WHS track and field prepares for postseason during meet against Scarborough, South Portland

By Matt Pascarella

As Windham’s outdoor track tunes up for the Southern Maine Activities Association’s competition and the state championship meet, WHS competed in its final meet of the regular season against Scarborough and South Portland at Windham on Thursday, May 21. Windham’s girls’ team finished third with a score of 34 and Windham’s boys’ team also finished third with a score of 26.

Windham senior Myla Vercoe gets some serious distance in
the long jump during a track and field meet against
Scarborough and South Portland at Windham High School
on Thursday, May 21. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

GIRLS

“The goal for me today was push it as hard as I can and have a good time with my teammates,” said Windham senior Emma Fox, who finished sixth in the 400-meter dash, with a 1:08.48-minute time. “As a team, everyone has high spirits because everyone is pushing themselves the hardest they can, to qualify for SMAA (competition), because it’s our last opportunity to do so. Personally, I want to give it my all, my last time as a senior. We need to keep (going fast) during practice and keep being ready to put it all out there when the gun goes off.”

Liliana Abbott, a senior, got personal records in the 100 (15.05 seconds), the 200 (30.89) and the triple jump (27-01.00 feet).

The long jump saw senior Myla Vercoe finish second with a distance of 15-06.00. In the triple jump, Vercoe finished second and soared with a distance of 32-03.50.

Junior Annabelle Harris finished first in the shot put with a throw of 35-06.00 and second in the discus with a throw of 108-09.

Also in the discus, junior Shailyn Farwell came in fourth with a distance of 95-05.

In the pole vault, senior Addison Shanholtz finished second with a height of 9-00.00.

“For some of our athletes this meet was their third meet of the week,” said girls’ track and field coach Jeff Riddle. “(We wanted) to identify only a few events per player ... with hopes of them earning personal records or to qualify while not overextending any and getting them ready to compete this Friday in the SMAA Championship Meet.”

Riddle said they took away great observations from their performances, and identified the skills needed for a creative coaching approach to help them improve, which they have a plan for.

BOYS

Senior Karl Longstreth finished first in the 100 with an 11.39 time. He finished second in the 200 with a 23.29 time.

“My goal coming into today was just to perform and show the people of Windham ... as a track team, we are one of the best teams,” said Longstreth. “One of the highlights for today was the boys’ 400. We had people who had never run the event before come out, and try it. Stay healthy, prep, rest, eat right, do all the right things, check all the right boxes and I should be (ready) to get a medal out of (SMAAs).

Longstreth said everyone should build more confidence, get pumped, get yourself warm, get excited and ready to compete.

In the shotput, senior Marek Slomczynski threw a personal record with a distance of 39-07.00 for a second-place finish.

Also finishing second with a personal record, in the discus was junior Matthew Cole who threw 105-06.

Wyatt Hayward, a sophomore, set a personal record in the long jump with a 13-11 distance.

“Sophomore Ben Foster has been focused on qualifying in the 800 and he hit the mark perfectly (2:14.50 minutes, eighth place),” said boys’ track and field coach Paula Pock. “Karl Longstreth has been adding more long sprints and looked great in the open 400 and 4x400. Dre O'Neil is also coming on strong and has had a great freshmen season. We feel confident that workouts are having the impact that we are hoping for ... and hopefully continue to have strong performances.” <

Five Windham seniors sign college athletic letters of intent

By Matt Pascarella

Five Windham seniors signed college athletic letters of intent during a special ceremony at Windham High School on Thursday, May 14.

From left, Windham seniors Jack Henry, Addison Shanholtz,
Grace Hansen, Gracie Rulman and Jake Watson gather
after signing college letters of intent to compete in
college sports programs during a ceremony at Windham
High School on May 14.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA   

Jack Henry will attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut to play lacrosse, Grace Hansen will attend Husson University in Bangor to play tennis, Addison Shanholtz will attend the University of Maine Orono to participate in outdoor track and field, Gracie Rulman will attend Thomas College in Waterville to play volleyball, and Jake Watson will attend Maine Maritime Academy in Castine to wrestle.

Jack Henry

“Unbelievable consummate two-way player on the soccer and lacrosse fields,” said WHS boys’ lacrosse coach Peter Small. “He helps everybody out; an individual who plays the game the right way, with his chin up helping other people, looking to better himself and those around him.”

Henry will major in electrical engineering and after college is committed for five years to serving as a U.S. Coast Guard officer.

His brother got him interested in lacrosse when Henry was in the third grade; it was Henry’s brother who encouraged him to play.

“It felt good, it’s a relief,” said Henry about signing his letter of intent. “All my friends are always pushing me to get better and playing with them is the most fun thing in the world.”

Grace Hansen

Hansen will major in college in exercise science and hopes to earn a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Her goal is to help athletes prevent and recover from injuries and she’d like to work for a college or professional sports team.

“I wanted to participate in the signing and celebrate my commitment with my friends, said Hansen. “After I signed, I was excited.”

She became interested in tennis during her freshman year.

Tennis specifically has also given her a lot of mental strength, because it's really easy to get in your head on the court.

“Grace plays tennis with incredible grace, incredible form, smooth swings and strong sportsmanship,” said varsity girls’ tennis coach Katy Dresnok. “She ... brings positivity to the entire team. Grace represents everything you could hope for in a student athlete.”

Addison Shanholtz

She will major in biomedical engineering in college and be part of the honors program. She’s interested in medical research, such as medical devices.

Shanholtz started in the WHS track program during her freshman year while in the classroom of WHS girls’ track and field coach and earth science teacher Jeff Riddle.

Riddle said she is relentless in whatever she puts her mind to and has put in a tremendous amount of work to achieve her accomplishments.

“It was definitely the team that made me stay with it,” said Shanholtz. “I’ve never met another group of girls that has the community that track does, and the endless support I get from the entire team made me want to stay.”

Gracie Rulman

“Gracie leads by example,” said WHS varsity volleyball assistant coach Cassie Fleck. “She’s the kind of teammate who makes everyone around her better and someone the coaches can count on to give her best effort.”

Rulman will major in criminal justice and forensic science in college. She would like to be a crime scene investigator or detective.

Eighth grade is when Rulman began playing volleyball; she got the hang of the game quickly and loved it.

She says that she wasn’t thinking about playing volleyball in college but changed her mind during senior year. She loves the game and wants to keep playing.

Jake Watson

“Gives everything I’ve done purpose,” said Watson about his signing. “I’ve always wanted to wrestle in college and hopefully coach one day.”

He will major in marine engineering technology in college and wants to work on ships as an engineer.

His dad was a wrestler and when Watson began wrestling in middle school, he loved it instantly.

“The off-season work that you do is second-to-none,” said varsity assistant coach Nick Buckley. “He’s a tremendous kid, never have to push him to work hard. No matter how you shuffle him in the lineup, what sacrifices we ask him to do, he just goes and does it.” <

Deering edges Windham in varsity baseball thriller

By Matt Pascarella

Windham varsity baseball got the bats going early in a game against Deering at Windham High School on Tuesday, May 19. The Rams put two runs on the scoreboard in the first inning and Windham was quick to answer and tied the game 2-2 after one inning. Deering pulled ahead and Windham fought to turn this game around. Although Windham had double the hits Deering did, the Eagles were unable to pull ahead and lost 5-4.

Windham sophomore Mason Rulman throws the ball to the
infield after making a diving catch during a varsity baseball
game against Deering on Tuesday, May 19.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“We’ve got five or six guys that want to compete and five or six guys that want to play selfish baseball, can’t break that right now and it’s killing the team,” said Windham varsity baseball coach Chris Doughty. “Distractions on the field, guys letting one at-bat dictate their entire game, but it brings everything else down. Not being able to remember that baseball is a game of failure (is hurting the team) ... with baseball you’ve got to take everything pitch-by-pitch. Same thing in the field, you make an error, it’s ok, we do this every day.”

After Windham tied the game 2-2 in the first, Deering added two more runs in the second and Windham defense held them there for three consecutive innings.

In the top of the third inning, Windham sophomore Mason Rulman had a rolling catch in center field. Windham got a double play when they picked off a runner at second who advanced without tagging up to end the inning.

“To start off the game we come in and compete and play hard (is the goal) ... but then someone strikes out, their attitude gets down and we just lose all our confidence,” said Rulman, who went 2-3 during the game. “Not everyone is engaged in the game like they should be. I thought we pitched well, we swung the bat, we were aggressive at the plate. We got to put the ball in play, and score runs and we can compete with anyone. We got to have more confidence as a team when we’re up to the plate. We’re flat (in the dugout). We got to come out with energy or else no one’s going to have confidence.”

In the bottom of the third inning, Windham freshman Ryan Manning reached first base on a Deering error. Sophomore Maddix Morgridge singled and Manning scored. It was now 4-3, Deering.

Deering added another run in the sixth inning, but Windham wasn’t done.

The Eagles knocked off the first three batters in the top of the seventh inning.

Rulman singled in the bottom of the seventh, then senior Anthony Rinaldi doubled and brought in Rulman. Windham was close but couldn’t get out in front or tie the game.

“There’s a lot of kids that weren’t confident today,” said Rinaldi. “The only time we were on it and locking in was at the end of the game. Maddix and Mason did really well today. Everybody was upset and it was all over the place emotion-wise. People need to stop being selfish. In the beginning of the game, I went 0-2 and then changed my mentality and the next at-bat said, ‘I’m the best player on this field’ and then hit a single and a double, which was clutch. We need to be more positive and mindful, it’s not just about yourself, it’s about everyone else – we’re a team for a reason.”

According to Doughty, Rinaldi battled and kept them in the game pitching for five innings. Rulman and Morgridge pitched well. If Windham isn’t collectively playing as a team, it’s hard to win with two or three guys, said Doughty. They are a young team but play so much baseball; they should know any game can switch in an instant.

Moving forward, Doughty said they need to show up and try to put their most competitive attitudes on the field and just try to get better, hopefully finishing with some wins. <

WHS boys’ lacrosse rallies but narrowly falls at South Portland

By Matt Pascarella

Going into the last quarter, Windham varsity boys’ lacrosse team was down 6-1 against South Portland, at South Portland High School on Wednesday, May 13 but the Eagles’ defense kept the Red Riots scoreless, and Windham’s offense ran up the scoreboard to come within one goal of tying the game, narrowly falling 6-5 at the final buzzer.

Windham junior Colin McKenna takes a shot at the goal
during a boys' lacrosse game at South Portland High School
on Wednesday, May 13. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“We came out really slow and I think we just need to have a lot more intensity,” said Windham junior Colin McKenna who scored in the second quarter. “We came out super flat in the first and second quarter, when we scored that (initial) goal, I saw it as let’s pick up the pace and that’s when we started ... clawing back. In the fourth quarter we had a really good pace. As the fourth quarter went on, our sense of urgency was really there. If we play like that the whole time, we can beat anybody. Like Coach Small says we’re down by three as soon as we step on the field, we should always be trying to claw back and I think the reason it took 36 minutes is everyone has to get on the same page; if you’re on the field, you just need to keep going and keep clawing back. Team camaraderie and believing in each other is the biggest thing that needs work.”

Windham took the field aggressively but was unable to score in the first quarter, as South Portland ended the first quarter with a 2-0 lead.

The Eagles’ offense took shots at goal in the second quarter, but nothing was landing. Windham junior Zach Gagne had several great stops and blocks in goal. McKenna scored to make it 3-1, with South Portland ahead at halftime.

In the third quarter, Windham fell behind more as the Red Riots doubled the number of goals scored in the first half in just the third quarter and took a commanding lead.

“We’ve been fighting adversity all year,” said Windham senior Mason Arbour. “We just came in the fourth quarter and did our thing. We saw the other team slowing down and we knew we had to pick it up, or we’re going to lose. We got to keep that same intensity throughout the whole game. We had a good pace at the end; we had good clears. Zach, our goalie, had insane saves; we just got to keep on going. We got to work on the little things: passing, dodging, shooting, clearing, giving control of the ball, spacing. Coming off a win against Cape and four losses before that, this (comeback) was a good thing. We knew So Po was a good team ... we lost but we know if we meet them again in the playoffs, we can easily beat them.”

Gagne had nine saves over four quarters. 

The fourth quarter was completely different as Windham really cranked up the intensity and showed they were still in this game.

Arbour scored, then sophomore Liam Reinbold found the back of the net. The Eagle’s offense would not slow down. Sophomore Sean Lebel scored. Windham was getting turnovers and snagging ground balls. As the clock ticked down, Windham kept going; sophomore Luke Hangge scored.

Windham worked to force overtime but ran out of time.

“We’ve seen snippets every game where we play at a really high level,” said Windham varsity boys’ lacrosse coach Peter Small. “The question: ‘is how do you maintain that?’ We really tried to focus on ... what do we have to do to be better. The concept is we just need one-at-a-time. If you believe in yourselves, then you can just never quit. Once it happened (scoring) ... it snowballed. The fact that they were able to come back in the fourth quarter like that was really good and I think it speaks to their character. I think this is a high character team. These guys work their tails off; we just got to piece it together for 48 minutes.” <

Bonny Eagle prevails over Windham Little League’s Bill Diamond softball

By Matt Pascarella

In their third game of the season, Windham Little League’s Bill Diamond softball team played Bonny Eagle at Windham on Monday, May 11. The teams were neck-and-neck in the first couple innings, but the Scots were able to pull away in the third inning and hold onto the lead. They walked off the field with a 6-3 win over the Eagles.

Windham seventh grader Libby Rulman, middle, catches a
pop fly during a Windham Little League softball game
against Bonny Eagle at Windham High School on May 11.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“Our goal was to try our hardest and this was a pretty tough team, so (we wanted) to just stay in it,” said sixth grader Eva Doughty. “There were lots of pop flies, so stay focused and catch them, those were a lot of our outs. Brooke (Legere) was pitching great and they hit them, but we made really great plays in the infield. Our hitting could definitely get better, That was a pretty hard pitcher but we had some good cuts.”

Bonny Eagle scored a run in the first inning.

Windham’s Bill Diamond softball was quick to answer when there was a base hit by seventh grader Legere, who was quick and stole her way around the bases and tied the game 1-1.

In the second inning, Windham had a base hit. Then sixth grader Ella Gagnon crushed a single. After a walk, a Windham runner scored; Bonny Eagle led 3-2.

The fourth inning brought the continuation of strong Windham defense when both Legere and sixth grader Chloe Penney caught pop-flies. They ended the inning with Bonny Eagle runners on second and third base.

Legere threw two consecutive strikeouts in the fifth inning.

“I was a little nervous (in the circle), but I stayed in the game,” said Legere. “I was focused and pitched strikes. My pitching (went well) and Eva’s catching and I think we had really good defense. Our hitting (needs work).

When Windham was up to bat in the fifth inning, they could not close the gap.

“The last game, we lost by a lot of runs and it was kind of discouraging, and the girls were down on themselves,” said Windham Little League Bill Diamond softball coach Erin Gagnon. “We came into this game, and I told them, ‘let’s try to get some outs and let’s work hard, work together, get the morale back up.’ I really wanted them to just feel good about playing. They came out and we were head-to-head and they were so excited. They were on the fence and they were cheering, so I said even if the score didn’t end up the way I wanted it, it was a win for Windham because they got back in the game and worked together and did some great things.”

Gagnon said Legere does a good job of not getting discouraged; she’s kind of the team’s glue at times. Gagnon said they had some younger players who made some good plays. The girls were getting the ball in from the outfield quickly, which they hadn’t done in the past two games. They took care of the ball really well, and they talked and they were cheering each other on. It was nice to see that growth from the younger players who contributed.

The team’s hitting needs work, said Gagnon. When they face faster pitchers, they get intimidated. In practice, the team needs to figure out a way to get out of their heads and swing the bat because they’re great players and baserunners. That confidence to swing the bat will go a long way. <

Windham boys’ tennis falls at Falmouth

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High's varsity boys’ tennis team traveled to Falmouth to take on the Navigators on Friday, May 8. Windham gave it their best and left it all on the court but lost to Falmouth, 5-0.

Windham senior Carter Mathieu get to the ball in time during
a boys' tennis match against Falmouth on May 8.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“When we’re going into a match that’s a very uphill battle, it can be super demoralizing especially walking away 0-5, when we’ve lost a lot of matches at love, so I always want them to get something out of it,” said Windham boys’ tennis assistant coach Julia Parmakan. “When we were riding on the bus I asked them to think about what they wanted to work on ... also we talked about things going well every match and we talked about things to work on. So often the kids dwell on what’s not working that they don’t think about what is working. Having something to focus on, even if you don’t win a game, makes it seem like this was a good use of my time and (that they) learned something and improved, even after a loss.”

In the singles matches, Windham seniors Carter Mathieu and Padrick McGuire both lost with a score of 8-0. Senior Nolan McPhail lost, 8-4.

Coach Parmakan said McPhail took full advantage of the day and this might be his best match of the season, even though it was a loss.

“We came into this game to just learn something from it,” said McPhail. “I think it was 2-1 and I got one game and I was over the moon because I didn’t think I was going to (win) one. I realized I was playing the best tennis of my life, and I figured I might as well keep going. I think mood (went well). The guy I played against was a great guy, he made it a lot of fun, and it just made the game enjoyable and kept me going. I found a way to get as many points as I could, tried to pull him back, get power shots, hit the lines right and it was working well.”

The doubles matches saw Windham senior Nate Paulding and sophomore Nicolas Hidell lose, 8-2, and senior Milo Keary and freshman Landon Laszczak lost, 8-0.

“Coming into it ... we were going to give it our best shot,” said Keary. “We’ve been learning a lot of new techniques recently and we wanted to put those to use and adjust as needed. We ended up doing that which was good for us, we got a couple of points that way. Having the rackets ready (went well). Coach Parmakan told us to have your rackets up and I hit a couple, including a serve that I got a return on it, because my racket was already there and I didn’t have to think about it. Calling balls (needs work) ... this game we had a harder time calling which ball was whose. We just keep working on that and we’ll get better with our placement.”

According to Parmakan, she knew a lot of the kids went into the game feeling defeated, which makes play that much more difficult. Instead of thinking ‘pressure is off, it’s not going to go well,’ they could have used this as an opportunity to think ‘the pressure is off, I can play however I want.’

She would love to see the team work on consistency. For a lot of the team, it’s important to work on skills like getting the ball past the service line and moving their opponent. For new players aiming is always something to work on. Parmakan wants the team to know a lot can be learned from a loss; playing strong players is always beneficial. <

WHS girls’ lacrosse unstoppable in defeating Falmouth

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham varsity girls’ lacrosse team faced Falmouth at home on Tuesday, May 5 and the Eagles were coming off a loss from Thornton Academy and would not be stopped this game. Windham kept the Navigators scoreless in the first quarter, while they scored four goals. The pressure continued both offensively and defensively and at the final buzzer, Windham ousted Falmouth, 14-5.

Windham sophomore Brooklyn Roy prepares to take a shot
at the goal during a girls' varsity lacrosse game against
Falmouth at Windham High School on Tuesday, May 5.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

“It was a lot of focus and hard work,” said Windham senior Neve Ledbetter who scored five goals during the game. “The approach was just to adjust when things were thrown at us and having adversity on the field. I think we really played together as a team and that was one of the biggest key factors for today’s win. Our defense was really good, our transition went well, we executed our offense pretty well. I would say the basics like stick work and catching and dodging are the biggest things that need work, but overall, I think we did a really good job.”

Windham pressured and showed they were going to win this one from the very first whistle. Windham senior Abby Trainor scored, then junior Morgan McLain, then Ledbetter. Trainor scored again before the end of the first quarter.

The Eagle’s offense was winning draws and worked hard to be first to the ball. Trainor and Ledbetter ran up the scoreboard. Midway through, Windham led, 8-2.

In the second half, the Eagles remained aggressive. Sophomore Brooklyn Roy and senior Mady Donnelly both scored.

Falmouth was catching up, but not quickly.

In the fourth quarter, Windham junior goalie Avery Adams had a save which combined with her team’s defense, kept the Navigators scoreless in the fourth quarter.

“Our approach was scrapping (the loss) against TA that did show how we play and operate as a team,” said Trainor who scored seven goals during the game. “Coming into Falmouth we added a bunch of new stuff on our offense to prepare; if they’re going to faceguard, come out in a man or zone defense. In the second quarter they came out in a faceguard which opened up the offense a lot more. Coach Perkins always says our six offenders are better than any six defenders in the state. Incorporating everyone on our offense (can keep this momentum up). When everyone hones into what they are good at, we are just unstoppable.” 

Trainor said coming down on their fast break needs work. They can control the offense, but they came down fast break and if they would have slowed it down, they could have had a better opportunity to score.

"I thought our ride was great, causing turnovers, forcing Falmouth to play the length of field, the effort is always great,” said Windham varsity girls lacrosse coach Matt Perkins. “Refocusing on the next game, what are we going to do and how to take care of business there is a big focus for us. It’s a grind, we just got to continue to work and stay positive.” <

Cheverus hands Windham softball second loss of season

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High’s varsity softball team faced rival Cheverus at Cheverus on Monday, May 4 in the first of two regular season games it will play against the Stags. Cheverus jumped to an early 5-0 lead after two innings as Windham struggled to get a runner on base. While Windham was able to stop Stag pitcher Addison DeRoche’s no-hitter opportunity, the Eagles lost, 8-0.

Windham senior Nola Bryant rounds third base after a steal
during a girls' varsity softball game against Cheverus at
Cheverus High School on  Monday, May 4.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

“We approached this game knowing we’re going to see them (again), and hoping we’ll be where we want to be in June and possibly seeing them a third time,” said Windham varsity softball coach Darcey Gardiner. “A big thing we stress is wanting to win, but if you can’t win, where are the little wins? The second and third time through the lineup, a lot of the batters made adjustments – that was really nice to see from my hitters, facing a pitcher like (DeRoche).”

The Cheverus defense was strong throughout the game and sent the first three Windham batters back to the dugout. After one full inning Cheverus led, 3-0.

In the fourth inning, senior Nola Bryant destroyed any chance of a Cheverus no-hitter when she crushed a double that landed against the outfield fence.

“It definitely felt great,” said Bryant. “I hit a double off of her in the regional final last year and it was a really big deal because she’s such a talented pitcher and it means a lot to get on base and break the no-hitter. I think it was getting my foot down early and getting out of my head; I talked myself through it. We wanted to take the pressure off ... we knew we were coming in and facing a talented pitcher as well as a talented team.”

According to Bryant, outfield plays went really well. They got the ball in quickly. She said they need to get their bunts down, make adjustments earlier at bat and make routine plays.

The Lady Eagles’ defense sent the first three batters from Cheverus back to the dugout in the fourth inning after junior Kiley Card made two stellar catches in left field and senior pitcher Lacie Higgins struck out the third batter.

The top of the sixth inning had senior Addison Caiazzo single on a bunt.

“I knew what was coming (with DeRoche),” said Caiazzo. “I trusted my hands and knew I couldn’t get anything up in the zone at all, I got to get this ball down on the ground or line drive was my mentality (at bat). I think Lacie Higgins did a phenomenal job. She started the game pitching, then I went in and she ended up coming back ... I really liked how she stayed on the gas pedal and continued to push everyone and get more strikeouts. We need to clean up our defense and trust each other and trust ourselves with the plays that we made. (Working on) bunting and small ball will be pretty beneficial to us.”

There was one last effort for Windham to make up the difference in the seventh inning, but they did not.

Card said they did a great job working as a team; they communicated in the field and trusted each other.

Eagle softball will get another chance with Cheverus again on May 16 at home, and Card said adjusting on those pitches and certain batters, because DeRoche has a great rise ball, so they all need to choke up; they need to work on getting that foot down before swinging.

“Where we’ve got to be better, especially in a game like this is separating offense and defense; two totally different aspects of the game,” said Gardiner. “Being able to not let a play from our defense bleed into our at-bats and vice-versa. We’ve got to stay focused on every pitch. We’re going to keep working on slashing; the big thing with DeRoche is timing. We haven’t really tested their defense. So, finding ways to put the ball in play to put pressure on their defense.” <

Windham Youth Lacrosse middle school teams gear up for new season

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham Youth Lacrosse Organization (WYLO) has been preparing for the upcoming spring season since early last month. The program aims to teach lacrosse skills from kindergarten to eighth grade. The middle school teams started their final week of practice on Monday, April 27. As they work up to the season opener, the boys fifth- and sixth-grade and girls seventh- and eighth-grade teams are finetuning skills and getting ready to begin the season as prepared as possible.

Windham sixth grader Coby Lane, left background, works on
passing during a Windham Youth Lacrosse Organization 
practice at Manchester School in Windham on Monday,
April 27. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

“I’ve had a majority of these girls since third grade,” said seventh- and eighth-grade girls’ lacrosse coach Dena Tompson, who has been coaching WYLO for six years. “A lot of these girls have been playing together since kindergarten. I feel like WYLO’s goal is to build more of a community; working together with positive energy, improving skills and skill level.

WYLO does a lot to work to connect high school and middle school players, and Windham High girls lacrosse varsity coach Matt Perkins has shared a lot of their drills and practice structure, so when the eighth graders reach high school, they know what to expect at the varsity level.

The varsity players spend time coaching and practicing with the younger players and Tompson said it’s cool for her to see the varsity players act as role models, and to see her team’s enthusiasm.

“I like having a good group of people to play a sport with and it’s fun to be with another family,” said WYLO eighth grader Brooke Winslow. “I’m hoping to accomplish wins and have fun. I’m looking forward to having a few goals and having people learn how to play – we have a lot of new people, so I hope we teach them well.”

Amy Bissel, a fifth- and sixth-grade girls’ WYLO coach said she believes exposure to the game this early on already puts them at an advantage to understanding the game at a deeper level. In addition to this early experience, to effectively prepare the athletes to one day play the game at a higher level, they prioritize fundamentals, communication, accuracy and patience. As coaches, they aim to build up player’s confidence.

“The goal is fundamentals of lacrosse,” said boys’ fifth- and sixth-grade WYLO coach Ben Sinclair. “We want to get kids excited about the sport, learning the sport. Teaching them the fundamentals and then progression from there. We’ve been growing every year. Commitment starts now.”

Sinclair said he wants his players to end the season with a team mentality. It can be hard to do things all by yourself, so having a team you trust around you makes a big difference.

“I like how it’s physical, we run a lot and it’s just fun,” said WYLO sixth grader Coby Lane. “I’d like to play varsity and go to college to play lacrosse. My goals for this season are starting on midi or offense and getting three goals a game.”

Regardless of age or skill level, coaches want their players to have fun, learn the skills of lacrosse and gain confidence while learning to be part of a team.

The teams will play their season openers on Sunday, May 3; visit https://www.windhamlacrosse.com/home for more details. <

Former WHS lacrosse star studying to become aesthetic nurse

By Matt Pascarella

Emma Ammons, a 2024 Windham High School graduate, was a star student and athlete when she played lacrosse for Windham.

Former Windham High lacrosse star, a 2024 WHS graduate, 
visits the Outer Banks in North Carolina last summer. She is
working on a nursing degree at Galen College in Texas and
plans to become an aesthetic nurse and perhaps a lacrosse
coach someday. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

After she graduated high school, she headed to Saint Joseph’s College to major in nursing and play lacrosse. However, Ammons made the difficult decision to step away from lacrosse and Saint Joseph’s College halfway through her sophomore year. She wanted to prioritize getting her degree in nursing. She transferred to the Galen College of Nursing in Texas and plans to specialize in Botox and aesthetic nursing.

“My main focus has been on my nursing studies and working toward my degree,” said Ammons. “It wasn’t easy, but balancing the demands of nursing school and athletics became overwhelming. Nursing is very demanding, so I’ve put a lot of time and effort into staying on track academically and building a strong foundation for my future career.”

Ammons moved to Texas in January. She was a little apprehensive at first, because she wanted to be close to her friends and family, especially her mom, who is her biggest supporter, but once established, she’s really happy that she took the leap.

Moving to a new place has changed her perspective on so many things. Even though she misses her friends, family, and hometown, Ammons is out there doing what she’s always dreamed of. She gets to see and experience new things every day.

Lacrosse is something Ammons misses a lot; she even keeps her lacrosse stick in the trunk of her car. Ammons said she would love to keep the sport in her life in the future. If she was able to find a youth program in the area, she’d be really interested in getting involved, and helping out. She could even see herself possibly coaching at some point in the future.

“In the past, I helped run youth lacrosse events where we introduced younger girls to the sport,” said Ammons. “Our goal was to make it fun and enjoyable while helping them learn the basics. I loved being able to share a sport that meant so much to me and watching them grow and enjoy it.”

To stay active, she goes on afternoon walks and tries new activities she’s never done before, like wake surfing or golfing. Ammons enjoys anything where she gets to be active and experience something new.

Her advice to current high schoolers is to follow your heart and take chances, even when those chances might scare you. Ammons said she’d rather look back on her life knowing she went after my dreams than wonder “what if.” She said to trust yourself, work hard and don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone.

It’s okay if your plans change. That happens more than people think. Ammons said to be honest with yourself about what you really want and don’t feel like you have to stick with something just because it was your original plan. Talk to people you trust, ask for advice, and don’t be afraid to go in a different direction. In the end, it’s about finding what makes you happy and what’s best for you, Ammons says. <