Her Mainely Girl Adventures: Tips for Managing Ticks

By Staci Warren

May is one of my favorite months. Weekends are filled with fly fishing, turkey hunting, and finding fiddleheads and morel mushrooms in the outdoors, and with all those adventures it also means ticks.

Staci Warren recommends permethrin or
picaridin for exposed skin to ward off
ticks when hunting outdoors in Maine.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

According to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab, May is peak season for deer ticks. Sitting in hardwoods turkey hunting means you’re going to get ticks on you, but that doesn’t mean you have to get bit. Since ticks are here to stay, we have to learn how to deal with them. The old saying, “the best defense is a good offense” couldn’t be truer when it comes to ticks.

Each season, in addition to my turkey hunting clothing and gear, I designate two pairs of jeans, socks, shoes/boots and t-shirts as my adventure gear that get treated with permethrin. Hang the garments outside and with plenty of ventilation to avoid inhalation, give them a good spray and leave to dry. Cover the entire garment but concentrate on the neckline and hem of the shirt, and the waistline and ankles of the pants. The treatment lasts for six weeks of sun exposure, or six washings. The manufacturer recommends storing out of sunlight to preserve the treatment. It’s important to know that you only treat clothing and gear with permethrin and never spray it on your skin. Be sure to keep permethrin away from cats as it can be lethal. I would advise keeping permethrin away from dogs and children as well. This means not only keeping treated clothing stored in a plastic bag once it has dried, but also where animals and children cannot access it.

In addition to permethrin, a good deet or picaridin spray used on exposed skin is essential, not just for ticks, but all the other biting insects out there. According to Consumer Reports, “products containing 25 to 30 percent deet or 20 percent picaridin typically provide at least several hours of protection, and any more than that and you’re increasing your exposure without improving the repellency.” It’s recommended that you wash insect repellent off once indoors, or at least before bedtime.

I often find ticks at my ankles, my waist and my neck. To reduce the chances of getting bitten, I do the following:

· Once dressed, wrap pant legs snuggly around ankles and pull socks over pants.

· Wear boots at least shin height so that pants stay tucked in socks.

· Layer clothing. I wear a tank top under my T-shirt. The tank is tucked in, and the treated t-shirt untucked.

· Wear long hair in a braid or bun if possible. I have found that a loose ponytail allows for hitchhikers more easily.

If you are in and out of your vehicle throughout the day, do a quick tick check before climbing back in. At the end of the day, a tick check is necessary. Just like muddy boots, leave your tick clothes at the door. Check clothing over before putting them into a gear bag for the next use, or place in the washing machine if it’s time for a wash. Inspect for ticks, paying attention to hairline, arm pits, back of legs, and the groin area. For those with long hair, I recommend brushing your hair and really feeling over the scalp for hidden ticks. If possible, use the buddy system and have someone help you check since it’s easy to miss tiny ticks.

Remember to keep your pets treated and to check them before letting them onto furniture or onto your bed. On more than one occasion, I’ve found a tick on my dog’s face or I’ve awoke with a tick on me that wasn’t there before I went to bed.

If you do find a tick attached, remove it as soon as possible; the longer a tick stays attached, the greater the risk is for developing Lyme disease or one of a number conditions no one wants. If you develop a rash or ring around the bite area, or feel ill, call your doctor to see if you need treatment.

A regimen of prevention will reduce your chances of getting bitten and will ease your concerns when it’s time to get out there. There are too many adventures to be had and I’m not about to let ticks take away my time in the outdoors. Just remember, it won’t be long before blackflies, midges, mosquitoes, horse flies, bees, hornets and brown-tail moths are here, so what’s a little tick?

-- Staci Warren provides a unique woman’s perspective and column on the outdoors every month. She is a freelance writer whose blog, My Mainely Girl Adventures, is about a woman hunting, fishing, trapping, foraging and living in the Maine outdoors. She also loves camping, star gazing, wildlife watching, and hunting for fossils. She’s an active member and board member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association and is a monthly columnist and feature writer for The Maine Sportsman Magazine. In her free time, she enjoys mentoring women hunters and trappers. <

Windham varsity softball squashes Portland/Deering in shutout game

By Matt Pascarella

Windham softball played Portland/Deering at Windham on Tuesday, May 13 and the Lady Eagles enjoyed an extremely strong start as they scored 10 runs in the first inning. They did not let up until the last Lady Eagle crossed the plate for a notable 15-0 win.

Windham junior Jezabelle Pinto connects for a hit during a
prep softball game at Windham High School on Tuesday,
May 13. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

“It was a little nerve-racking but exciting,” said Windham senior Lydia Marden who got her first varsity start in the circle; she had five strikeouts, let up one hit with no walks or errors. “I was really excited for this game; I got more confident as the innings went on, I started throwing a little harder and mixing pitches more. I feel like our pre-game energy was good. I think we need to talk a little more in the field, but in the dugout, we’ve been talking a lot and supporting each other. Nola’s catch in the outfield was amazing and everyone was super hyped for that. We’re going to continue to carry that energy through playoffs.”

Windham had a powerhouse first inning with junior Addison Caiazzo who singled on a bunt, then senior Stella Jarvais crushed the ball to center field. Senior Kennedy Kimball walked and after junior Oakley McLeod singled, Caiazzo scored.

From that point on, it was a revolving door of hits and Windham crossing home plate. Marden singled and courtesy runner sophomore Evelyn Anderson scored. Junior Lacie Higgins singled and McLeod scored.

Seven more runners crossed the plate before the end of the inning.

Windham defense wasn’t letting any runs, or many Portland/Deering hits in throughout the game. They sent three consecutive batters back to the dugout in the second inning.

In the third inning, Windham sophomore Sarah Smyth bunted and reached first base on an error. Sophomore Abhilasha Jain walked.

Windham junior Jezabelle Pinto singled; junior Lacie Higgins singled. Smyth and Jain scored. Higgins scored on a wild pitch; Windham led 14-0.

In the top of the fourth inning junior Nola Bryant made an incredible diving catch from center field.

“With the diving catches, that was my second one of the year, it’s me just wanting to have my pitcher’s backs and give them less hits in a game,” said Bryant. “It really makes the whole team hyped up when I make those catches; I love having my team’s back and making those plays. We were motivated to come in and win today; We started high, and we kept it up at a high the whole game. I think that we could definitely sit back on pitches – that needs improvement – wait a little bit longer with the slower pitching. What we did well was cheering our teammates on with the successes, we had our pitcher’s back really well and made all of the routine plays, I think that was very good.”

Marden crossed the plate in the fourth inning to end the game.

“I really challenged my batters to see how much of a disciplined batter they can be,” said Windham varsity softball coach Darcey Gardiner. “Can they stay back on their legs long enough, can they let that ball travel deeper in the zone, or are we going to be swinging out of our shoes trying to hit homeruns and swinging way early? I was really proud to see the adjustments they made from one pitcher yesterday (against Cheverus) to another pitcher today. All five seniors started today, and they have come into this year with this is all business. You had Lydia Marden getting her first varsity start out there in the circle; to see her teammates pump her up, that is everything you can ask and more. The score doesn’t show it, but for her to keep her composure not only in the circle but also up to bat, she was absolutely phenomenal today.”

Gardiner said it was nice to see both under and upperclassmen supporting each other and keeping the energy up throughout the game. <

WHS unified bocce displays excellent efforts, sportsmanship against Gray New-Gloucester

By Matt Pascarella

Halfway through the season, Windham’s varsity unified team traveled to Gray New-Gloucester High School where they took on the Patriots on Monday, May 12. Windham showed a great deal of sportsmanship and both teams cheered for their opponents.

Windham senior Colby Schmid gives his bocce ball an
elevated throw during a Unified bocce game at Gray New
Gloucester High School on Monday, May 12.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

Despite a 2-0 loss the Eagles showed that the game of bocce is more about making friends, having fun and improving at a game that you enjoy playing, rather than winning.

“I think they did really well today,” said Windham varsity unified bocce head coach Kendall Dolan. “They were really excited, and they were taking pointers from the other team which is just really nice to see two different schools working together; a really great game.”

In bocce, one team throws a small white ball called the pallina, and the goal is to throw larger balls, called bocce, to get as close to the pallina as possible. Only the team closest to the pallina scores points. This match consisted of two 20-minute games with the winner being whoever has the most points when time is up.

Although the score is kept, the object of the unified bocce game is more geared toward having fun and being part of a team.

Everyone on the Windham team, including junior Mary Jean, junior Zachary O’Brion, freshman Tristan Stanley, senior Colby Schmid, junior Jack Shirley and senior TJ McAllister displayed good throws and there was a lot of laughing and high-fiving with both teams cheering each other on.

Schmid said one of the things that went well during the game was teamwork. He said both teams showed great sportsmanship. Schmid said if the team had maybe focused more it might have ended differently for Windham. The season has been going well.

In the first game, Gray New-Gloucester took an early lead and stayed ahead to win that game, 9-2.

In the second game, Windham stayed strong, but Gray New-Gloucester won 11-0.

O’Brion said things went well and he had fun. He wasn’t happy with the loss, but he said WHS will try and beat Gray New-Gloucester the next time they play them.

“We have a really good group this year,” said Windham varsity unified bocce assistant coach Connor McNeill. “Honestly, our team is super flexible, and they are really good about going with the plan whatever it is – one thing that’s hard about bocce is sometimes we don’t know how many players the other team is going to have – so they have to adjust to playing for a different school or playing with a different group that they may not be used to playing with. They are always willing to do whatever we need. In terms of improvement, the more we play the better we’ll go, and Gray New-Gloucester is just really good.” <

Windham High’s outdoor track and field teams showcase skills in early season meet

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High School’s boys and girls outdoor track and field teams headed to Noble in North Berwick to compete against Noble and South Portland in the second meet of the season. Windham girls finished second with a score of 70 and Windham boys finished second with a score of 47.

Windham senior Marina Schwarz sets up to throw the javelin
during a track meet against Noble and South Portland
in Berwick on Thursday, May 1.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA   

Girls

Windham senior Marina Schwarz threw the discus for 100 feet for the first time ever, with a distance of 100-0, and a third-place finish. Her sister, freshman Jennifer Schwarz, did the same, with a throw of 100-7, and finished second.

Marina Schwarz also placed third in the javelin with a throw of 74-11, shattering a previous personal-best record of hers. She placed third in the shot put with a throw of 30-04.50 and qualified for the Southern Maine Activities Association’s competition, as well as the state championships.

“After doing this for three years it felt good to break that boundary and then I watched my sister do it,” said Marina Schwarz. “I broke one personal record last year in javelin and this is my second this season, and this is only our second meet, so it felt good. The more people push each other the more they get better; I think our team is doing great this season.”

Windham senior Ava Gerrity finished second in the long jump with a 15-03.75 distance.

In the 1600-racewalk, Windham senior Monica Farley finished first with a 10:58.25-minute time. Windham sophomore Leana Robbins finished second with a time of 11:08.21.

Many WHS athletes tried new events including Sydney Broadbent in her first 300-low hurdle race; Stephanie Roghelia in first pole vault; Addison Shanholtz, Olivia Smith, Eva Vancelette in their first-triple jumps; Brooke Tuttle in the high jump; Myla Vercoe running the 4x400 relay; Sarah Inman in her first ever 1600-racewalk and Lexie Beach in the open 400.

“A very, very impressive and important outcome for us as we work weekly to build our championship meet rosters,” said Windham outdoor track and field girls’ coach Jeff Riddle. “Truly the team is uniting, smiling, and trying new things, all while giving everything they have, their very best, on that day.”

Boys

Windham senior Carter Engleman finished first in the pole vault with a 12-00.00 height, first in the javelin with a 151-05 throw, and first in the long jump with a mark of 21-00.50. He was first in the 110 hurdles with a time of 15.07 – a new WHS school record.

Windham senior Rory Good finished first in the 300 hurdles with a time of 41.71 and second in the 110 hurdles with a 15.50 time.

“I think the meet went well,” said Good. “A lot of us set personal records pretty good. We kept our heads up, a few of our teammates got personal records, but they’re still looking to drive more – they’re passionate, they’re ready, I think it’s going to be a good season for us. For me, my blocks need improvement. For the team, in the relay we can work on being loud, because we had a mess up; as a team I think we could pick each other up a little bit more, other than that I think we’re doing great.”

Windham junior Karl Longstreth placed second in the 100-dash with an 11.11 time. He had set a new record in the 200-dash in a previous meet and placed second in this meet with a 22.68 time.

“Overall, the team had a great performance with a lot of personal records,” said Windham outdoor track and field boys’ coach Paula Pock. “Including Aaron Sanborn in the 400, Noah Saucier in the triple jump, Ethan Fletcher in the 100, Brayden Bean in the javelin, Mason Bragdon in the 1600. Overall, we had a great meet, and a lot of athletes did an amazing job and tried new events. Our goal is to carry on the momentum and continue to build on our early performances.” <

WHS girls’ tennis win streak continues after sweeping Biddeford

By Matt Pascarella

Windham girls’ tennis went into a home match against Biddeford after winning two matches in a row and they made it three straight by defeating the Tigers 5-0 at Windham High School on Monday, May 5.

Windham senior Afomiya Timerga returns a shot by her
Biddeford opponent during a girls' prep tennis match on
Monday, May 2 at Windham High School.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“The team is off to a great start,” said Windham girls’ tennis coach Katy Dresnok. “Our team is growing and rising up to more challenging matches. My goals for the doubles is to really work with strategy and to encourage proper placement and communication among the partners and really, really focus on placement over power. With my singles we’ve been working really hard on serving and recovering, and foot work; if they can get the fundamentals down, they seem to improve at a much faster speed. Tennis is a very mental game, so if the player can stay calm and just take it one point at a time, with a good strong mindset that’s going to overpower anything. Today wasn’t our normal ladder ... today was a really great win considering people played in different positions, showing team versatility.”

In the singles matches, Windham junior Jasmine Lucas won her sets 6-4 and 6-2; sophomore Denali Momot won her sets 6-2 and 6-0 and senior Afomiya Timerga won her matches, 6-4 and 6-2.

“At first the wind wasn’t great, but as I got into it, it was a good match,” said Lucas. “I think my ground strokes were pretty strong, my serve wasn’t as consistent as I’d like it to be, but towards the end it got good. I’ve definitely gotten more consistent, this is my first year being first singles, so that was kind of intimidating at first, but now I’m in a good rhythm.”

Lucas enjoys being in the first singles position for WHS and says it makes her play harder.

In the doubles matches, Windham senior Zoe Dries, and junior Sydney Harmon won 6-2 and 6-1. Junior Ellise Gallop and Grace Hansen won 6-1 and 6-1.

“We did pretty good,” said Dries. “We tried to play our game most of the time, we pulled through, we won; we were really good on net both of us; we had some really good long balls.”

Dries said that she feels communication needs improvement and making good solid contact on the ball, not wonky hits.

Harmon and Dries said they understand each other’s play a lot better, they know where each other’s going to be.

“Our serves were pretty good and consistent throughout the whole game and kind of reading where they were,” said Harmon. “If they were on one side making sure we go to the other side and finishing the point. Definitely the newer players have gotten more experience, and rallies have been longer from three or four weeks ago. Consistency with placement is a whole lot better and stronger now.” <

Windham varsity baseball drops season-opener to Biddeford

By Matt Pascarella

In the season opener. Windham varsity baseball took on Biddeford at Windham on Friday April 25 and while Windham was slow to swing the bat and didn’t cross the plate, resulting in a 10-0 loss to the Tigers, there’s plenty of time for improvement.

Windham senior Grant Coppi throws a strike during the
prep baseball season opener against Biddeford at Windham
High School on Friday, April 25.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

Windham senior Grant Coppi pitched four innings, had zero earned runs, one walk and six strikeouts. Senior Cayden McCartney pitched two innings, had one walk and one strikeout.

Windham varsity baseball coach Chris Doughty said these statistics tell him Biddeford scored one run that they earned. Windham made six errors and struck out 10 times, so 16 opportunities shifted in Biddeford’s favor, and the Tigers took advantage of that.

“I know we’ll shore up the defense,” said Doughty. “We just lacked that big hit today; if you don’t try, you’re going to fail every time, we just got to get going. We’re playing right now like we’re afraid to fail, and we just need to play confidently. When you start making error clusters, that’s when you get in trouble. You can’t play baseball being afraid to fail, it’s a game of failure. We don’t want to be peaking in game one, we want to be peaking in game 12, 13, 14, 15 – that’s when we want to be getting to our best baseball. We’ll get there.”

At the start of the game Windham sent three batters back to the dugout after two strikeouts and a fly out to shortstop was caught by Windham sophomore Alex Pastore.

McCartney singled and freshman Aiden Rinaldi walked. Unfortunately, they were left on base.

Biddeford scored one run in the second inning, to lead 1-0.

Windham kept after it. After a walk and senior Josh Plummer was hit by a pitch in the second inning, sophomore Mike Redlon singled.

In the bottom of the third inning, Windham freshman Mason Rulman notched his first varsity hit with a grounder to left center field.

“It felt good,” said Rulman. “I put the work in, and it shows when I go up there and hit off a good pitcher pitching. Our pitchers were throwing strikes, they were letting the other hitters hit it right to our defense, we just need to make the plays. We did OK swinging the bat, but we need to do a lot better. I feel like we could have a lot more communication. We could have beat them, we just need to lock in and not make errors.”

By the fifth inning, Biddeford was up, 7-0. Redlon had a diving catch in right field. Windham was unable to catch Biddeford, and the game ended after six innings.

“Right now, we’re stilling trying to figure out how to play as a team,” said Coppi. “We’re kind of playing scared; we got to focus on what we all want and that’s to win, but we just got some things to figure out. We had a couple young kids step up and make great plays. It definitely got harder, but I think we did a good job of not hanging our heads. I think we got to play with more confidence and make less errors, swing the bat more and us pitchers got to pound the strike zone.” <

Windham boys’ tennis falls to Marshwood in an unprecedented match

By Matt Pascarella

Windham varsity boys’ tennis played their second match of the regular season against Marshwood at Windham High School on Tuesday, April 29. Windham lost 5-0, but in this unique match four of the five sets were pushed to tiebreakers. Windham players gave their all and played with everything they had.

Windham junior Carter Mathieu hits the ball over the net
during a boy's tennis match against Marshwood on 
Tuesday, April 29 at Windham High School.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

In the single match Windham junior Nolan McPhail won 6-3, lost 1-6 and lost 6-10 in the tiebreaker.

“I knew I could beat him the first set, I felt really good,” said Windham singles player Nolan McPhail, who was recovering from being sick. “By the end of the first set, I was getting really tired and my stomach started hurting. And in the second set I just fell off and lost that one. By the end, I was trying to save my energy, because I knew we were going to tiebreaker; so, during the tiebreaker I was just trying to stay in there, but he outlasted me, it was still a good game, and it was really close. He got more aggressive, and I got more sluggish and that led to me losing, but I still feel I did well. The first-game nerves weren’t there. I had the mindset where it was like ‘I can win this,’ but it’s just not my day.”

Windham senior Zach Noonan lost his first singles set 4-6, won 6-4 and then lost his tiebreaker 10-2.

Carter Mathieu lost 4-6 and 0-6 in his singles sets.

In the doubles matches, juniors Padrick McGuire and Nate Paulding lost 2-6 and won 6-1. They pushed their sets to a tiebreaker and left everything on the court but unfortunately lost 10-4.

“We pushed so hard during the second set,” said McGuire. “We come into the tiebreaker trying to keep momentum, but going so hard in that second set kind of kills you; we’re going to work toward it and we’re better for it. I think they were a good team, they were definitely communicating, in the end they just pulled it through better than we did. We lost a little bit of the communication towards the end because of the exhaustion, and next time, we’ll be ready.”

Paulding said communication was a lot of it, they’ve known each other since like fourth grade; it’s fun playing together. Once you get to the point of losing that first set, it can be really hard to come back, but it can also be really easy. That can help communication and help play. He said he was a little nervous going into the tiebreaker.

Tiebreakers kind of drain Paulding, sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t.

Windham seniors Brian Gilheany and Asher Knott lost their first doubles set 2-6, then won 6-7, then lost the tiebreaker 4-7.

“I’ve never lost a 5-0 match that was this close; four out of five going into a tiebreaker, it’s crazy, I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Windham varsity boys’ tennis coach Garry Stone. “And in every case, our guys lost the first one but then won the second one – to me that’s showing some grit. They didn’t roll over, they faced some adversity, and they came back. I can’t be upset with the end result because every kid out there gave everything they had. I’m actually very proud of them even though it looks like we got crushed, we all know that we didn’t; it was very close.” <

Windham varsity softball trounces Oxford Hills during preseason scrimmage

By Matt Pascarella

A week before the start of the regular season, Windham’s varsity softball team played a home scrimmage against Oxford Hills on Friday, April 18 and once the team’s offense got going, they could not be caught and Windham walked away with an 11-1 win.

Windham junior Addison Caiazzo gets to the ball in time to
make a catch during a preseason scrimmage against Oxford
Hills at Windham High School on Friday, April 18.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“I think the team did well,” said Windham sophomore Evelyn Anderson. “We had some trouble offensively in the beginning, but from there we picked it up and the important thing was we kept our energy up. We did well defensively. Just getting out there, being with the team, healthy environment really. Even when we get down on ourselves there’s always someone there to pick us up, no matter what. I think little things defensively need work; like how we’re fielding the ball, offensively just keeping our heads in, but I think as a team we did very well.”

This was a learning scrimmage and an opportunity for both teams to practice how they’d react offensively, so after a scoreless first inning runners were placed on base.

Oxford Hills scored in the top of the third inning to take a 1-0 lead.

But Windham senior Kylie Harvie reached base on an error in the third inning with junior Nola Bryant advancing to second base. Senior Chloe Edwards singled to center field scoring Bryant and the scrimmage was tied 1-1.

In the fourth inning WHS senior Kennedy Kimball singled to centerfield, but advanced to third base and drove in two runs.

From that point on, run after run crossed the plate for Windham. In the fifth inning, junior Addison Caiazzo singled on a bunt and brought in Bryant.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, junior Jezebelle Pinto sent the ball to center field, and it dropped behind the fence for her first varsity home run.

“I was just trying to get a base hit,” said Pinto. “It was the best feeling ever, all my hard work paid off. I think we all did pretty good; we were amazing on the basepaths, adjusting to the pitcher and staying back on that ball, we adjusted really well on that and just as a team. There was a lot of good defense in the infield; no balls really got past anyone. Pitchers did great. I think we’re going to be going for it this season.”

After Pinto’s home run, junior Lacie Higgins doubled, and freshman Yani Kostopoulos singled bringing in Higgins.

“We’ve got to put those baserunners on just to see how our defense reacts with the little pressure there could be, it’s good for them to experience it in April than in June,” said Windham varsity softball coach Darcey Gardiner. “I’m really, really happy with the defense; our communication was there, our backup on bases was there. One thing I would like to see us do a little bit better is adjusting to batters with different pitchers.

“Everyone went up there and put together good at-bats, before this scrimmage I had a really good idea (of who I was putting in the batting order), after this scrimmage it’s nice to see how difficult everyone made it for me. When everyone does their job, it makes my job harder – which is a good thing. If we can put the ball in play, we’ve got speed and smart baserunning to pick us up there.”

Gardiner said this scrimmage says a lot of good things and Windham’s at-bats during practices are just like game at-bats.

Windham opens the 2025 season at home at 11 a.m. Friday, April 25 against Bonny Eagle. <

WHS grad Heanssler shines on, off field at University of North Carolina Wilmington

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High School 2023 graduate Hannah Heanssler was a three-sport athlete for all four years of her high school career, playing field hockey, swimming and softball. She is currently a sophomore playing field hockey at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where she’s majoring in exercise science/physical therapy with plans to get her doctorate in physical therapy and work in an outpatient clinic with athletes and the public.

University of North Carolina
Wilmington sophomore Hannah
Heanssler, a Windham High 
graduate, moves the ball closer to
the goal during a college field
hockey game on Oct. 30, 2024.
PHOTO BY OLIVIA SMOOT 

UNCW does not have a collegiate field hockey team, but Heanssler plays club field hockey, associated with UNCW. Her team is part of the National Field Hockey League. They’ve qualified for Nationals twice and recently won their regional championship. They went undefeated (4-0) then placed fourth going into elimination at Virginia Beach, Virginia on Sunday, April 13. They lost to James Madison University in shootouts. Heanssler scored seven goals during the tournament.

“Getting to play teams from all around the country at such a high level is a dream come true,” said Heanssler. “Playing for UNCW has been everything I hoped to get out of playing field hockey at a higher level, and I am having so much fun. Playing for Windham helped me develop many skills in the sport that I use in my college games.”

Windham varsity coach Cory DiDonato was Heanssler’s sixth-grade teacher and encouraged her to try field hockey. Heanssler was hesitant but took a leap of faith and fell in love with the sport immediately. She says she’s forever grateful for DiDonato’s guidance and motivation.

“She has been one of my biggest role models and mentors in my athletic career and I am so grateful to have played for her,” said Heanssler. “Coach D taught me leadership, confidence, and how to truly push myself to become the best I can. Playing for Windham improved my game in so many ways. It taught me how to be a leader both on and off the field.”

Heanssler has made an impression on her team and will be the president of UNCW club field hockey starting in the fall. Playing field hockey always puts a smile on her face; everything about the game brings joy to her life, which has played a big part in why she’s stuck with it.

“Hannah has been a huge asset to our team ever since she got to UNCW,” said UNCW club field hockey coach Ashley Leverrett. “It’s really been her ability to lift up her teammates that has made a lasting impact on our culture. Her voice carries strong whether it’s during a game or practice, and she’s always looking for ways to help her teammates grow. Hannah played a huge part in both our trip to nationals and our recent regional win. She has a dominant presence on our forward line and a natural competitiveness that fuels the energy of the collective team.”

Aside from excelling on the field, Heanssler has maintained a 4.0 GPA and made the dean’s list each semester. She will also be graduating a semester early. Additionally, Heanssler has led her team in scoring for both her freshman and sophomore seasons and was named Offensive Player of the Year as well as an All-Star twice by the National Field Hockey League.

Heanssler, said success is more than winning. Success is achieving the goals and standards she sets for herself. It’s being a great person on and off the field and making a positive impact in field hockey.

“I have had so much fun being able to play with Hannah the last two years,” said teammate and UNCW senior Taryn Saunders. “Hannah knows the game really well and has great suggestions of how we can improve during our games. Knowing that she was on the field with me and that I could rely on her was super helpful for my performance and confidence during the high caliber of play. Hannah was a huge asset in our recent regional tournament win.” <

Windham avoids shutout against Yarmouth in boys' lacrosse scrimmage

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham High varsity boys’ lacrosse team suited up for a preseason scrimmage against Yarmouth, but came out on the wrong end, falling 16-2 against Yarmouth on Monday, April 14 at Yarmouth High School.

Windham senior Lukas Hammond looks to pass during a
preseason boys' lacrosse scrimmage against Yarmouth at
Yarmouth High School on Monday, April 14.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

Yarmouth came out very strong in the scrimmage and scored several goals in the first half. The Eagles kept at it, and scored twice in the second half, but it wasn’t enough against Yarmouth.

Windham plays its first regular season boys’ lacrosse game on Thursday, April 17 against Scarborough.

“We just got to move on and not fixate on this loss,” said Windham sophomore Luke Drottar. “We have a lot of potential; a lot of these guys are pretty good. I think we’ll bounce back. I think just more preparation and practice will help a lot. On the offensive side I think we swung the ball pretty well, on the defensive side we definitely slid our feet a lot better than our last scrimmage.”

Yarmouth came out strong and scored five goals in the first quarter. Windham still had plenty of time and kept their heads up early in the game.

While Windham remained intense, Yarmouth’s offense kept on the attack. Windham took several shots at goal but Yarmouth led at halftime, 12-0.

“I think we’ve got to get after it man down, man up, cutting toward the ball,” said Windham sophomore Tegan Perkins. “For defense, we got to be more talking and for our second slide, we just got to pitch it and have that all day and be really physical in slides. I think the game started to fall when we started getting chippy, when kids would drop a ball or make a bad pass and just put their heads down. I think our quick passes were really good and our first slide was mostly there every time; our right and left were there every time. We had a few guys who were super physical and always there and a couple guys who were just super loud, and it helped to have our goalie really loud. Caden Valle stepped up in goal.”

In the second half, Drottar intercepted a Yarmouth pass and scored.

Windham continued to take shots at the Yarmouth goalie, which resulted in freshman Sean Lebel scoring late in the fourth quarter.

“We got to play within the rules of the game,” said Windham varsity boys’ lacrosse coach Peter Small. “We were playing ‘chippy’ (overly aggressive) beyond the rules of the game. I want us to play aggressive but within the rules of the game. As we started to get frustrated, we started to play chippy and get outside our head and stopped playing the way we think and know we should play. Our skill level is there; our foot movement on defense was pretty good, at times our sticks were really good; on the offensive side we can move in position, and we can move the ball really well.”

Small said that this loss shows everyone from coaches down to players needs to lock in. As they started to put pieces together of people who haven’t played together, communication needs to happen more.

He said the WHS team’s eyes are wider open now to the pace at which the game needs to be played. According to Small, they need to put those pieces together and move in a concerted 10 guys on the field entering the regular season.

Their next home game for Windham is at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, April 29 against Biddeford. <

Windham Middle School’s spring sports start soon

By Matt Pascarella

Windham Middle School began preparing for its spring sports season on Monday, April 14. The Middle School season begins on Monday, May 5 and teams are ready to compete.

Windham sixth grader Elena Kostopoulos leaps over the
hurdles as she practices for the upcoming middle school
outdoor track and field season on Monday, April 14.
The season for WMS is scheduled to begin on Monday,
May 5 with a first meet to be held at Windham High
School. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

Baseball

This season, Windham Middle School welcomes a new baseball coach, Charlie Reiniger, a 2024 Cheverus graduate.

“My goals are helping develop them into better baseball players, that’s key for the varsity program,” said Reiniger. “The other thing that’s key for these seventh and eighth graders is helping them develop into good young men. They already have an outstanding attitude, every single one of these guys wants to be here; everybody that made the team was making the play and that shows their dedication to baseball, they’ve been working over the winter.”

Reiniger has coached junior varsity soccer for South Portland, varsity basketball for Cheverus, seventh grade Cape Elizabeth baseball and was looking for a change. He is excited for the upcoming season.

“We have a very talented team,” said eighth grader Ryan Manning. “We just need to focus on the game that’s ahead of us and don’t focus on anything else; skill-wise, this is a very talented group of young men.”

According to Reiniger, it’s a team game, but individualized. Baseball is a game of mistakes, and you coach through the mistakes. He wants to make them better baseball players and develop them as a team.

Softball

Katherine Parsons is also a first-year coach for Windham Middle School’s softball team.

She said one of her goals is to assess the player's abilities and continue the process of building their arsenal of skills, along with instilling a deeper love for the game, that will carry them into being able to play at the next level.

“My philosophy is that we are people first; and that our team should be our softball family,” said Parsons. “I think the most important thing is to recognize that you have to meet kids where they are. I hope the kids continue to hone their skills, develop an even bigger love of the game, and appreciate them for what they bring to the table, both on the field, and off the field.”

Parsons’ love of softball sparked an interest in more in-depth parts of the game. She was a writer for the website “Fansided,” where she followed players in the minor leagues and assessed the likelihood of them advancing their careers.

“I just want us to have fun,” said eighth grader Audrey Libby. “We gained a lot of seventh graders which is helpful. We have a lot of people who really love to play softball, so it should be fun with all of us together.”

Outdoor track and field

Windham eighth grader Lila Miller has a goal of beating her personal record in the mile run. She says participating in outdoor track helps her build up her endurance for other sports, along with making new friends.

“For some of these kids, this is an introduction,” said WMS boys’ outdoor track and field coach Aaron Talon. “They’re getting a taste of what there is to offer for the outdoor track experience.”

Middle school track offers three different events kids can choose from on a meet day. Participating at the middle school level gives them a nice overview of what’s available if they choose to continue at the high school level.

“My goal for every season is to make sure our athletes are having a great time,” said WMS girls’ outdoor track and field coach Jason Lanoie. “It’s not about winning every event; it’s about the athletes achieving their personal best.”

Lanoie wants all his athletes to try new events and push their boundaries. Trying something new may lead to a different experience for their track career when they get to high school.

Both Talon and Lanoie say that they want WMS athletes to be prepared for the next level, to compete at the best of their ability and be part of a team that they’re proud of. <

Windham girls’ lacrosse drops Massabesic in preseason scrimmage

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham High varsity girls’ lacrosse team played their first preseason match against Massabesic in Waterboro on Monday, April 7. WHS jumped out to a strong start early and commanded the field in the first half, where they scored over a half-dozen goals. Their defense held back the Mustangs to earn a 13-5 win.

Windham freshman Brooklyn Roy makes her way by
Massabesic opponents during a preseason girls' lacrosse
scrimmage at Massabesic High School in Waterboro
on Monday, April 7. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

The Lady Eagles open the regular season on Thursday, April 17 against Kennebunk.

“It was our first scrimmage against somebody else, which was great,” said Windham girls’ lacrosse head coach Matt Perkins. “You really don’t know; we’ve been on half field, we’ve been in the parking lot, so to have a full field ... for the first time, I thought they played hard, played well. Definitely the effort was great, the hustle was great and even when we dropped the ball, kids hustled to get after it, they didn’t hang their head, that’s encouraging. We could do a better job passing the ball on the edges and not taking chances and throwing it away. I love the effort and the attitude has been phenomenal.”

Within a matter of seconds of the preseason matchup, Windham senior Grace Joly scored. Then junior Neve Ledbetter found the back of the net. Windham had control of the field, and their defense kept back Massabesic.

Windham was first to the ball and scored again and again throughout the first half. Freshman Brooklyn Roy scored, then junior Abby Trainor found the back of the net. Junior Olivia McPherson scored before the end of the first quarter and WHS led, 5-0.

Trainor said the team had worked on wall-ball during the winter as well as spent time in the weight room. This had improved their chemistry while uniting and strengthening skills before the start of preseason. Trainor said their transition went really well; they connected on passes and moved the ball down the field, seeing those open players to pass to.

The second quarter saw a procession of WHS players who found the back of the net. Windham led 9-2 halfway through the game.

“We definitely put in the work through the preseason, we were working hard every single day; that showed today and will put us in a good place for the upcoming games,” said Roy. “The hard work we’ve put in in the past week enabled this win. Everyone has been showing up and putting in the effort. I thought our transitions were really good. We got the ball down the field really fast and that helped us score goals more.”

Windham pressured at the start of the second half. Their defense remained strong, and they continued to move the ball quickly.

Massabesic’s defense improved in the second half, and it made a small comeback, but it was not enough as Ledbetter scored again. McPherson and Trainor did as well toward the end of the game. Windham’s defense remained excellent right up until the final buzzer.

“We’ve been working extremely hard over the past week of preseason,” said Ledbetter. “We come out really hard, step right on that field and we are completely in that lacrosse mindset. It definitely shows for the rest of the season that we can come out and win and be powerful as a team and have each other’s backs. Our defense really stepped up; we’re learning new stuff all the time ... we rose to the occasion and played extremely well.” <

WHS grad Gerry continues to show softball skills at University of Rhode Island

By Matt Pascarella

An impressive pitcher since she was young, Windham High School 2024 graduate Brooke Gerry left quite a mark on the field. She achieved 500 career strikeouts, helped Windham win their first state championship in 2023, and was named 2024 Miss Maine Softball – just to name a few of her accomplishments.

Windham High graduate Brooke Gerry winds up to pitch
for the University of Rhode Island during a college
softball game against the University of Dayton on Sunday
March 23 in Kingston, Rhode Island.
PHOTO BY JAY RUZICKA 

Now a freshman at the University of Rhode Island majoring in psychology with plans to become a sports psychologist, she is playing Division I softball and has spent a fair amount of time in the circle early in her college career.

“URI has a strong team, and we are going to be competing every game to end the season on a positive note,” said Gerry. “College is a whole different level of softball, especially at the Division I level. The hitters are a lot better, and the umpire's strike zone is definitely tighter. The college level is a lot more fun, however. My teammates are supporting me in every pitch, and I know they have my back.”

So far, Gerry has had the opportunity to start a game during her first collegiate preseason softball tournament at Western Carolina University in North Carolina. She likes that she’s been able to take the field with URI teammates who want to compete and play for a purpose.

“I was very excited to see Brooke come in as a freshman and help contribute in the circle for our team,” said teammate and URI senior Emily Power. “I love the amount of fresh energy and determination she instantly brings. Coming into her first year of college softball, this role has made her not only stronger but a leader on our pitching staff. The other freshmen in her class look up to Brooke, and know she is someone they can count on, on and off the field. She is the type of pitcher who wants the ball in her hand and wants to come in and shut batters down.”

Power said that by the time Gerry is a senior, she will uplift the program and create an excellent culture for the future of URI Softball.

At the age of 4, Gerry began playing softball and by 6 she was in the circle. She comes from a softball family where both her mom and sister played. Her family has supported her throughout her entire career.

“Growing up around softball has given me a lot of relationships that give me support no matter what,” said Gerry. In college these relationships have helped me because I know how much support I have behind me no matter how far away from home that I am.”

Gerry said being coached by Fred Wilcox at the national level is what best prepared her to play collegiately. At the travel-ball national level, she was exposed to high-level competition and learned the adjustments she had to make to succeed at that level.

While Gerry played for Windham High varsity softball coach Darcey Gardiner, she learned to stay within yourself, and to not listen to what others say about her or her performance.

This summer, Gerry will be coaching for the New England Elite travel team. Her sister will be coaching a 12-under team, while Gerry and her mom will coach a 14-under team along with Fred and Ella Wilcox.

According to Gerry, success is not about how much money you make, or awards won. She says that success is feeling accomplished within yourself and feeling proud of what you’ve done in life, whether it be in the classroom or on the field.

“One thing I know about Brooke is she is a competitor and holds herself accountable when she is in the circle,” said URI softball coach Michael Coutts. “She also works very hard and knows that she has things she can be better at. She is very unselfish and is willing to do whatever we need from her.” <

Her Mainely Girl Adventures: Fly Fishing Tips for Beginners

By Staci Warren

I’m no expert, but I love fly fishing for brook trout and salmon. When our favorite spot became artificial lures only, I decided to try fly fishing despite not knowing anything about it. The rods we used were long, heavy, and super flexed and casting was an all-out effort. We spent more time changing out flies than actually catching fish, so we got a lot of practice tying knots. In short, it was all trial and lots of errors, once we had success it was all the sweeter. Being a novice can be challenging, so I’ve shared some tips to help you get started.

Staci Warren recommends plenty of
practice for anyone new to fly
fishing in Maine and shares some
tips to help those just starting out
in the sport. COURTESY PHOTO

If you buy nothing else, buy a better beginner fly rod: a combo to take the guesswork out of buying and will prevent casting bad habits. My first better rod was an 8 foot, 5 to 6 weight, 2-piece combo that now costs around $149; however, I recently found one major outdoor retailer has a similar one for $59. Ten years later, I still use my combo along with my 9 foot, 6 weight., 4-piece ($169) combo. 

Major outdoor retailers have similar options within the same price range, so it’s not that hard to find a beginner outfit. I recommend buying an extra spool or matching reel for a sinking line if you plan to fish a river or do some trolling; most combos come with floating line.

I first used a traditional cloth vest, but now I use a small harness-style chest pack that can be bought for almost the same amount as a cloth vest, and it has everything at my fingertips. These types of pack give you more freedom to move than the full-size vest packs and are cooler to wear in the summer. Mine has a rod holder and all the tools are on zips. I am still guilty of cramming too much in it, but it makes changing a fly or tippet on the river easier.

If you plan to fish a river, or wade a shallow pond, buy a pair of waders that fit. Good waders are not cheap, but I quickly learned that sweating in a pair of men’s rubber waders with size 11 boots for my size 8 feet is no fun and fishing in freezing spring water with my sneakers doesn’t cut it either. 

If you can’t buy your “dream pair,” at least make sure they fit properly and that you can wear fleece pants and wool socks under them for the early season freezing waters. A good breathable pair of stocking foot waders with separate pair of boots is my preference.

The net may seem insignificant, but it’s hard to land a fish without a net. For years, I netted my catch with a $14 wooden net. The net was barely big enough for a decent salmon, and the fly hooks got tangled in the black netting. 

Thinking I finally found a better net, last year, I doled out a whopping $34 for an aluminum one with a rubber net. It hung low on my back but was bigger than the wooden one. I think I used it twice before it disappeared, presumably down the river last fall. I’m back to using one of the wooden nets I kept as backup. For my birthday, I’ve asked for an upgrade!

Understanding the hatch cycle will help you determine what flies to use and when to use them.

While everyone has an opinion, here’s what I have had the most success using. Early spring on the river, use streamers or nymph setup using sinking line. Woolly Buggers (size 8 olive or black) with a tan, beadhead Hare’s Ear Flashback nymph (size 10 or 12) tied 18 inches down, or using a Black Ghost, will yield ice-out salmon.

Early season, we troll for native brook trout on the pond using sinking line and one of the following: Black Ghost, Grey Ghost, Mickey Finn, or Maple Syrup (red or white). Save the floating line and dry flies for May trout fishing. My favorites are (size 10 or 12) Mosquito, Black Gnat, Blue Wing Olive, Elk Hair Caddis and Adams. I recommend buying a dozen nymphs and six each of the others to start the season off.

It’ll be hard but try to avoid the lure of filling your box with flies you won’t need. Don’t forget extra tippet and leader, and practice, practice, practice: “Hello, It’s for You” casting! Remember, any fly fisherman at some point was a beginner. Wherever you fish, be safe, know the laws, and have a great season!

-- Staci Warren provides a unique woman’s perspective and column on the outdoors every month. She is a freelance writer whose blog, My Mainely Girl Adventures, is about a woman hunting, fishing, trapping, foraging and living in the Maine outdoors. She also loves camping, star gazing, wildlife watching, and hunting for fossils. She’s an active member and board member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association and is a monthly columnist and feature writer for The Maine Sportsman Magazine. In her free time, she enjoys mentoring women hunters and trappers. <

WHS pitchers, catchers preparing for strong seasons

By Matt Pascarella

Last week was the start of Windham High’s varsity baseball and softball pitchers and catcher’s practices and the teams are rounding into shape.

Windham High senior Caden McCartney, center, throws
some pitches during a practice session for baseball and 
softball pitchers and catchers indoors at WHS on March 25.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

Both teams got things going at Windham High School on Tuesday, March 25 and since a lot of players had been throwing or catching prior to the start of preseason, their preparation was evident as they got ready for the upcoming season.

Baseball

“It’s a big week for building attitude and character,” said Windham varsity baseball coach Chris Doughty on the first day of practice for pitchers and catchers.

By just the fourth day of pitchers and catchers practice Doughty said he thought WHS pitchers were well conditioned and had been working hard in the offseason. Doughty and his coaches said they are ingraining a team-first attitude for the players. The only name that matters is the one on the front of their shirt, not the back.

WHS pitcher Caden McCartney, a senior, first began pitching in Little League. This week his accuracy has improved, and he’s pitched to a variety of catchers with strong skillsets.

“Everyone has been working very hard,” said McCartney. “Everyone has been putting in a full effort and taking the throwing really serious. Catchers are all working really hard; they look good, like they want to play.”

Veteran player Cam Davis, a senior, stepped up and volunteered to be behind the plate as a catcher, although he’d never played there before. It was a huge example of leadership and an excellent example of putting the team first, Doughty said.

“It’s not as hard as it seems to be, but I’m definitely ready to keep learning it,” said Davis, who caught in his first bullpen on Tuesday, March 25. “I’m trying not to get in my head as much, breathe, talk it out with my teammates. This year I feel like it’s going to be different; there’s a great team chemistry.”

The WHS baseball season opens at 11 a.m. Friday, April 25 against Biddeford at Windham High School.

Softball

Windham varsity softball coach Darcey Gardiner said her goal this early in the season was to see where the girls are fitness-wise. She knows many of them have been working in the offseason in preparation for the spring.

“It’s been going absolutely phenomenal,” said Gardiner on the fourth day of practice. “You can’t ask for more with a group of kids. It’s really nice to see the team bonding that we’ve already put in place four days in.”

Windham senior Kennedy Kimball will be in the pitching circle this season and catching for her will be WHS senior Stella Jarvais. They have been working together as pitcher-catcher duo since Little League and have a real strong sense of how to communicate with each other.

“It feels really good to be back in here and pitching full for a longer period of time and to be able to throw to Stella,” said Kimball. “It’s really nice to start that process of communication, we know what counts work the best, what pitches worked, it is easy since I’ve thrown to her for so long.”

Kimball said she sees the team is coming together and has gotten back in the swing of things.

“We just have this insane chemistry that honestly I’ve never had with another pitcher,” said Jarvais. “Just being able to have someone who understands you as a pitcher and vice versa. We talked through her pitching and when I’m able to be in her ear, like ‘oh you’re doing a great job’ that helps her confidence.”

The more they are practicing together as a team and the more Jarvais hears what Coach Gardiner tells her, the more prepared she feels each and every day, she said.

The WHS softball begins at 11 a.m. Friday, April 25 against Bonny Eagle at Windham High. <

Windham graduate takes lacrosse skills to college-level games

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High School 2022 graduate Logan Campbell grew up playing Windham Youth Lacrosse and is now competing in the sport in college at Southern New Hampshire University.

Windham High graduate and Southern New Hampshire
University junior Logan Campbell stays alert during a 
men's lacrosse game against Felician University in
February. Since graduating from Windham High School,
Campbell has majored in construction management with
a minor in finance while showing he's a skilled leader
on the field for SNHU. PHOTO BY JIM STANKIEWICZ

Campbell began playing in fourth grade and grew to love lacrosse. Now a junior in college, Campbell is majoring in construction management and minoring in finance. After college, he hopes to have a job working for a commercial construction company.

“He has always shown a positive approach to everything he does on and off the field,” said Paul Calkins, SNHU men’s lacrosse coach. “Logan began showing leadership qualities this season. When we talk about ‘glue guys’ and ‘SNHU guys’ he is the first name that pops up with our staff. He is the first guy to the building for meetings, lift and practice. His best quality is his calm presence. There is nothing that rattles him. He has always sets an example of ‘if you work hard your opportunities will come.’”

Campbell says that he loves the challenge of playing in every college game, along with the preparation for playing in those games.

One of the reasons he chose SNHU was because his friend and Windham graduate Travis Brown also goes to school there. He and Brown grew up playing Windham Youth Lacrosse which eventually transitioned into them playing for the varsity team at Windham High School.

When Campbell visited SNHU, Brown, now a senior on SNHU’s men’s lacrosse team, introduced him to members of the team and Campbell said he felt welcomed knowing that this place would be his spot for the next four years.

“Logan and I were very close throughout our youth,” Brown said. “His dad was our first lacrosse coach. We have been playing lacrosse together since as long as I can remember. He reached out to me for advice in his recruiting process. Of course, I helped him as much as I could, but at the end of the day, I was pushing him to join me at SNHU.

“Overall, I thought he’d fit in well at SNHU educationally and athletically and would love to have him on my team for another three years,” said Brown. “Logan is a great leader on the field. Logan is 110 percent focused on his craft and wants to better himself every chance he gets. I’ve seen this rubbing off on the younger defenders around him. Seeing a lifelong friend in front of you makes you want to work that much harder.”

Peter Small, Windham’s varsity boys’ lacrosse coach, prepared Campbell for collegiate lacrosse by teaching him that your stick skills can never be the best no matter who you are, and he also showed him how to be a good teammate on and off the field.

Campbell said playing for a college team is always a grind. But there is a good culture at SNHU and especially this year, he said. The team hangs out together outside of lacrosse and there’s never a dull moment.

He loves working hard for things and Campbell is addicted to the process of improving his game, whether that be in the gym, running or stick work. Playing time is not guaranteed in college, it’s granted. Any day you take off, your competitors are getting better than you.

“I define success as doing the little things on a daily basis and having discipline,” said Campbell. “Fall in love with the process, and the success will come along with it. If you have discipline and know you have to do something when you don't want to, you will succeed.” <

Youth Baseball Clinic helps younger players learn new skills

By Matt Pascarella

Windham’s varsity baseball team conducted its final week of a youth baseball clinic at Windham High School on Sunday, March 23 and called it a success as both varsity and younger players gear up for exciting seasons.

Windham fifth grader Jacoby Penney keeps his focus on the
ball while in the batting cage at Windham High School
during the Windham Youth Baseball Clinic on
Sunday, March 23. PHOTO BY MATT PASSCARELLA   

This six-week clinic is a perfect opportunity for youth to work on the skills of the game, while learning new techniques from current Windham High varsity baseball players and coaches.

“To practice and get better for a new season is why I’m here,” said Windham fifth-grader Alex McGonagle. “It helps me to get better and more in shape for the new season. I’ve learned how to control the ball more and hit better. I’ve learned how to just scoop the ball up when you’re running. It feels like you are one of the varsity players when practicing with them – my dream is to play varsity – they inspire me so much that I want to pursue my career in baseball and become a Major League Baseball player. Thanks to the community for letting us come here and learn so much.”

The youth clinic was broken up into three sections: infield/outfield, pitching and hitting.

“The goal of the clinic is it goes right in line with the culture and perspective of our program so we’re trying to build everything from the ground up,” said Windham High varsity baseball coach Chris Doughty. “That starts with T-ball, AA, AAA, Little League, Middle School until eventually they make it to the end goal for us which is them being at the varsity level.”

The varsity team emphasizes their culture, making sure younger players have characteristics of what they want in their program like positive attitude, hustle and good character.

When Doughty first started participating in these clinics three years ago, they had 30 kids sign up, and this year there were about 70 kids who participated.

Doughty said Windham baseball is on people’s minds, and they want to be a part of what the varsity program is doing and that starts at the youth level.

“I need the extra help to get better and I’m learning new fundamentals and skills to be just as good when the baseball season starts up,” said Windham fifth-grader Jacoby Penney. “I’m working towards playing varsity baseball.”

It's good life experience for varsity players and Doughty tells them before every single clinic that the younger kids look up to them. “You’re their heroes, talk to them, instruct, but most importantly give them your time because that goes a long way,” he said.

Doughty wants them to remember what it felt like when varsity players were young and a varsity player worked with them, and how cool that felt.

“It gives us a chance to give out our knowledge to these younger players and it boosts our program as a whole and teaches these kids essential lessons that they need starting out,” said Windham varsity senior Joshua Plummer. “The idea is we teach them what we know and by the time they are our age, they’ll already be ahead of the game. This helps us with our game the way we field the ball ... it’s good to teach them the things that I know. It feels great to be able to share knowledge in a sport that I know and am passionate about – this is a really fun thing for me; I really enjoy working with these kids.”

It's been a great six weeks for the varsity players and the coaches. Participants have seen steady improvement in at least one area of a youth player’s game.

Varsity players say that it feels great for the team to be able to give back to the community. <

WHS graduate leads by example for Saint Joseph’s lacrosse

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High School 2023 graduate Reed Wescott has had a love for lacrosse since his dad introduced him to the game in fourth grade.

Windham's Reed Wescott makes a save for Saint Joseph's 
College during a men's lacrosse game at Salve Regina 
University in Rhode Island last October. 
PHOTO BY JAIME RANGER  

In his very first game, a goalie was needed and Wescott volunteered without giving it a second thought. Now a sophomore at Saint Joseph’s College earning a degree in history/political science with a pre-law track, Wescott is now the goalie for the Saint Joseph’s College men’s lacrosse team, showing his skill and positive character as a teammate and player.

“To be given this opportunity to go to school and be able to play a sport I have been working at my whole life has made me stick with it,” said Wescott. I would be a completely different person than I am right now if it wasn't for this sport and the people I met through it. For me, lacrosse has been an outlet to let go of anything that was bothering me off the field; I knew no matter what day I was having, I could go to practice and leave it all out on the field with me.”

Playing lacrosse at WHS under Coach Peter Small taught Wescott how to overcome and deal with adversity, both on and off the field, he said.

Being able to go out onto the field and adapt to any changes that can occur during the game is a skill that Wescott cherishes from Small.

Saint Joseph’s College men’s lacrosse coach Matt Gilbert said that Wescott’s commitment and leadership skills have earned him the privilege of being selected to serve on the team’s leadership council. The goal of the council is to spread leadership throughout the team so if a teammate needs help, there are team leaders who they can go to besides the main captains.

“Playing goalie in our sport is very tough and the leap from high school lacrosse to our level is a jump for anyone,” said Gilbert. “Reed made that jump look easy at times. He's a fierce friend, devoted teammate and hardworking member of our team. He is intensely focused and works hard to prepare for game days and knows what it takes to be successful in those moments.

“He also has an ever-present and potent sense of humor and is always willing to lend a listening ear to his teammates,” Gilbert said. “He not only supports them emotionally but also is helping to scout shooters and organize our defensive efforts in real time whether on the field, on the sideline or in the film room.”

Wescott has put up some impressive numbers in his short tenure on the team. During this freshman year, he had 21 saves in a game against Emmanuel College in Massachusetts. The Monks went on to win 15-7 in an important Conference Game. Wescott had 147 saves, and 32 ground balls tallied his first year.

In a recent home game against Gordon College on Wednesday, March 19, he had 11 saves; and the Monks won 7-6.

His advice to anyone looking to play a sport in college is to never stop pushing yourself.

“If you get the chance to play collegiately, don’t take it for granted,” Wescott said. “Take every opportunity you are given and give it everything you’ve got with no regrets.”

His teammates have noticed his strong work ethic.

“Reed has been a leader on our team since day one,” said Saint Joseph’s College senior teammate Anthony Samiotes. “He was a freshman who had no fear speaking up in team huddles or making his voice heard to our upperclassmen. Reed is a very supportive and positive teammate. When in a close game, having a solid goalie is incredibly important, and Reed is always up to the task.” <

Players work on fundamentals during Windham Youth Softball Clinic

By Matt Pascarella

Every year, the varsity softball team runs youth clinics for kids in Windham and surrounding areas as an opportunity for younger players to get to know coaches and learn from the older varsity players.

Windham High School varsity softball player Kennedy
Kimball instructs an group of younger players in fundamental
skills during the Windham Youth Softball Clinic at Windham
High on March 16. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

The clinic lasts six weeks and is open to ages 6 to 12. Their second-to-last clinic of the year was conducted at Windham High School on Sunday, March 16. It was a great opportunity for younger players to learn more about the mechanics of the game while also having fun and getting to know the WHS coaches and varsity players.

“It's important for me as a high school coach to empower my athletes and I think putting them in situations where they can lead and teach youth athletes gives them more confidence when they step onto the high school field,” said Windham varsity softball coach Darcey Gardiner. “I get to know the kids and probably more importantly they get to know me and the high school athletes. My goal is to see those girls all come to tryouts their freshman year of high school. It’s important for me as a varsity coach to interact with kids all the way down to coach-pitch, that’s what we had here today. The more girls that we can keep interested in softball then the better our program and culture is as a whole.”

By participating in these softball clinics, when these younger players get to high school, they know exactly what is expected of them and are already familiar with the drills and what they want to get out of each drill they do. The growth that coaches see from the start of the clinic to its finish is tremendous.

Windham catcher Eva Doughty, a fifth grader, said she can’t wait to get better and play this year. At the clinic, Doughty got a chance to catch for a varsity player and she said it was hard but she tried her best and had a lot of fun.

“I have done this clinic years before and I always thought it helped start the season,” said Windham eighth-grader Niyah Cummings, who helped out during the clinic this year. “It helps me build relationships with the high schoolers as well as the younger kids. The varsity high school players are having fun and showing what it’s like to be a ‘big kid’ in the sport they love.”

The clinic is split into three sections: baserunning, fielding and hitting.

Coach Gardiner and the varsity players make it exciting for the younger players with a high level of enthusiasm.

“I love softball, and I love sports in general,” said Windham fifth-grader Colby Sargent. “I’ve just been playing since I was very little. I like how the high schoolers come in because they are very inspiring; we have the potential to be on the varsity team, so they’re basically just teaching us how to be good like them.”

Another positive aspect of the clinic is for the older and younger players to meet and lessen any intimidation that might be there for the younger players. The varsity players also might gain a new fan or two.

Varsity players and Gardiner want younger players to come watch them play. The varsity team also wants to continue to be role models for the community.

“I think it’s a good way for us to see some of the young talent coming up,” said Windham senior varsity player Kennedy Kimball about the clinic. “It’s good for us to see them and for them to meet older girls and to see and get some experience from us as well as have Coach Gardiner be able to look at what’s to come and keep girls in the program. It’s nice to be able to talk to them and know that you’re not just one of the people on the team, and that you actually help them.”

There’s one more clinic left; it will be at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, March 23 in the Windham High School gymnasium. The cost to participate is $15. <

WHS graduate Talon successful on both sides of the basketball court

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High School 2020 graduate Hannah Talon has been tenacious on the basketball court since she was little.

Windham High graduate Hannah Talon
was honored as Greater Northeastern
Conference Basketball Tournament
Most Valuable Player in 2023.
PHOTO BY ALLISON TALON 

While earning her degree in exercise science at Saint Joseph’s College she’s been on both sides of the court. When she was injured before her senior year of college, she became a student-assistant coach.

A month before graduation she was asked to officially become an assistant coach of the women’s basketball program, and she has made a big difference.

She is currently attending Merrimack College online pursuing her master’s in clinical mental health counseling. She will continue to coach at Saint Joseph’s College as she works toward her master’s degree. Talon says she would like to build a career in sports psychology, supporting the mental health of athletes on and off the court.

“Hannah was a very strong player for us,” said head Saint Joseph’s College women’s basketball coach Mike McDevitt. “She was a very versatile player; she was a match up nightmare for our opponents. She used her time on the sidelines watching and learning like a coach. Not everyone can make the transition from player to coach and coach players they played with. She has been able to do that without any problem at all. I know when Hannah speaks with a player during a game, they really value her input.”

In third grade, Talon began playing basketball. In the seventh grade, she became passionate about playing the sport.

By eighth grade, she knew she wanted to play college basketball. This realization fueled countless hours of training in the gym. Although she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) twice while in high school, her determination to play at the next level never wavered.

“Playing for the women's basketball team under Coach McDevitt was an incredibly special experience that shaped me both on and off the court,” said Talon. “My time at Windham with Coach Brody Artes laid the foundation for my collegiate career, instilling in me the values of hard work, resilience, and leadership. The lessons I learned extended far beyond basketball, preparing me for the challenges of college athletics and life beyond the game.”

In 2023, the Saint Joseph’s College women’s basketball team won the Greater Northeastern Athletic Conference Championship. Talon finished that game by scoring 27 points and was named as the Conference Tournament’s Most Valuable Player; she says this was one of her most unforgettable moments as a player on the team.

Before her senior year of college, Talon tore her ACL again and made the tough decision to medically retire. She transitioned into a student-assistant coach role in 2024 where she was able to observe the game, and it was an eye-opening experience that gave her a new perspective.

According to Talon, she gained a deeper appreciation for the immense effort that coaches put in behind-the-scenes.

“My journey wouldn’t have been possible without my parents unwavering encouragement, pushing me forward even on the toughest days of recovery,” said Talon. “I also owe a great deal to my physical therapist, Ryan Brown, and my sports psychologist, Jan Veinot. Their expertise and guidance were instrumental in both my physical and mental comeback to basketball.”

During her time on the sidelines, Talon learned that one of the most valuable lessons is patience. She adapts her approach while maintaining a steady and supportive presence. Growth doesn’t happen overnight, and it takes time, repetition and encouragement to help athletes reach their full potential.

“I think her ability to take her experiences as a player and implement that into coaching is key,” said teammate and Saint Joseph’s College graduate student Angelica Hurley. “Hannah stepped up in the moments that we needed it most and brought important energy all around. Hannah is a great coach, and I am grateful that I got the opportunity to be coached by her in my last year.”

Talon says that success is the ability to achieve goals while learning and growing from your mistakes along the way. She said life has a way of opening doors you never expected; success looks different for everyone but setting goals, staying disciplined and being consistent are key to making the most of any opportunity. <