Meet Maine’s fall 2017 athletes of the year and All-State teams

Three years ago, Katie McLaughlin entered the Messalonskee High field hockey preseason almost in a panic.

The Eagles’ coach had no idea who would play center midfield, perhaps the most important position on the field.

Then she saw freshman Haley Lowell play.

“There was no doubt, after one practice, that the position was hers,” said McLaughlin. “She’s just so smart, composed, and has a natural ability for field hockey.”

It showed throughout her career for the Eagles, and now Lowell is being honored as the Maine Sunday Telegram’s Field Hockey Player of the Year. She also was named Miss Maine Field Hockey.

Not bad for someone who didn’t pick up the sport until the fifth grade.

“Up until then, I thought soccer was going to be my No. 1 sport,” said Lowell, a senior who also runs indoor track and plays lacrosse. “I wanted to play it in college. Then field hockey came along, and that all changed quickly. Once I started playing, I realized how much I loved it and just naturally picked it up quickly. It just took off from there.”

Messalonskee senior Haley Lowell. Staff photo by Andy Molloy

Lowell will play at Boston University. The Terriers went 14-8 this fall, losing to eventual national champion Connecticut 3-1 in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Using superior stick skills, speed and an uncanny ability to see the whole field, Lowell had 12 goals and four assists this year. She finished with 36 goals and 22 assists in her career.

McLaughlin said she often marveled at how Lowell was able to gain control of the ball and then either stickhandle through opposing players or, in one swift motion, somehow find an open teammate with a pass.

“She was an absolute role model for her peers and youth players,” said McLaughlin. “I can’t say enough good things about her.

“She was incredibly coachable. She always maintained eye contact when you were talking to her and she took your words to heart. She really was an impeccable player.”

Stepping into the center midfield position as a freshman certainly gave Lowell a boost. “I was ready to play wherever I could get playing time,” said Lowell. “I was shocked at how much (McLaughlin) trusted me to be there as a freshman.”

Playing for the Maine Majestix club team in national tournaments from California to Florida helped develop her skills.

“I love to challenge myself,” she said. “Field hockey is a team sport, but there are a lot of individual opportunities.”

While the Eagles never won a state championship – losing to Skowhegan each of the last three years in the regional final – Lowell said she’ll always appreciate her high school career.

“I think what I’ll remember most, and I know it might sound a little cliche, is getting to play with some of my best friends,” she said. “There were like family to me. It makes everything that much better, getting to know them and play field hockey with them.”

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM ALL-STATE FIELD HOCKEY TEAM:

Haley Carter, Skowhegan senior sweeper: A repeat All-State selection, Carter holds the school record for defensive saves with 69. She became involved in offensive penalty corners this year, and had five goals and nine assists, giving her six goals and 11 assists in her career. She will play at Hofstra University.

Maliea Kelso, Skowhegan junior center midfielder: A repeat All-State selection, Kelso had 22 goals and 10 assists for the Class A champions, often coming through with clutch plays. She possesses exceptional stickwork and field sense. Kelso has committed to play at Northeastern.

Maddison LeBeau, Westbrook senior center midfielder: The catalyst for Westbrook’s run to the Class A South championship, LeBeau finished with six goals and 16 assists this year, controlling everything the Blue Blazes did with her playmaking ability. She will play at Division II St. Anselm.

Autumn Littlefield, Messalonskee junior defense: A repeat All-State selection, Littlefield had 14 goals and five assists for the Eagles, bringing her career totals to 31 goals and 16 assists. She’s quick with the stick and has a hard drive. She has committed to play at Boston College.

Haley Lowell, Messalonskee senior center midfielder: Our Player of the Year and winner of the Miss Maine Field Hockey Award, Lowell had the ability to control a game with her stick skills and passing. She had 12 goals and four assists, giving her 36 goals and 22 assists in her career. She will play at Boston University.

Sydney Meader, Boothbay senior forward: A finalist for Miss Maine Field Hockey, Meader was one of the top scorers in the state over her career. This year she had 38 goals and three assists, giving her 86 goals and 18 assists in her career. She will play at the University of Maine.

Kelsey Mehuren, Belfast senior center midfielder: Mehuren controlled not only the center of the field but the entire game with her ability to defend and pass. She played the trailer on defensive corners and also was involved in offensive corners. She had 16 career goals, 14 assists and 12 defensive saves. She will play at UMaine.

Emma Rutledge, Massabesic senior forward: Rutledge finished her high school career in grand fashion, setting school records for goals in a season (22) and a career (68). She also had eight assists this year and 21 in her career. She is undecided on her college choice.

Leah Savage, Skowhegan senior goalie: Savage allowed only seven goals and had 13 shutouts for the Class A state champions, often coming up with a big save whenever an opponent got through the defense. She was a first-team all-KVAC selection. She is undecided on her college choice.

Hannah Trottier-Braun, St. Dominic senior forward: Trottier-Braun scored a state-record 59 goals this fall, including the overtime winner in the Class C final, to go with 17 assists. That gave her 111 career goals, also a state record. She has yet to make her college decision.

Addi Williams, MCI senior forward: Williams ended an incredible season by scoring three goals in MCI’s 5-0 win over York in the Class B state final. For the season she had 38 goals and three assists, giving her 86 career goals and 18 assists. She hopes to play at Endicott College.

COACHES OF THE YEAR

Brian Kay and Jennifer Brown, St. Dominic: Kay, in his 18th year, and Brown, in her first, directed the state’s only undefeated team. St. Dom’s dominated with offensive pressure. “People say defense wins championships,” said Kay, “but putting the ball in the net wins championships, too.” St. Dominic scored 143 goals and gave up nine.

It’s impossible to know whether the effort Yarmouth senior Luke Laverdiere expended while chasing an 8-year-old record at the Class B cross country state championship meet in late October affected his chances of winning the subsequent New England meet or qualifying for the nationals at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional.

Either way, Laverdiere has no regrets.

“That,” he said, “is behind me.”

The thing to remember about Laverdiere’s senior season and second straight state championship is he held nothing back in the state meet, sprinting toward and tumbling across the finish line despite a lead of more than a minute over a field of 110. His time of 15:43.89 was barely a half-second behind the state meet record at Twin Brook, set by Will Geoghegan of Brunswick (15:43.37) in 2009.

Of course, Geoghegan had been locked in a battle with Nate Hathaway of Scarborough, who finished in 15:46. The closest pursuer to Laverdiere was Wells senior Mitch Libby, who pulled in at 16:47.

“His performance at the state meet was one of the best performances I’ve seen,” said Yarmouth Coach John Rogers. “At the end he didn’t quite get the goals he wanted, but he still had one of the best years of any distance runner at the high school level in the state of Maine.”

For the second straight year, Laverdiere is our choice as the Maine Sunday Telegram Runner of the Year for boys’ cross country.

It’s not easy to run hard all by yourself, but that was Laverdiere’s challenge this fall.

He was unbeaten in September and October, including substantial victories in the Southern Maine Classic in Gorham and, for the second straight year, the Festival of Champions in Belfast, where his season-best time of 15:10 is second in course history only to the 15:06 run by Josef Holt-Andrews of Telstar in 2013.

The New England champion at Belfast this fall – Drew Thompson of Connecticut – won in 15:16 by a margin of more than a half-minute. Laverdiere wound up eighth in New England, petering out in the final 400 meters after running second to Thompson for much of the race.

In New York last weekend, where 10 runners advanced to the Foot Locker nationals in San Diego, Laverdiere placed 17th in the Northeast.

“I think I peaked at states,” he said. “The month after that, I was kind of breaking down, not being able to recover after workouts.”

An excellent student, Laverdiere plans to continue his running career at Harvard. The school’s official acceptance letter is expected Dec. 12.

Laverdiere entered his senior year having won consecutive regional titles and the 2016 state championship. Both he and Rogers knew serious in-state competition would be unlikely so they tried a different approach.

“We did a lot more tempo work than in previous years and a lot more strength work,” Rogers said.

“He was running 50 to 60 miles a week. He’s pragmatic and insightful, and knows himself better than anyone. I lay out a road map and if he doesn’t feel comfortable with something, we make an adjustment. He’s one of the more mature runners I’ve seen in my seven years of coaching.”

Laverdiere plans to compete in indoor and outdoor track. He already holds every significant distance record at Yarmouth, having finally surpassed 1996 graduate Matt Lane, a Foot Locker finalist, in the 5K.

“He’ll go down,” Rogers predicted of Laverdiere, “as one of the best runners the state has ever seen.”

Maine Sunday Telegram Boys’ Cross Country All-State team

John Auer, Falmouth junior: Auer placed seventh in the Southern Maine Classic, the Festival of Champions and the Class A state meet, helping Falmouth successfully defend its Class A team title. His best time (16:02) came in Belfast at the Festival of Champions, where he was second among Maine runners. He was sixth in the Class A South regional, within seven seconds of the winner.

Lisandro Berry-Gaviria, Mt. Ararat sophomore: Berry-Gaviria capped an unbeaten regular season with a KVAC championship. At the North regional in Belfast, he was the only runner in any class to break 16 minutes (15:53). He followed that by winning the Class A state championship at hillier Twin Brook Recreation Area in a time (16:31) faster than anyone except Class B champion Luke Laverdiere. He finished 26th at the New England meet in Belfast, the second Maine runner across the line.

Gabe Coffey, Bangor junior: Coffey placed 12th at the Festival of Champions, and was runner-up in both the KVAC and Class A North meets. His time in the latter race was a season-best 16:05. At the Class A state championship at Twin Brook, he finished fifth in a time (16:40) that was sixth-best of the day, regardless of class. He placed fifth among Maine runners at the New Englands, 34th overall.

Connor Coffin, Scarborough sophomore: After winning one SMAA meet during the regular season and placing 21st at the Festival of Champions, Coffin came on strong in late October. He placed fifth at the Class A South regional, then cut 18 seconds off his time to take fourth in the state in 16:39. Only four runners in any of the three classes ran faster.

Tristram Coffin, Scarborough sophomore: Coffin kicked off his season with a 12-second victory in the freshman/sophomore section of the Southern Maine Classic in Gorham and was 34th at the Festival of Champions in Belfast. He placed seventh in the Class A South regional before lopping 30 seconds off his time at Twin Brook to place eighth in Class A and help Scarborough rise from fourth at the regionals to runner-up in the state.

Luke Laverdiere, Yarmouth senior: Laverdiere won every race up to the New England championships, including breaking 15:20 at both the Southern Maine Classic and the Festival of Champions. He came within a half-second of breaking the state-meet record at Twin Brook (no one else was within 47 seconds of his 15:43 time), then earned regional honors by placing eighth in New England and 17th at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional.

Mitch Libby, Wells senior: Unbeaten in the Western Maine Conference, Libby was one of the three runners in Maine to break 16 minutes over a 5K course this fall when he went 15:59 in Freeport in late September. He was third at the Southern Maine Classic, and runner-up at both the Class B South regional and the state meet.

Wyatt Lord, Hampden Academy junior: After placing third in both the KVAC Championships and the Class A North regional, Lord peaked at the Class A state meet with a runner-up performance, only four seconds behind Lisandro Berry-Gaviria. Lord’s time of 16:35 was third-fastest of the day, regardless of class. At the Festival of Champions, Lord placed seventh among Maine runners, 15th overall.

Yahya Nure, Deering senior: A late-comer to cross country, Nure didn’t begin running competitively until his sophomore year. After a slow start this fall, he came on strong at season’s end, placing third in the Class A South regional and cutting 17 more seconds to place third in the state meet in 16:37. He earned all-New England honors by placing 10th at Belfast (16:01).

Henry Spritz, Waynflete junior: Spritz started his season slowly and by late October had one regular-season victory under his belt. At both the Class C South regional and the state championship races, he had powerful finishing kicks – winning the regional in 17:43 and the state title in 17:01 after reeling in Deer Isle-Stonington senior Brendan Penfold.

Alex Troxell, Deering junior: Troxell became the Class A South champion with an impressive kick that erased memories of “the worst race of my (2016) season.” Despite running faster the following week he dropped to sixth at the state meet, but rebounded two weeks later to earn all-New England honors (18th overall, third among Maine runners) in a season-best 16:05.

Coach of the Year

Garrett Martin, Lincoln Academy: When Martin took over the program in Newcastle three years ago, the Eagles had 22 boys and girls running cross country. This fall there were 51, and the boys earned the Class B state title in convincing fashion with a 58-point gap over Freeport. It was the school’s first state championship since 1945.

– Glenn Jordan

Like many endurance athletes, Sofie Matson often has a song in her head when she’s running over trails in the woods.

And even though Taylor Swift or the Shangri-Las would seem like appropriate artists, Matson prefers band music. She’s an accomplished pianist who plays clarinet in the Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Portland Youth Wind Ensemble, and last spring was named outstanding jazz soloist in the state’s Middle School Instrumental Jazz Festival.

And she runs well, too.

In her first taste of high school competition, Matson was most certainly the leader of Maine’s pack. She opened the season with a victory in the Southern Maine Classic in Gorham and kept on winning, right through the Class A South regional (53-second gap on a field of 121) and the state championships (37-second gap on a field of 117).

Not until the New England championships, where she was 10th, or the Foot Locker Northeast Regional, where she placed 14th, did she have serious competition. In both cases, she was the first Maine girl to finish.

For doing so, Matson is our choice as the Maine Sunday Telegram’s Runner of the Year in girls’ cross country.

“We knew she was definitely going to be one of the top contenders,” said Jorma Kurry, one of Falmouth’s two head coaches. “I don’t think anyone anticipated how well she would do.”

“What made her better than we realized,” said Danny Paul,” Falmouth’s other head coach, “is that she’s smart. She’s clearly fast, but she’s also unflappable. She has the ability to stay composed.”

Matson was born in Connecticut, moved to St. Louis at age 2 and arrived in Falmouth as she was completing the fourth grade. Her dad is an illustrator and political cartoonist who played competitive tennis, and her mom ran in high school.

Sofie tried soccer but gravitated toward running. She didn’t like sprinting and “wasn’t really a fan of contact sports,” so she joined her elementary school track program. She figures she was 9 for her first road race, the Girls on the Run 5K.

This summer, at 14, she ran her first Beach to Beacon 10K and finished in 39 minutes, 9 seconds. That’s a 6:19 mile pace, and it made her the fastest female finisher under 20 – and brought her across the line a few seconds ahead of the race founder and Olympic gold medalist, Joan Benoit Samuelson.

That most cameras were focused on Samuelson at the finish was fine with Matson, a soft-spoken teenager who enjoys reading, and writes short stories and poetry. She’s already written a few picture books.

“I haven’t been published yet,” she said, “but I definitely plan on submitting things.”

Besides cross country this fall, and the Wednesday afternoon and evening music rehearsals at the University of Southern Maine, she found time to compete with Falmouth’s debate team, partnering with fellow freshman runner Vance Boyd in Public Forum. They placed third in a novice tournament.

“I like preparing and writing the cases, but I’m not a fan of the crossfires,” she said. “So it’s helpful to have a more outgoing partner.”

Matson plans to skip indoor track. She’ll continue to run, but prefers to do so outdoors. Last Saturday at the Foot Locker regional in New York, she was eighth in the final mile before falling out of the 10 qualifiers who advanced to San Diego.

“I’m not very fast on downhills, so I think a bunch of people passed me then,” she said. “It was a good experience. I’m excited to go back next year.”

Maine Sunday Telegram Girls’ Cross Country All-State team

Ami Beaumier, Bonny Eagle junior: Beaumier finished in the top 10 in Class A for a third straight year, placing sixth. She won four SMAA meets and finished sixth at the Festival of Champions (in a season-best 18:47) before snagging fifth in Class A South. She was 70th at the New Englands, ninth among Mainers.

Lily Horne, Freeport junior: After placing second in the Class B South regional, Horne won the state title by more than half a minute, dropping 24 seconds from her regional time. She went on to place 29th at the New Englands – third among Mainers – and 45th at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional.

Grace Iltis, Camden Hills sophomore: Along with Augusta Stockman, Iltis formed the state’s best 1-2 punch. Iltis placed fourth at the Festival of Champions, won the KVAC title, was runner-up at the Class A North regional and took third at the state meet. She earned all-New England honors by placing 23rd, second among Maine runners, in a season-low 18:43.

Sophia Laukli, Yarmouth senior: Running cross country for the first time to keep in shape for Nordic skiing, Laukli led Yarmouth to its second Class B title in three years. She finished a surprising second at the Festival of Champions in Belfast in a season-best time of 18:36, then placed fourth in Class B South and cut 16 seconds off her regional time to take second in the state meet.

Sofie Matson, Falmouth freshman: In her first high school season, Matson ran in a class by herself. In addition to dominant performances in the Class A South regional and state meets, she posted the fastest times at the Southern Maine Classic and Festival of Champions. She wrapped up her season by placing 10th in New England and 14th in the Foot Locker Northeast Regional, both as the second freshman girl to finish. Her time of 18:17 at the New England meet was the fastest in the state this year.

Anneka Murrin, Yarmouth senior: Murrin opened with a win in the Southern Maine Classic junior/senior race with a time of 18:28 – second best this fall among Maine girls. Her results see-sawed from there, ninth at the Festival of Champions, regional champion in Class B South, and then fourth in the state meet, where she helped Yarmouth win the team title. She finished 61st at the New Englands, fifth among Mainers.

Malaika Pasch, Falmouth junior: After spending much of her early season rehabilitating from injury, Pasch came on strong toward the end. The defending Class A state champion missed all of September before placing seventh in the South regional and fifth in the state meet. At the New England meet in Belfast, Pasch placed 62nd and was the sixth Mainer to cross the line.

Karley Piers, Falmouth freshman: After a runner-up finish in the Southern Maine Classic freshman/sophomore division, Piers won the Festival of Champions freshman race at Belfast in a season-low time of 18:57. She was third in the Class A South regional and seventh in the state meet. At the New Englands, Piers was 72nd, the 10th Mainer to finish.

Olivia Reynolds, Maine Coast Waldorf freshman: As a Cumberland resident, Reynolds could have played soccer for Greely. Instead she chose to return to distance running for the first time since elementary school. She was sixth among freshman at the Festival of Champions, but steady improvement led to titles at the Class C South regional and the state meet.

Augusta Stockman, Camden Hills junior: After two seasons cut short by injury, Stockman finally remained healthy throughout the fall and led her team to a Class A championship. She was second in the KVAC championships before winning the Class A North regional in a season-best time of 18:35, fastest of the day regardless of class. She finished second in the state and 58th at the New Englands, fifth among Maine runners, despite an early tumble that left her temporarily in last place.

Carolyn Todd, Greely junior: An important member of the 2016 Class B state championship squad, Todd made a smooth transition to Class A and helped the Rangers climb from third in the South regional to second at the state meet. She finished second at the regional meet and fourth at the state meet. Earlier in the season, she was second at the Southern Maine Classic and third at the Festival of Champions.

Coach of the Year

Helen Bonzi, Camden Hills: Bonzi wasn’t sure what to expect with the young Windjammers moving up to Class A, but after a strong start to the season, it was a matter of keeping a young team healthy. “That was the real key to our success this year,” Bonzi said. “We had a very, very low injury rate. We kept everybody healthy and having fun.” At the state meet, junior Augusta Stockman and sophomore Grace Iltis finished 2-3, and sophomore Miranda Dunton (14th), freshman Claire Wyman (24th) and freshman Rose O’Brien (42nd) completed the 34-point victory over runner-up Greely.

– Glenn Jordan

CAPE ELIZABETH — For the second time in four years, Cape Elizabeth won a volleyball state championship to cap a dominating season, sweeping its state semifinal and championship matches en route to the Class B title.

Many players contributed, none more so than outside hitter Megan Connelly.

In the Capers’ biggest matches, the 5-foot-9 junior delivered virtually every time her team needed a powerful hit at the net.

She finished the season with 145 kills, 47 aces and 107 digs, and was a leader on a team that finished 17-0.

Connelly is the Maine Sunday Telegram’s Volleyball Player of the Year, beating out impressive players such as Asia Mattress, a sophomore on Scarborough’s Class A state champion, and South Portland senior Molly Mawhinney.

Capers Coach Sarah Boeckel said her team didn’t talk about going undefeated and didn’t even talk about winning a state title until they got to the final match. But Connelly was a confident leader who spoke up and made big plays when scores were close.

“This year I wouldn’t let fear dictate. I didn’t worry we were going to lose a point,” she said.

Boeckel agreed. “When we made mistakes this year, they were good mistakes. We didn’t make sloppy mistakes. And we adjusted quickly. That was frustrating to other teams.”

Those adjustments came into play early in the season when the Capers fell behind Biddeford two games to none on Sept. 12. The Capers came back to win the match after Connelly totaled 14 kills in the third and fourth games.

“(After we were down 2-0) we were just thinking, that wasn’t us,” she said. “We wanted to show up and come back. And we did. It’s great to know we can do it and rally, and hype each other up.”

Connelly continued to come up big in the playoffs. In a semifinal victory over Greely, she served five consecutive points in the first set and finished with seven kills.

In the state final against Falmouth, Connelly turned up her game in a tight second set that Cape Elizabeth won, 29-27.

“It was so close,” she said. “But if we gave up that set, the match would have taken longer. I said to (my teammates), ‘We’ve got this set. We’re going to win this. We’re going home early.’ ”

Connelly said the team put in more work in the weight room and on conditioning. During long rallies in tough matches, players weren’t tired.

“The only thing we said about a state title was in preseason. We said the banner in the gym with (the school’s only) 2014 state title was looking a little lonely,” said Connelly.

ALL-STATE TEAM

Kaitlyn Bennett, Yarmouth freshman outside hitter: Bennett had 122 kills, 74 digs and 65 aces, leading Yarmouth to a 13-1 record in the regular season.

Maddy Broda, Deering junior setter: Broda was a big reason why Deering went 13-1 during the regular season in only its third varsity season, compiling 403 assists, 122 digs and 87 aces.

Megan Connelly, Cape Elizabeth junior outside hitter: When the Capers needed a winning point, Connelly was there. She had 145 kills, 47 aces and 107 digs for the undefeated Class B state champions.

Maggie Dadmun, Cape Elizabeth senior setter: Dadmun ran the Capers’ offense, and ended with 25 kills, 56 aces, 91 digs and 318 assists.

Dianne Dervis, Deering senior outside hitter: Despite standing just 5 feet, Dervis plays with power, whether hitting or serving. She had 125 kills, 126 digs and 52 aces.

Annika Hester, Falmouth freshman outside hitter: In a sweep of Cony in the Class B quarterfinals, Hester had six kills. Then she dominated at the net in the semifinals to help Falmouth rally from a two-set deficit to defeat Yarmouth, 3-2.

Asia Mattress, Scarborough sophomore outside hitter: Mattress was consistent, in control and powerful, tallying 200 kills, 41 blocks and 56 aces, and was called one of the biggest impact players in the state.

Molly Mawhinney, South Portland senior outside hitter: Many coaches call Mawhinney the best player in the state. She led South Portland to its first state final in the varsity program’s fourth year. She had 181 kills and 66 aces.

Natalie Simonton, Scarborough senior outside hitter: Simonton was instrumental in the Red Storm’s drive to its second title in three years. The senior tallied 36 aces and 136 kills, including 10 in the state final. She provided a powerful 1-2 punch with Mattress.

Kaleisha Towel, South Portland sophomore middle hitter: When the Red Riots needed a ball put down, Towel was there. With 52 blocks and 81 kills she was a leader on a team that went to its first state final. In the final she had five kills, four blocks and six digs.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Sarah Boeckel, Cape Elizabeth: Boeckel led the Capers to a perfect season with a 17-0 record, and sweeps in both the semifinals and final as Cape won its second state title in four years.

Compared to her golfing peers, Elizabeth Lacognata didn’t have many bad rounds during her senior season at Scarborough High. She was a key member of the Red Storm’s Class A championship team and won the girls’ individual title.

But when she did miss a shot or struggle a bit, she would think about some of the last words her beloved grandfather said to her.

“I was really close to him, and he had told me to do well in golf and do well in school, and I tried to harness that and honor him. I knew there was no better way to do that than seizing my talents,” Lacognata said. “In good and bad rounds, it allowed me to never get discouraged and keep fighting.”

Lacognata is the Maine Sunday Telegram Girls’ Golfer of the Year.

Angelo Lacognata died April 17, a day after Easter and a month shy of his 90th birthday.

A former professor at the University of Southern Maine and a World War II veteran, Tony Lacognata was more than a devoted grandfather. He was integral in helping his son, Stu, an international pilot, raise Elizabeth and her brother, Alex.

Elizabeth Lacognata wears a necklace with some of her grandfather’s ashes in a locket.

“I always fix the necklace and it feels like he’s right there with me,” she said.

A soccer and lacrosse player growing up, Lacognata didn’t take up golf until she was a freshman.

“She hit thousands of balls and put in hours on her putting to work and improve her game,” said Red Storm Coach Mike Murphy.

As a junior, Lacognata flashed her abilities and was a contributor to the Red Storm varsity. The difference as a senior was her consistency that came from “believing in herself and believing in her game,” Murphy said.

Lacognata averaged 39.2 shots per nine-hole round for the Red Storm, playing in the No. 2 spot behind the eventual boys’ champion, Anthony Burnham. In the Class A team championship, her 2-over 74 at Natanis’ Tomahawk course was pivotal in Scarborough’s three-stroke victory over Cheverus.

The next week, playing the shorter Arrowhead course at Natanis, Lacognata shot a 6-under 30 on her first nine holes and had a 2-under 70 to win her first individual state title.

Lacognata is intent on playing college golf in Florida. She has visits lined up at Central Florida in Orlando, Rollins College in Winter Park and the University of Tampa.

“My hopes are to get on as a walk-on,” Lacognata said. “It would be a huge help for me to be down there and see how intense it is to play and practice every day. I really want that year of practice to get where I can be able to play and compete at the top level.”

ALL-STATE TEAM

Cole Anderson, Camden Hills junior: Anderson earned a share of his third straight Class A title with a 2-under 70 on the Tomahawk course at Natanis. A three-time Telegram All-State pick, Anderson verbally has committed to play at Florida State.

Anthony Burnham, Scarborough junior: A returning All-State pick, Burnham was a strong No. 1 all season for the Class A champion, averaging 37.9 for nine holes. His even-par 72 in the team competition tied for medalist honors and he shared the Class A individual title with Anderson.

Elizabeth Lacognata, Scarborough senior: The Red Storm’s No. 2 player averaged 39.2 in team play. She shot a 2-over 74 to help Scarborough win the Class A championship, then won the girls’ individual title with a 2-under 70.

Jordan Laplume, Thornton Academy senior: Thornton’s No. 1 player averaged 38.0 during the season and was the runner-up in the girls’ individual tournament with a 1-over 73.

Austin Legge, Cape Elizabeth junior: After helping Cape win its second Class B title in three seasons, Legge won the Class B individual title by three strokes with a 2-under 70.

Conner MacDonald, Cheverus senior: The Stags’ No. 3 player was consistent with a 38.7 scoring average. His co-medalist even-par 72 led the Stags to second in Class A.

Caleb Manuel, Mt. Ararat sophomore: A returning All-State player, Manuel tied for Class A medalist honors in the team competition and finished fifth in the individual tournament.

Armand Ouellette, Thornton Academy sophomore: Thornton’s No. 3, Ouellette averaged a team-low 37.5 and had just two holes worse than bogey the entire season. His team-best 75 helped Thornton place third in Class A and he was fourth individually with a 1-over 73.

Lucas Roop, Gorham senior: A returning All-State player, Gorham’s No. 1 golfer shot a 72 to finish third at the Class A individual tournament.

Logan Thompson, Mattanawcook Academy senior: Thompson, the Boys’ Golfer of the Year, won his fourth Class C title with a 6-under 66. He also led the Lynx to their third straight team championship.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Mike Murphy, Scarborough: Under Murphy’s tutelage, the Red Storm developed team depth and posted an exceptional 305 for their four scoring rounds – with none of the five players shooting worse than 80 – to edge Cheverus by three strokes for the Class A title.

Logan Thompson had every intention of finishing his decorated high school golf career with a fourth straight individual Class C championship.

But even he couldn’t have written the script for how it happened.

With nine holes to play, Thompson, a senior at Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln, was being pressured by Mitchell Tarrio of Kents Hill.

“He actually beat me a couple of times this summer so I knew what I was up against,” Thompson said.

Over Thompson’s final nine holes of high school golf, played on the front nine at Natanis’ Arrowhead course, Thompson made three eagles. The first came on the par-5 fourth hole. Then he chipped in for an eagle 2 on the par-4 sixth. Finally he drove the green on the par-4 ninth and rolled in a 15-footer to cap his 6-under 66, becoming the first boy to win four Maine individual titles.

“I couldn’t have drawn it up any better,” Thompson said. “The last nine holes went picture perfect.”

For the second straight year, Thompson is the Maine Sunday Telegram’s Boys’ Golfer of the Year. It’s no small feat considering the strong overall play this season by co-Class A champions Cole Anderson of Camden Hills and Anthony Burnham of Scarborough.

Thompson is a three-sport athlete. He’ll play his fourth year of varsity basketball this winter and intends to play baseball again in the spring.

But golf is his primary sport. This past summer he sought out-of-state opportunities.

“I got to play in a lot of really competitive events with a lot of really good players and it showed me that I could compete with that level, and I had a little more confidence in those big moments that I could get the job done,” Thompson said.

He was runner-up to Anderson at the two-day New England Junior PGA Championship. That qualified Thompson for one of the 144 spots in the 42nd Junior PGA Championship in St. Albans, Missouri.

Thompson didn’t make the cut but “it was really good to experience the whole thing. It felt like a major PGA event,” he said.

Thompson has been accepted at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, and Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

“I’m definitely going to play college golf and see how far I can improve,” Thompson said.

Methodist has won 11 Division III championships and boasts a well-respected PGA Golf Management Program. Thompson said he’s still “weighing other options,” but admits that Methodist’s combination of competitive golf and a golf-centered academic program is appealing.

“Even if I don’t make it competitively, I could still be involved in the game I love one way or another,” he said.

ALL-STATE TEAM

Cole Anderson, Camden Hills junior: Anderson earned a share of his third straight Class A title with a 2-under 70 on the Tomahawk course at Natanis. A three-time Telegram All-State pick, Anderson verbally has committed to play at Florida State.

Anthony Burnham, Scarborough junior: A returning All-State pick, Burnham was a strong No. 1 all season for the Class A champion, averaging 37.9 for nine holes. His even-par 72 in the team competition tied for medalist honors and he shared the Class A individual title with Anderson.

Elizabeth Lacognata, Scarborough senior: The Red Storm’s No. 2 player averaged 39.2 in team play. She shot a 2-over 74 to help Scarborough win the Class A championship, then won the girls’ individual title with a 2-under 70.

Jordan Laplume, Thornton Academy senior: Thornton’s No. 1 player averaged 38.0 during the season and was the runner-up in the girls’ individual tournament with a 1-over 73.

Austin Legge, Cape Elizabeth junior: After helping Cape win its second Class B title in three seasons, Legge won the Class B individual title by three strokes with a 2-under 70.

Conner MacDonald, Cheverus senior: The Stags’ No. 3 player was consistent with a 38.7 scoring average. His co-medalist even-par 72 led the Stags to second in Class A.

Caleb Manuel, Mt. Ararat sophomore: A returning All-State player, Manuel tied for Class A medalist honors in the team competition and finished fifth in the individual tournament.

Armand Ouellette, Thornton Academy sophomore: Thornton’s No. 3, Ouellette averaged a team-low 37.5 and had just two holes worse than bogey the entire season. His team-best 75 helped Thornton place third in Class A and he was fourth individually with a 1-over 73.

Lucas Roop, Gorham senior: A returning All-State player, Gorham’s No. 1 golfer shot a 72 to finish third at the Class A individual tournament.

Logan Thompson, Mattanawcook Academy senior: Thompson, the Boys’ Golfer of the Year, won his fourth Class C title with a 6-under 66. He also led the Lynx to their third straight team championship.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Mike Murphy, Scarborough: Under Murphy’s tutelage, the Red Storm developed team depth and posted an exceptional 305 for their four scoring rounds – with none of the five players shooting worse than 80 – to edge Cheverus by three strokes for the Class A title.