WHS Cross Country teams qualify for state championship meet

By Matt Pascarella

For the first time since 2015, both Windham’s boys’ and girls’ cross country teams are going to the Class A State Championships after a strong performance in the Southern Maine Class A Regional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Twin Brook Recreation Area in Cumberland. Since 2015, there has been a variety of combinations of one WHS team qualifying or individuals qualifying, but it's been a while since both teams have qualified. The girls’ team finished seventh with a score of 199 and the boys’ team finished eighth with a score of 237.

Windham sophomore Eva Vancelette maintains her focus
during the Southern Maine Class A Regional Cross
Country Championship race at Twin Brooks
Recreation Area in Cumberland on Saturday, Oct. 26.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“Many of our present athletes appropriately and safely started their quest to get to compete at States in late June – at last Summer’s ‘Unlock Your Potential’ Cross Country Camp to build their present fitness and mindset, both highly needed to extend a cross-country season,” said Windham cross country coach Jeff Riddle. “The boys finally put it all together, together. The girls’ team showed up unified and ready to compete, they were locked in. Our sport is one of true grit with no rest, nowhere to hide, no breaks, and it is raw. So, if fit, feeling well, and with a winner’s mindset, the only thing stopping a cross-country athlete is themselves. Our boys and girls let it fly last Saturday, ran the race plan, then together earned something that very few teams do. Our goals for them at the State meet are to first authentically enjoy their earned time together ... and to then go improve their finish position by reducing their race time.”

Girls

Windham junior Sydney Broadbent finished first for Windham and 32nd overall with a time of 22:34.92 minutes. Behind her was sophomore Eva Vancelette who finished 37th overall with a 22:55.60.

Junior Lila Stanley finished third for Windham and 42nd overall in a time of 23:09.00.

“As a team, we stayed as a pack,” said Broadbent. “I think our top four or five finished within like a minute and a half of each other, which is amazing. We all started out fast, which was exactly what we wanted to do. Just maintained and stayed confident throughout the race. As a team, we wanted to give it everything and finish with nothing left in the tank ... we know that this course is really hard, everyone struggles and everyone’s in the same conditions. We all gave it our everything and we did exactly what we wanted to do today. Knowing that both teams made it ... shows how much determination we have as teams and as individuals. The team has learned to work really well together in the races, and we put so much time into this season, we put everything into this team. We earned our spot at states.”

Boys

Sophomore Mason Bragdon finished first for Windham and 35th overall with a time of 18.51.30.

Second for Windham and 39th overall was senior Andrew Young with a time of 18:55.87. Third for Windham and 41st overall was junior Caleb Saucier with a time of 19:01.77.

“It’s definitely nice to see everybody step up,” said Bragdon. “I think it took a lot of effort, from a training aspect; it took the miles and hours and hours to get here. And it just all came together. From the start of the morning, everybody was feeling good ... overall while running the course it was good – it was that usual exciting feeling you get while running. First was definitely a goal and my goal was to pull the rest of the team forward. Our ultimate goal was to pull off today. When we run, we pull each other up and we finish. Some things I saw today that went really well was we all got off the line really fast and we did a good job maintaining our paces through the second mile; we had our five through seven runners push up which is what really got us to states this year. New Englands is the ultimate goal, but if we can place really well, I think that’s also a good end to the season.” <

WHS Cross Country gives strong performance at Southern Maine Classic

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High’s cross-country team showed it is capable of pushing themselves in any condition as they competed at the Narragansett School in Gorham on Saturday, Sept. 14 during the Southern Maine Classic Invitational, a 5K course which featured runners from schools all over southern Maine.

Windham freshman Liam Moxley crosses the finish line on
Friday, Sept. 14 at the Narragansett School in Gorham during
the 2024 Southern Maine Classic Cross Country Invitational.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

Windham boys finished 16th overall with a score of 469 and the Windham girls finished 17th with a 410 score.

Boys

Of the nine runners who competed in this race, five of them had run this course during the 2024 summer finale of the Windham cross-country camp. Of those five, they all shaved at least two minutes, and in most cases more, from their end-of-summer times.

Sophomore Mason Bragdon finished first for Windham with an 18:32.48-minute time. Bragdon knocked off 3:27 from his summer run time of the same course.

“As a team we all did great,” said Bragdon. “Our top runners, our top three are really good, we just need to help making sure everyone is up to the same level. We need to make sure we’re doing well in training, putting all our effort there, so that we can perform well here.”

Right behind Bragdon was junior Caleb Saucier who finished with a time of 18:32.80. Saucier was a full 2:08 faster than he had been in the summer; and took off almost six minutes from when he ran the same course during the 2022 Invitational.

Senior Andrew Young finished third for Windham with a time of 18:57.49.

Freshman Liam Moxcey erased over six minutes from summer compared with fall; he finished at 29:35.66.

Girls

The WHS girls’ team was challenged by illness as four of the seven who raced fought through it. While illness was a speed bump, the team safely preserved and tested themselves to be there, giving all the power and skill they could.

Of the seven who competed, four had lower times compared to when they ran the course during the summer.

During her first time on this course, junior Lila Stanley finished first for Windham with a time of 22:54.37.

“We all just wanted to do fast, faster, fastest and stick together,” said Stanley. “For me the heat made me feel really heavy; I couldn’t catch my breath. We all started off really strong and got a steady pace. We all tried to pick it up the second lap, count our split-steps and that really helped us get our breathing down, get the groove ... and get your rhythm down with the arms.”

Senior Abigail Dumont finished second with a 23.40.91 time, knocking 25 seconds off her summertime and over two minutes from when she ran the course in 2022.

Junior Demetria Nicholas took close to two minutes off from the summer, with a time of 23:44.57.

Senior Monica Farley kicked 6:25 from her summertime run to finish the Invitational with a 27:30.08 time.

“What stood out to me was the vital importance of cross-country racing on these big invitational stages to offer opportunity for both new and veteran runners alike to gain confidence to make future big championship stage races very exciting to race,” said Windham cross-country coach Jeff Riddle. “We took another small step-up in continuing to build our team's capacity through individual belief in what is possible. Holistically, we need to improve our communication skills to avoid surprises and to improve clarity, understanding and player safety. We have already started that initiative as effective communication skills will make or break a program's ability to offer its best to the student-athletes. The high heat in the later junior-senior races was a factor. The trick is to train to outwit it to make it a non-factor, and we always have work to reduce its effect on our results; but the weather is the same for all so should never be an excuse.” <

Windham’s Langstaff completes stellar college running career

By Matt Pascarella

Just like she made an impression while running for Windham High School’s cross country and track and field teams, University of New Hampshire graduate Hannah Langstaff did the same in college while majoring in nursing. She currently works as a registered nurse in the Barbara Bush Inpatient Unit at Maine Medical Center in Portland.

Windham High and University of New Hampshire graduate
Hannah Langstaff competes in a race during the 2021-2022
indoor track season. Langstaff graduated UNH with a nursing
degree earlier this year and works in the Barbara Bush Pediatric
Unit at Maine Medical Center in Portland.
COURTESY PHOTO   

“College was definitely an adjustment from high school,” said Langstaff. “Everything is bigger, the campus, the classes, and the competition. I started my freshman year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and that was very challenging, it made it difficult to meet new people and experience what college is all about. Freshman year I did not compete due to COVID-19 restrictions and a couple injuries I was struggling with. The summer going into sophomore year I decided I was going to work really hard on getting my mileage in and doing all the little things, this all paid off and I was able to race really well during cross country and indoor; I even was able to be a part of a school record relay team which was by far my favorite memory from my time at UNH. The summer going into junior year I did the same thing and again was able to gain some personal records throughout cross country and indoor. Unfortunately, in outdoor I got a stress reaction, (and) senior year I struggled to get back to where I had been. However, it allowed me to experience other exciting aspects on my senior year of college and focus on my academics.”

As a nurse, Langstaff is responsible for caring for patients, making sure they are comfortable, administering medications, assessing, providing interventions when necessary and communicating with the team. Langstaff would love to stay at the Barbara Bush Unit long-term and continue to add competencies to her license. She’s already learned so much from the month and half she’s been orienting and is excited to continue to learn and grow within the field.

During her sophomore year competing for UNH’s outdoor track and field team, Langstaff placed first in the 3,000-meter at the UNH season opener. During her senior year in indoor track and field, she finished third in the 4 x 800 during the New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association Track and Field Championships. She also excelled in the classroom, making it on the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll and into the National College Athlete Honor Society.

As a sophomore, her relay team set a new school record in the 4 x 800 with a time of 8:50.67 minutes. This meant a lot to her because it included three people that she really looked up to who were dedicated to the sport.

“I believe that is how we were able to succeed and get the school record,” said Langstaff. “It is my favorite memory at UNH because it is something that I had never dreamed I would be able to be a part of, but I exceeded my own expectations for myself.”

When Langstaff looks back on her time competing for Windham High School cross country and indoor-outdoor track and field teams, she said it taught her that hard work and that consistency pays off. She says she also learned the importance of having fun and enjoying what you are doing. She is often asked how she balanced nursing school and running and her answer is that she simply loves running and enjoys having fun with teammates.

“I got to run cross country, indoor, and outdoor track with Hannah from 2020 to 2023,” said UNH graduate Cailey Archer, a member of the UNH relay team. “As an athlete in high school, I struggled greatly with anxiety-related to performance in sport. The switch flipped for me when I got to college and began running relays. The change came because of the immediate support that I felt from teammates like Hannah and her uplifting positivity. She was such a critical member of the team not only for her blazing fast times and unmatched work ethic, but in her compassion and attitude that fostered the belief that together we could do anything. Hannah served as a leader on the team in regard to hard work, academic excellence (in a taxing major of nursing requiring clinical rotations) and being the best type of friend on the track and off. I know that she will make a fantastic nurse because helping people is one of the things she does best.” <

WHS Cross Country teams preparing for a successful fall season

By Matt Pascarella

In preparation for the upcoming preseason and regular fall season Windham High School’s cross-country team held a six-week cross country summer camp from June 24 to Aug. 2 for Windham and Raymond students in grades seven through 12 at Windham High School’s stadium track.

Windham sophomore Eva Vancellette, left, and freshman
Liam Moxcey circle the track at Windham High School 
on Friday, July 26 during the WHS Cross Country 
Summer Camp. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“What we tried to present is to provide an opportunity for anyone to unlock their potential,” said assistant WHS cross country coach Jeff Conant. “If it’s somebody that’s interested in getting faster for another sport or they’re just looking to have better fitness, we can start you on a program that will be catered to where you start and get you up to a place where you’ll feel really good about the progression that you’ve made. Being able to ... provide a healthy opportunity for kids in the summertime has been really nice.”

The theme of the camp was to “unlock your potential.” There were 25 athletes who took advantage of this opportunity. The camp was a detailed daily sequence of movements and exercises, running assignments, followed by group strength building and stretching in order to increase flexibility, speed and, most importantly to avoid injury. It also offered consistent daily and weekly speed and strength development opportunities on the track or in the weight room.

The coaching staff worked to help campers realize being a true athlete is a lifestyle choice that includes respecting your body, choosing appropriate foods, getting sleep, hydrating, setting goals, learning and remaining positive, respecting others, and seeking happiness.

“I like cross country and had run it before so I thought it would be a good idea to run it during the summer,” said Windham seventh grader Anthony Douglass. “I’ve done strides and pretty good sprints and progressed from day one to now.”

High school runners have been helping Douglass achieve some of his goals.

The running groups are broken up and based on experience with the more knowledgeable runners going out for longer runs.

“It’s not as bad as I thought it would be. It’s a lot of hard work but is always worth it in the end,” said Windham eighth grader Celia Boothby. “I’ve learned the proper running form; I can’t really run long distance so here I’ve been able to stretch that limit and I’ve learned how to do a lot of the stretches and the exercises which will help me even when I’m not running.”

This will contribute to Boothby playing softball and will help with baserunning.

Windham senior Tayla Pelletier is playing two sports for the upcoming fall season, cross country and soccer.

“I wanted to continue running with my teammates,” said Pelletier. “[The camp] always helps encourage me. I wanted to improve my running, and these are some of the best coaches to do it with. It definitely helps my endurance and my mindset; my mindset is improving with every long run. It’s going to help my endurance a lot [on the soccer field]."

Windham senior Andrew Young wanted to start on the cross country season early and figured the camp was the best way.

“It's definitely going to help with endurance and getting me back to where I was last year,” said Young. “As I started running with the team, I slowly started getting better and better with them and doing more.”

At the beginning of the camp, the campers ran a 5K in Gorham and for some, finished their first 5K ever. On the last day of camp, they headed back to Gorham to rerun that 5K and recognize what they have accomplished and the abilities they have unlocked over the summer of 2024. <

Windham’s cross country teams finish extremely strong in regional championships

By Matt Pascarella

Pouring rain did not stop the Windham cross country team from showing they were ready to compete in the Class A Regional championship on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Twin Brooks Recreation Area in Cumberland. The Windham girls’ team all qualified for the state championship and the boys earned a 10th place finish; just one team spot shy of going to the state championship.

Windham sophomore Sydney Broadbent keeps a steady pace
early in the Class A girls' Cross Country Regional
Championships race at Twin Brook recreational area on
Saturday, Oct. 21 in Cumberland.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

Girls

“We knew it was going to be rough,” said Windham sophomore Sydney Broadbent, who finished second for Windham and 19th with a time of 21:56.44 minutes. “We knew that everybody was running in the same weather and conditions were going to be the same for everybody and in some ways, it could help us because we’ve worked so hard and prepared since July for this. We were ready for it, and we came and fought, and we did it. We all kept fighting and ... kept going, kept pushing, and we put in the work this season and it paid off today. Everybody worked extra hard – we gave it our all, we gave it everything.”

Junior Tayla Peletier finished first for the team with an 18th place finish overall and a 21.56.32 time.

Sophomore Emma Fox finished third for Windham and 47th overall with a 23:40.61 time. Right behind her was senior Elizabeth Bearce with a 23.50.52 finish.

Sophomore Abigail Dumont finished fifth for Windham with a 24:09.41 time; she knocked off more than a minute from her 2022 Regional Championship finish time.

Boys

“It’s a good day to race, with the rain, it cools you off, it makes you feel fine,” said Windham junior Andrew Young who finished first for Windham and dropped over 20 seconds off his 2022 Regional Championship time with a 2023 time of 18:04.92. “Definitely a little slippery ... definitely a good race. As a team, we were really unified; we were hyping each other up, we all felt good. We met our expectations; I was very pleased with my performance. I have to give credit to my team, everything our coaches and our team has done has prepared us for this race.”

Seniors Graden Joly, Jinqi Li and sophomore Gavin Lawler all dropped times. Joly finished second for the team and 35th overall with a time of 18:32.53. Li finished third for Windham with a 19:41.63 time.

Lawler finished fourth for Windham with a time of 19:42.76. He dropped an entire minute off his previous Regional Championship time.

Freshman Mason Bragdon finished fifth for the team in his first ever Regionals Championship race. He had a fantastic time of 19:56.47.

“We think the weather was an asset because we made it so,” said Windham cross-country coach Jeff Riddle. “We needed to work extremely consistently and extremely well together to have a shot to do what we did today, and they responded and did it. I think the biggest thing that's going well is that the girls are a tight, tight true team and the boys are progressing to that end.”

According to Riddle, they will treat the State Championships no differently than the Regional Championships; they will reset and get back into it. States is not a finishing point; it is a goal and that has opportunities of things to qualify beyond there.

The State Championships will take place in Belfast on Saturday, Oct. 28. <

Expectations high for WHS cross country squads

By Ed Pierce

Under the guidance of veteran coach Jeff Riddle, Windham High School is looking for another strong season for cross country runners in 2023 and continuing to demonstrate why the team remains a tough challenge on the schedule for competitors across the state.

Windham senior Graden Joly is
expected to provide leadership
and be one of the top cross
country runners for WHS during
the 2023 season.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

Riddle, a former SMAA Coach of the Year, is effective at developing runners to reach their full potential and motivating his teams to excel year after year.

This year will be no exception, according to Riddle.

“WHSXC (Windham High School Varsity Cross Country) Girls and Boys teams are harnessing and focusing their excitement to best compete this fall,” Riddle said.

This year’s team is made up of 33 dedicated runners with 14 girls and 19 boys, and the coach says that both the boys’ and girls’ squads are excited to once again have foreign exchange students contributing as team members on both rosters.

“This summer at WHSXC Camp a number of the runners spent time effectively learning some new ways to consistently train; and the team is already experiencing the benefits of the time put in over their summer,” Riddle said.

According to Riddle, Windham’s returning cross country veterans recognize that they will need to lead their new teammates and elevate them to fill some of the top 7 scoring gaps left vacant by last year's graduates.

“The 2023 team is up to that challenge,” the coach said. “To date, the team had a great showing at the Dan Dorr's Lake Region Invitational race where the girls were team champions, and the boys earned a respectful second-place finish.”

He said that the teams are looking forward to each race opportunity in front of them.

“They will compete in large invitational races again this fall including The Southern Maine Classic in Gorham and the Festival of Champions in Belfast to name a few,” Riddle said.

Among the top returning runners for Windham’s cross country girls’ team this fall are junior Tayla Pelletier and senior Beth Bearce, while the boy’s squad will feature senior Graden Joly and junior Andrew Young.

To date in her prep career, Pelletier has recorded a personal best time of 17:31.40 at 4,000 meters at the Freeport Falcon 4K Cross County Challenge, and Bearce has posted a personal best time of 23:17.00 for 5,000 meters at the SMAA Meet at Portland.

Joly has set a personal best time of 14:22.00 at 4,000 meters at the Freeport Falcone 4K Cross Country Challenge and Young was first in the State Championship meet in a time of 18:39.85 as a sophomore.

On Sept. 8, Windham will travel to compete in a meet at Biddeford and then journey to Narragansett for the Fleet Feet Classic on Sept 16.

On Sept. 22, the Eagles host Westbrook/Sanford/Thornton Academy and will compete in the Festival of Champions on Sept. 30. The Eagles then travel to face Scarborough on Oct. 6 before the regional meet on Oct. 21.

The State Championships will be held in Belfast on Oct. 28. <

Windham boys’ cross-country ends season on high note

By Matt Pascarella

It was a nice wrap-up to the season on Saturday, Oct. 29 at Twin Brook Recreation Area, a 5K course in Cumberland as the Windham boys’ cross-country team competed in the Class A State Championship.

Windham junior Graden Joly keeps up a good pace as he
nears the end of the race in the Class A cross country state 
championships on Saturday, Oct. 29 at Twin Brook
Recreation Area in Cumberland.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

Windham placed eighth at the Class A South Regional Championship and the top nine teams won the right to move on to the State Championship.

The Class A State Championship featured runners from all over Maine and the Windham boys’ team placed 12th in the state.

“We have been trying to progress this team back to varsity level, varsity expectations and today and last week they exceeded it,” said Windham varsity boys’ cross-country coach Jeff Riddle. “For a lot of teams it’s hard to perform two weeks in a row and Windham did not look like that in any way. They met and exceeded expectations both as a team and individually.”

Sophomore Andrew Young finished first for Windham with a time of 18:39.85 minutes. Senior Caleb Young finished second with a time of 19:07.15. Windham junior Graden Joly finished third for the Eagles with a time of 19:17.03.

Andrew Young said the course was a lot wetter and more difficult than the previous week, but it’s still the same amount of fun. Young said the team ran really well. As Young looks to the future he said things will only improve.

Windham senior Roman Thomas wanted to go hard and really get into it for his last race. He wanted to make sure he was up there with the top couple runners and with them until the end.

Thomas said that he felt like he achieved what he wanted. Thomas finished fourth for Windham with a time of 19.22.46. <

“We were looking to come out here and show people what Windham can do,” said senior Caleb Young. “We were a team people weren’t expecting to see and when we came out of that start, people were surprised to see Windham up front. What stands out to me the most is our progression from the seniors ... to the freshman. The improvement we’ve had throughout the season is unmatched.”

According to Riddle, Windham’s capacity to perform and not have to learn lessons in the race went well. It was about team; they prepared, talked it over and Riddle thinks that was the biggest thing. They came in with a mission, they kept it important, they kept it composed and performed for Windham. He couldn’t ask for anything more.

“Everybody ran their hardest, we did pretty good,” said Windham senior Derrick Stephens, who finished with a time of 22:18.43.

“We all pushed each other and I’m proud of everybody,” said Stephens. <

Windham High School Scoreboard

Compiled by Matt Pascarella

Boys’ Soccer

Windham played Falmouth at home on Sept. 27. The Eagles improve to 5-4 after they beat the Navigators 3-1.

Windham senior Tyler Johnsen, sophomore Sam Rogers and junior Nick Marion all scored in the first half.

Girls’ Soccer

Windham is now 6-2 after an exciting win over Sanford at Sanford. See article for full coverage.

Field Hockey

Windham jumps to 4-4 after they beat Bonny Eagle 6-0 at home on Tuesday, Sept. 27.

One minute into the game, Windham senior Hannah Heanssler scored from sophomore Ava Gerrity. Heanssler scored again before the end of the first half.

Sophomore Zoe Dries scored one minute into the second half. Later in the quarter, sophomore Grace Joly scored from Heanssler. Then freshman Abby Trainor from Joly. Heanssler scored from Dries in the fourth quarter.

Golf

Windham played Gorham at home, at Riverside Golf Course in Portland, a par 36, on Tuesday, Sept. 27. Windham falls to 3-6 after a loss to Gorham 8.5 to 4.5.

Windham senior Brady Harvie hit a 36 and was 1 up on his opponent. Senior Logan Marden was all square and hit a 38; sophomore Fiona Harmon was 2 and 1 and shot a 39.

Football

The Eagles sustained their first loss at Cony in Augusta falling to Cony, 34-10 on Sept. 23. Senior Max Arbour had a 50-yard scoring pass in the second quarter for Windham. The Eagles added a field goal to

end the first half. Windham is now 3-1.

Cross Country

Windham had a home meet on Monday, Sept. 26 with Deering, Kennebunk and Noble where both Windham boys’ and girls earned first place wins.

Windham will head to Belfast this weekend and compete against 80+ teams from New England and Canada in the annual Festival of Champions.

Volleyball

In their home game with Marshwood on Monday, Sept. 26, both teams were 2-4 going in, but Windham moved up to 3-4 after a 3-1 win over the Hawks.

ESports

Early in their season, Windham had a positive match against Cape Elizabeth that was hard battled and well communicated. In the end, Windham lost two games to zero.

Windham junior Aidan Poitras stood out during the match for his poise during tough moments and his ability to keep his teammates focused. <

Windham Cross Country runners post solid performances at Southern Maine Classic

By Matt Pascarella

When the Windham cross-country team arrived at Narragansett School in Gorham on Saturday, Sept. 17 the addition of a new skate park had given the course for the Southern Maine Classic Cross-Country competition a new direction.

Windham junior Graden Joly gives himself a final push
before he crosses the finish line during the Southern
Maine Classic Cross Country event at the Narragansett
School in Gorham on Saturday, Sept. 17.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

The 5K race featured participants from all over southern Maine and gave Windham a chance to see how their hard work had really paid off.

The race was broken up into freshmen/sophomore boys and girls and junior/senior boys and girls.

Windham’s fastest runners were senior Elise Schultz who finished first for the junior/senior girls with a time of 22:57.99 minutes and 73rd overall. Sophomore Andrew Young set a personal record, finished first for the freshman/sophomore group and 45th overall with a time of 17:50.11.

“Everybody came out and they all improved their times that they’ve had so far,” said Windham cross-country coach Jeff Conant. “It is always rewarding to have vastly improved race results to continue to motivate our kids to bigger and better things as the season progresses.”

Conant said this is good validation that their work is paying off. It’s also about them reaching their individual goals. The team will go back, reevaluate and set higher goals for the next race.

BOYS

The Windham boys came in 14th as a team with a total time of 1:32:30.82.

“It’s great to be here with the team,” said Young. “It’s great to be running today. [The competition] was really tough ... they’ve been really training hard.”

Young said he now knows how far he can push himself, how fast he can truly go and how to act before a race.

Junior Graden Joly finished first in the junior and senior boys’ group. He finished second for Windham and 47th overall with a time of 17:54.94.

Joly said he can run much faster than he thought. He said the team’s pacing and pushing themselves back and forth was great – it was a great team effort.

Senior Caleb Young finished third for Windham and 52nd overall with a time of 18:03.34. Senior Roman Thomas finished fourth for Windham with a time of 19:05.63 and junior Jinqi Li finished fifth for Windham with a time of 19:36.80.

GIRLS

The Windham girls came in 15th as a team with a total time of 2:00:30.29 hours.

In the freshman/sophomore group of Windham runners, sophomore Abigail Dumont finished first for that group with a time of 26.00.96. She finished fifth for Windham girls.

“My team was amazing,” said Dumont. “We really did well pacing together. This race taught me how to pace myself the first mile, so I feel strong the third mile.”

Junior Monica Lewis came in second for Windham and 77th overall with a time of 23:06.97. Junior
Beth Bearce came in third for Windham with a time of 23:18.83. Junior Cate Culpovich finished fourth for Windham with a time of 25:05.54.

Schultz said the group has been working really hard, pushing each other and getting uncomfortable together. Schultz said team building was good. <

Windham’s Estella Inman what every coach wants in an athlete

Estella Inman, center, joins her parents, Kristen and Hal
Inman, during a ceremony at Windham High School in
which Inman signed a Letter of Intent to attend the 
University of Maine Orono and compete on that school's
track and field team. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

By Matt Pascarella

Estella Inman began competing in track and field her sophomore year at Windham High, but COVID-19 and then an injury delayed her advancement. She made up for it through intense training and her strong efforts have her presently ranked No. 1 overall in shotput and discus in the state and No. 2 overall in javelin and signed her letter of intent on Thursday, May 5 to attend the University of Maine Orono and participate in the women’s track and field program.

Inman is ranked third in her high school class academically and also competes in cross-country, indoor track and recently began powerlifting.

She’s wanted to sign her letter of intent for four years ever since she saw a friend of hers do it, and she said she wanted to be a part of collegiate athletics.

Windham cross-country and girls’ outdoor track and field coach Jeff Riddle said Stella is the definition of excellence. She is a positive teammate, and her dedication is exemplified by her progression. Inman has a relentless pursuit to progress and achieve the excellence she expects of herself.

Riddle said she brings her team along every day in that pursuit.

Inman recently broke Windham High School’s discus and javelin records set in 1992. Her new discus record is 119 feet, and her new javelin record is 118-07.00.

In indoor track last season, she became a shotput state champion when she threw a distance of 37-10.75.

Inman is close to breaking the school’s shotput record and plans to do so this season.

“Stella has always been that kind of teammate who works hard every single day in practice,” said teammate and Windham junior Elise Schultz. “She’s that kind of person who you want to walk in the room and see and seek her out. She’s definitely a model athlete.”

Inman has been running cross-country since she was a freshman and began competing in outdoor track her sophomore year. Unfortunately, it was canceled because of COVID-19. Inman was going to compete in indoor track her junior year but was not able to because of an injury.

Once recovered from this injury, Inman began powerlifting her senior year. In March, she placed first in her division during a powerlifting competition.

In the spring season of her junior year, she began competing in outdoor track and field. She went to states for javelin and shotput but did not compete well. Inman trained all summer and began getting more competitive in outdoor track and field. That competitiveness has led up to where she is now.

“In my over 20 years of coaching track and field I can’t remember having a young lady who had greater potential to be an outstanding thrower than Stella,” said Windham javelin coach George McCrillis. “I have not coached someone who has worked so hard to fulfill that potential. I have no doubt she has paved the way for more young ladies to feel comfortable doing the same.”

Inman said to get to this point has taken a lot of training and consistency. She’s had to push herself to work out when she might not feel like it.

“Having teammates there to support you is what makes everything worth it,” she said.

Inman would like to thank Coach Riddle who has been pushing her to be a better athlete since she began cross-country. <

Windham cross country teams a major success at regional competition

Windham senior Estella Inman makes her way into the last stretch
of the Southern Maine Class A Regional Championship race
on Oct. 23 at Twin Brook Recreation Area in Cumberland.
PHOTO BY MATT PASC ARELLA

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham cross country team returned to Twin Brook Recreation Area in Cumberland for the Southern Regional Cross-Country Championships for the first time since 2019 on Saturday, Oct. 23 and both Windham boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams had high enthusiasm as they ran the course for the first time in two years.

Windham senior Isabel Dionne finished first in the girls’ race and 34^th overall with a time of 22:57.62 minutes.

The girls pushed and gave an incredible effort coming within one spot of qualifying for States. They finished ninth with a total of 225 points and a team total of 1:59:13.62.

Windham junior Caleb Young finished first in the boys’ race and 49^th overall with a time of 19:04.43.

Nobody held back on the boys’ team, and they finished with an average team time of 20:05.52.

“There was literally nothing but success today on every level of sport; athletic, team effort and individual effort,” said Windham’s cross-country coach Jeff Riddle. “No one left anything out there and it was just so great to have the opportunity to be back.”

Riddle said the last three weeks of preparation manifested itself today. He added the system is working and both teams are finding their confidence and that way to race together and race forward. He said there was a lot of maturing with regards to the sport.

Girls

“It was a lot more sentimental because it was my last time running here,” said Dionne. “I had a lot more drive and every single hill I took more as a gift than as for granted. We all have learned how to run this course … everyone had fun and that was our main goal.”

She added holding back for the first mile helped a lot because once she hit her second and third mile she began passing people and that upped her adrenaline.

Behind Dionne was senior Estella Inman who finished second for Windham and 45^th overall with a final time of 23.39.53.

Windham junior Elise Schultz finished third for Windham with a time of 23.43.53 and placed 47^th overall. Windham senior Eve Schultz followed and placed 54^th overall with a time of 24:09.29.

Boys

“It’s a really tough course; a lot of hills, especially towards the end,” said Young. “It’s a fun course … a lot more energy. We did really well as a team; everyone ran … pretty strong.”

Young added his strategy was to keep pace with a couple different groups and get into a comfortable place and not worry about where other runners were until the end.

Windham freshman Andrew Young finished second and 51^st overall with a time of 19:10.21. Windham Junior Roman Thomas finished third for the team with a time of 19:32.45. Sophomore Graden Joly finished fourth for Windham with a time of 19:38.58.

“If you understand what [the team] did and how the system is working and how they are responding to it together, today was a major success,” said Riddle. “It was high success on every level. And we’re here doing it – so that already puts us over the top.” <

Windham Middle School cross country teams show promise in first meet

Windham sixth grader Beckett Bragdon heads to the finish line
 during Windham Middle School's first cross country race of the
season against Westbrook and Friends School of Portland on 
Wednesday, Sept. 22 at at Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook.
PBY NMATT PASCARELLA

By Matt Pascarella

In Windham Middle School’s first cross country meet of the season, a one-and-a-half-mile run, many members on the team showed immense achievement and with future meets on the horizon, Windham looks very promising for the upcoming season.

Windham eighth grader Nathan White was first for Windham and came in second overall for the boys with a time of 11:15.31 minutes.

Windham eighth grader Sydney Broadbent came in first for Windham and fourth overall for the girls with a time of 11:23.84.

WMS traveled to Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook on Sept. 22 to compete against Westbrook Middle School and the Friends School of Portland.

As a team, the Windham boys beat Friends School of Portland 37-28. Westbrook had no score during this race.

The Windham girls came in second with a total of 42 points, Westbrook was first with a total of 49 and Friends School of Portland had a score of 32.

Both Windham teams showed their training has already begun to pay off.

Boys

Windham sixth grader Adam Slomczynski finished second for Windham and fifth overall with a time of 11:21.31.

Windham eighth grader Nathan Paulding finished third for Windham and ninth overall with a time of 11:56.94.

Windham seventh grader Mason Bragdon finished fourth for Windham and 10th overall with a time of 12:07.44.

Nine Windham runners were in the top 15.

White said the race went well, not many hills, though the last hill was pretty steep. White said it felt good to finish first for Windham; he thought he was going to get at least fifth place, so this was great.

Girls

“I think the race went well but I’m still working on finding my pace,” said Broadbent. “The thing that went well was that I had motivation to run faster to catch up to the person in front of me. It felt good to get first for Windham.”

Windham sixth grader Habour Libby finished second for Windham and seventh overall with a time of 12:43.15.

Windham sixth grader Taylor Lucas finished third for Windham and eighth overall with a time of 12:43.88.

Windham sixth grader Mila Thomas finished fourth for Windham and ninth overall with a time of 13:38.69.

Windham eighth grader Kaitlyn Dickson finished fifth for Windham and 14^th overall with a time of 14:14.31.

Six Windham runners were in the top 15.

“I think it went really well,” said Windham Middle School Coach Phil Jackson. “The kids were really excited to run; it’s been two years since we’ve had actual in-person competition.”

Jackson said the team came ready to run and had good attitudes. They went out and did their best, tried hard and had fun. Jackson is excited to see what Windham can do the rest of the season. <

Windham High cross country squads on course for a great season

Windham senior Isabelle Dionne, right, passes an opponent
during the Lake Region Invitational preseason meet held
at Lake Region High School on Saturday, Aug. 28. Dionne
finished first for Windham and was third overall among girls
competing in the event. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham cross country team traveled to Lake Region High School on Saturday, Aug. 28 for preseason meet number two, The Lake Region Invitational, and it was their first 5K race of the season.

In a meet that featured Fryeburg Academy, Gray-New Gloucester, Lake Region, Old Orchard Beach, Poland, and Sacopee Valley, Windham turned in a great showing.

Every Windham runner made improvements from their first preseason race and it showed they were ready to give it their all in the upcoming season.

Windham senior and captain Isabelle Dionne and junior Elise Schultz finished third and fourth overall among the girls in The Lake Region Invitational. In the boys’ race, Windham sophomore Graden Joly finished seventh overall.

As a team, Windham girls placed first with a score of 36 and Windham boys placed fourth with a score of 94.

Boys

Sophomore and assistant captain Graden Joly came in first for Windham and seventh overall with a time of 20:02.00 minutes.

Windham Junior Roman Thomas placed 13th with a time of 20:32.00. Freshman Andrew Young came in 18^th with a time of 21.16:00.

“My team did great today,” said Joly. “We’ve all been pushing each other really good at practice.”

Joly said that he would not be where he is if it weren’t for his coach and teammates pushing him. As the season progresses, he hopes to do better and bring his team with him, making it into the top five.

Girls

Senior Isabelle Dionne finished third overall and first among her team with a time of 23:35.00. Windham junior Elise Schultz was right behind her with a time of 23:45.00.

“I think it went really good,” said Dionne. “The hills definitely brought a challenge because [our first race] was really flat. I think we did really good; it’s a lot of fun just running again.”

Dionne said while it was nice to finish first among her team, she loves having her teammates in front of her, supporting her so she can challenge herself.

Sophomore Elizabeth Bearce finished 13^th with a time of 25:35.00. Participating Team Manager and senior sprinter Monica Agneta ran her first 5K race ever and finished in the top 30 with a time of 29.15.00. 

“We were very excited about the team’s results in our first 5K (of the season), both boys and girls,” said Windham cross-country coach Jeff Riddle. “It’s tough to do two meets in one week, but these kids have been working hard ... and there is not a single person that did not showcase progression over the last two weeks.”

Riddle said the runners all have baselines and data to continue the battle toward team goals. <

Windham High fall sports season ready to move forward

Tryouts begin later this month for Windham High School's
fall sports teams. A full fall season of prep sports will be 
underway by September and fans will be allowed to
attend games this year. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

By Matt Pascarella

The 2021 Windham High School fall sports season is a go. At this point in time, all sports will be able to play – including football – with this season looking very similar to the spring season, meaning minimal COVID-19 restrictions.

Fans will be allowed at all games and no masks are required if you are outside. The prep sports preseason will begin on Monday, Aug. 16 with tryouts and scrimmages, and the official fall season will start in late August and early September.

As far as the Maine Principal’s Association is concerned, there may be some modifications down the line, but right now the season is looking really good, officials say.

The Windham School Board recently met to discuss what the start of school will look like. Will masks be required or not? Depending on what was decided, athletes playing the only indoor fall sport, volleyball, may or may not be masked.

Windham Middle School and Raymond’s Jordan-Small Middle School will have regular seasons, with the Windham Middle School season beginning in mid-to-late September. Jordan-Small Middle School’s season will begin in early September.

Windham High school Athletic Director Rich Drummond is approaching this season as if it were pre-pandemic times.  He said that the Athletic Department is moving forward and is very excited for the start of the fall prep season.

“I’m very much prepping like it’s the fall of 2019,” said Drummond.

Windham varsity boys’ soccer coach Ben Schulz feels pretty good about the group he has returning this season. He said it’s a nice mix of senior leadership and talented young guys. This combination gives the team optimism that returning to the Southern Maine Activities Association playoffs is a realistic goal.

“As we have learned over the past year and a half, things can change pretty quickly,” said Schulz. “If we stay healthy and work hard, I suspect we definitely have the ability to field a team that our community will be proud of.” 

Drummond went on to say that it is proven at this point, kids can participate safely in athletics. It may look a little different at times, but Drummond said they made it work last fall and for the winter and spring seasons. He added he thought athletics can happen not only in Windham, but statewide.

“I think we are going to be strong this year, said Windham varsity field hockey coach Cory DiDonato. The girls are coming in with determination and have done the work this summer to be in a good place when preseason starts. They have been together and know how each other works which is an asset.”

DiDonato said that seniors Sarah Hare, Ellie Wilson and Ellie Miller are going to be key returners. They know what it takes to get it done and how to do so. The rest of the returning teammates are also playing crucial roles for the team too. DiDonato has high hopes and is excited for the season.

This season will add a new sport to the schedule, Esports, or electronic sports. Windham coach Seth Fournier described it as video gaming at another level through organized, strict competitive gameplay. This activity has really grown throughout the state. This will be a varsity sport representing Windham High School.

Fournier said the Esports will work on skills such as critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and creative problem solving. There will also be a physical component as well. It will not be 100 percent in front of a screen.

Fournier wants to shake the stereotype that you can’t do other things and play video games.

“You can play video games and still be a functioning adult. You can still do what you want and play video games,” said Fournier.

E-sports is going to open up an activity to another population of students who may not normally be involved in the athletic program. Their season will begin in late September.

“(This is) one of the more anticipated exciting falls I’ve been looking forward to in a long time,” said Drummond. “I think we’re going to have great teams and we’ve got great athletes. I think we’re going to have a great fall and it’s a good way to kick off the school year.” <

Windham cross country teams show big improvement against Scarborough

By Matt Pascarella

Windham, freshman Graden Joly, left, and
Windham senior captain Tristan Candelmo take
the lead for the Eagles in their cross country
race against Scarborough on Oct. 8 at Smiling
Hill Farm in Westbrook. Although the boys lost
to Scarborough, 15-46, Candelmo and Joly
both finished first for Windham. Candelmo had a
sixth-place finish with a time of 19:37:40 and
Joly had a seventh-place finish with a time
of 19:43:50.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

In their third race of the season and their second time this season on Smiling Hill Farm’s course in Westbrook, Windham pushed themselves against Scarborough on Thursday, Oct. 8.

Scarborough beat Windham with team scores of 15-46 in the boys’ race and 24-31 in the girls’ race. However, Windham’s efforts produced impressive results.

All boys dropped times and ran faster than the previous week on Smiling Hill Farm’s course.

Windham senior captain Tristan Candelmo and Windham freshman Graden Joly both went sub 20 and ran this 5K race in under 20 minutes. Candelmo finished sixth with a time of 19:37.40. Joly finished seventh and set a personal record, with a time of 19.43.50.

Windham senior Diane Ingalls set a new personal record for herself and finished first in the girls’ race, with a time of 22:23.40; dropping 1:03 off her time from the previous week. Eve Schultz, Elise Schultz, Isabel Dionne, Beth Bearce and Molly Cochrane each dropped times from last week and ran faster during this meet.

“I didn’t expect to win,” said Windham senior Ingalls. “I definitely did a lot better than I expected.”

As Ingalls was headed for the finish line, her goal was to keep ahead of her competitor and listen to (Scarborough’s) footsteps get farther and farther away.

Senior Candelmo, who finished first for the boys’ team, said in past years, Windham hasn’t fared well
against Scarborough over the seasons.

Candelmo said he saw a lot of his teammates improve during this race. They did better in this race than in previous years.

“It was a proud day to be the Windham High School cross country coach,” said coach Jeff Riddle. “To think both (Windham) teams could progress this well, with only three weeks of detailed training so far, which usually would only happen after two months of base running preparation, running hundreds of miles in the summer to prepare the mind, body, lungs, and team; these kids are tough and taking advantage of each day together to progress themselves safely and effectively.” <

For Athlete of the Week Estella Inman, teamwork is important

Windham High School Cross Country
runner Estella Inman is this week's
 'Athlete of the Week.'
PHOTO BY  EZRA SMITH

By Matt Pascarella

Windham sophomore Estella Inman has played many sports, from soccer to baseball to basketball to tennis. She and her family would shoot hoops in the yard, play baseball or have road races and sShe decided to switch to cross country because her sister ran it and told her how much fun it was and how close the team is.

Inman said joining cross country was the best decision she ever made. Before she knew it, that team became like a second family.

Her favorite part about running cross country is crossing the finish line and cheering for her teammates as they finish.

“I love the feeling of knowing that I gave it my all, leaving it all on the trail. Although my teammates and I feel like dying at the end of the race, we still go to talk to our other teammates who finished, knowing that each and every one of us pushed ourselves to the limit for each other.”

Aside from cross country, she’s also played basketball. She loved being on a team where everyone worked towards a common goal. This winter, Inman joined the Unified basketball team. It was a truly amazing experience for her because she got to see and help kids play basketball, but really just become friends.

“The athletes show the true meaning of sports when they hand the ball to the other team, allowing a kid on that team to score, even if it means that our team loses.”

Cross country has taught her to be herself because everyone on her team embraces each other and their weirdness, no matter what. It also taught her how much she is capable of if she puts her mind to it. She learned to love pushing herself to see what her capabilities are. She’s incredibly proud of herself and how far she’s come.

Inman is recovering from a stress injury and hasn’t been able to run for a while, but recently she’s started up again, and says it feels so good to be back at it.

She plans to meet with the team throughout the summer while being smart about social distancing.

During this time, Inman’s advice to other athletes is to refocus on why they love their sport. Sometimes, Inman asks herself, ‘why put all this work in? Is it worth it?’

“This is when I have to think of the feeling at the end of a race, to slow down, let go, and just run,” she said.

Over the seasons, Inman has become close with her team because they are all competing against themselves and each teammate goes through the pain together, but then, get to celebrate together. An important lesson Inman has learned is if you want to improve your team, you need to focus on yourself first.

She is very inspired by Coach Jeff Riddle; his dedication to the team is unbelievable. “I would not have had the same season that I did last fall if I hadn’t had Riddle on his bike cheering me on from the side of the trail.”

When Inman isn’t running, she’s walking her dogs and also enjoys painting, art and baking. She skis in the winter, but is looking forward to summer activities like swimming, gardening and anything outside. She is looking forward to the fall track season. <

Athlete of the Week: Coronavirus Ended Her Season, Not Her Spirit

Windham High Senior Hannah Langstaff
Photo by Bill Knight Photography

By Matt Pascarella

Senior Hannah Langstaff has been running since she was very young. Her parents signed her up for a summer track program when she was 5 or 6, and by middle school she loved the sport and began running cross country. Langstaff says she finds joy in running and its something she looks forward to every day.

Like many athletes, the loss of the 2020 Spring season was discouraging; Langstaff had many goals she wanted to accomplish. However, she came to terms with it by taking a step back and looking at all she had accomplished.

“I had accomplished so many other goals since my freshman year,” she said.

And she’s training as if the season is still happening; she’s doing workouts and running with her dad.

When Langstaff was a freshman she describes herself as being super shy and never really leaving her comfort zone. Running and athletics changed that. She slowly gained the confidence to push herself to that next level in her races.

“I became a lot more confident in myself not just on the track but in the classroom and at home,” she said.

When it comes to competing, she loves the rush of adrenaline and that fact that anything can happen during a race. “You find yourself doing better than you would have ever thought. Racing is...very mentally challenging, which I find rewarding.”

Her favorite part about being on a team are the friendships she has made.

“My senior year of cross country, the girls on the team had created this idea of family and it was so amazing to be around,” she said. “It didn't matter what grade you were in or where you placed on the team, we all became so close.”

By having teammates around who constantly push her to become a better runner and athlete, Langstaff said an atmosphere of achievement was created.

“I would not have become the runner I did without them there supporting me,” she said.

She has learned lessons through her teammates and coaches that have made her a better person. She always tries to be positive, push herself, and never take the easy way out.

Langstaff, along with other seniors, and Coach Jeff Riddle have brainstormed ways to keep the Outdoor Track team connected during this time. The seniors are ‘Eagle Nest’ leaders and have the responsibility of making sure everyone in the group is doing ok. The seniors are there if teammates need someone to talk to.

There is also a ‘Nest Group Competition’ where the team is broken into two groups and Riddle sends out a challenge, not necessarily physical, just something to keep the team engaged.

Her advice to athletes who may feel a bit defeated during this season is to get started and stay motivated. She says having a routine is helpful.

She suggests start with a run, but if that’s not your speed going to YouTube and finding a body workout to do. She advises taking an hour a day to do some kind of exercise.

“Now is a great time to get in shape or put in extra work towards your sport,” she said.

Langstaff likes to hang out with friends go on hikes/walks and she also loves to go to the beach and read.

Next year, she will attend the University of New Hampshire and major in Nursing. She also plans on running track and field and possibly cross country.  <