has led to this moment.

She would also like to thank Shawn Legassy, Steve Haines, Diana Manduca and Dajuan Eubanks for their hard work and dedication to her and Blue Wave Basketball. Talon started Blue Wave around third grade and the mentioned individuals believed in her and knew she had a shot at something great.  <