Windham swim team starts strong in season opener against Yarmouth

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High School’s swimming team opened the season against Yarmouth at Greely High School in Cumberland on Saturday, Dec. 20. Windham finished first in several events and when they didn’t place first, they weren’t far behind in a strong season opener.

Windham sophomore Beckett Bragdon showcases his speed
in the prep swimming season opener against Yarmouth
at Greely High School in Cumberland on Saturday,
Dec. 20. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“I think this sets a very optimistic tone,” said Windham swim coach Peter Small. “It’s early in the season and it’s your first race so we use it as a litmus test to say, ‘where are you now?’ Yes, we want to beat Yarmouth, but ultimately, it’s where we are right now, and how do we improve to get to March 6. Everybody had a couple things that we want to improve upon, and I think we were able to measure improvement on every single one of them. Even if they were disappointed in their time, it’s more about the technique. I’m very optimistic going forward, and I think our turns were better than they ever have been ... we really put a specialty focus on it this week. We’ve really been focusing on length over stroke so we’re really propelling ourselves forward and I think we’ve greatly improved over that. Our arm placement in the water (needs work). It’s time to ramp up the habits of efficiency in the water.”

The Eagles hit the water ready to get this season going.

Sophomore Rocco DiDonato finished first in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:13.88 minutes.

In the girls 50-freestyle, sophomore Stephanie Roghelia had a first-place finish with a time of 28.36 seconds.

Beckett Bragdon, a Windham sophomore, finished first in the boys 50-freestyle with a 26.82 time. He also finished first in the 100-breaststroke with a 1:18.39 time.

In the 100-freestyle freshman Lauren Nickel finished second with a 1:13.20 time.

In the 500-freestyle, junior Maya Fitts finished second with an 8:50.94 time.

DiDonato had another first-place finish in the 500-freestyle with a 5:53.91 time, almost a full minute ahead of his competitor.

“I think the relay carnival was good to see where we’re starting at,” said DiDonato. “Now that we’ll practice more, it’ll be good to see where everyone is going to be in a few weeks. I think we were very strong today. I think our sportsmanship was very good today, and many of the swimmers improved their times a lot. Our starts and our turns (need work) and those can always be better. I think it’s going to be a great season. Even though we have less people, we’re stronger this year as a team.”

In the 100-breaststroke, Roghelia finished almost a full five seconds ahead of her opponent in her first-place finish where she had a 1:20.38 time.

“I think it went pretty good, we’re at the beginning of the season and working on technique and building that endurance you need for swim,” said Roghelia. “I’m pretty happy with how the first few weeks have been going. Things I think went really well were everyone’s turns and dives – we’ve been working really hard on. Also, just everyone’s pushing themselves because for some people this is the first time they’ve swam (in a high school meet), and they did very well. I think some things that need work are bringing some more energy to the table, more technique and more endurance. I think this meet sets the tone of determination; this is some people’s first time swimming, and I think we can really just go from here and this is just a starting point.” <

WHS graduate applies intensity of athletics to academics

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High School 2019 graduate Meghan Hoffses played soccer and basketball while at Windham High School and then went on to attend the University of Southern Maine at the Gorham and Portland campuses. She played soccer there her sophomore year but chose academics over athletics and focused hard to achieve her degree in public health in 2023. She received her Advanced Certificate in Diagnostic Medical Sonography from the Maine College of Health Professions in Lewiston on Dec. 12.

Windham High 2019 graduate Meghan
Hoffses is shown during her sophomore
year when she was on the soccer team
for the University of Southern Maine. 
She earned a degree in public health and
on Dec 12 received an Advanced
Certificate in Diagnostic Medical
Sonography from the Maine College 
of Health Professionals in Lewiston.
COURTESY PHOTO
USM ATHLETICS   

“Ultrasound school was both humbling and rewarding,” said Hoffses. “I am so excited to have recently graduated from Maine College of Health Professions and look forward to working at Maternal Fetal Medicine post-graduation. Being able to work with women during such a pivotal chapter of their lives is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling.”

She always knew she wanted to work in healthcare. She toured the Maine College of Health Professions during her sophomore year and knew that after she graduated from USM, she wanted to go into sonography. Hoffses has an interest in anatomy and physiology with a passion for working in women’s health.

When she attended USM, she made the Dean’s List five times and was also a member of the National Honor Society. As a student at the Maine College of Health Professions she made the Deans List three times and was a Lamda Nu Radiologic and Imaging Sciences National Honor Society member.

During her one year of soccer at USM, she received the William B. Wise Scholar Athlete Award for the 2020 season. After choosing academics over playing a college sport, she stressed the importance of staying active by going to the gym, taking spin classes, attending yoga classes, weightlifting and running.

"As someone who was an athlete throughout high school and part of college, I was able to exercise in new ways and at whatever times best suited my schedule,” said Hoffses. “I typically exercise four to five times a week. Staying active has always been a priority for me and is a core part of who I am. Exercise is not only something that I enjoy, but it gives me structure in my day, and I feel my most energized and grounded when I make it a priority.”

She does miss playing both soccer and basketball. Hoffses enjoyed being part of a team and feeling like she was part of something bigger than herself. She made lifelong friendships and connections through playing basketball. While it’s been a while since she last played, she said it would be fun for her to help coach young girls at some point down the road.

“Meg has been one of my closest friends for as long as I can remember,” said former WHS teammate and friend Tara Flanders. “She has always been an extremely loyal friend and teammate. Although Meg and I didn’t get the chance to play sports together in college, our time playing basketball at Windham are memories I will cherish forever -- all the practices, Saturday morning youth clinics, games, and everything in between. As a friend, you always want to see the people you care about grow and succeed, and Meg has done exactly that. In high school, Meg ... brought high intensity every time she stepped on the field and court. I knew that as soon as I grabbed a rebound, I could always count on her to already be flying up the court ahead of everyone else.”

Hoffses said her advice for current athletes looking to play collegiately, is to give 100 percent effort and dedicate their time in the off-season. She also said to stay on top of academics because doing so will ensure that every door is open when deciding to play at the college level. Time management with practice and homework is an important skill to learn while in high school, which can pay off in college.

Lastly, Hoffses said to enjoy every moment. Being part of a team is a special feeling, and people are not lying when they say it goes by fast. <