Ed. Note: This article will appear in our April 10 print edition.

Male:

HARRISON STIVERS, Senior—Track

• Class B state champion, 400

• All-state, honorable mention

• WMC All-conference, second-team, 400

• WMC All-conference, second-team, 800

Stivers cemented his legacy as not only one of the finest runners in program history, but also as an accomplished champion in a very challenging league, by steadily proving himself all the way through the postseason meets.

Stivers, who plays soccer in the fall, has run track throughout his high school career and gradually became a household name. Last spring, he won the Class C state title in both the 400 and 800 and was named Freeport’s Spring Male Athlete of the Year.

He entered his final indoor track season this winter hoping to build on last year’s strong showing (he was runner-up in the 400) and did he ever manage to do so.

Stivers managed to produce personal records in every event he tried. At the Western Maine Conference championship meet, Stivers was runner-up in the 400 and helped the 800 relay team finish first.

Then, at the Class B state meet, Stivers won the 400 (his first indoor title), in 53.08 seconds, and anchored the 800 relay team to a second-place finish. At New Englands, Stivers came in 20th in the 600 and was part of a 19th-place 800 relay team.

Stivers, who belongs to National Honor Society, has taken part in the school musical and is a member of Young Life, is hoping to run at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Penn., but first, he’ll look to produce another triumphant outdoor campaign.

You have to like his chances. Harrison Stivers, Freeport’s Winter Male Athlete of the Year, has certainly etched his name among program greats.

Coach Brian Berkemeyer’s comment:“Harry is a great runner as well as a great person. He continues to excel. After being champion outdoors last spring, he continues to develop his speed. This year, he qualified in the 55, 200, 400 and 800, but opted to stick with the speed. He’s a very hard worker. He’s self-motivated. He’s not only learning how to run fast, but he also is learning how to run smart. I look forward to watching him at the college level next year.”

Previous winners:

2012-13: Ryder Bennell (Skiing)

2011-12: Taylor Saucier (Track)

2010-11: Ryan Collet (Skiing)

2009-10: Ryan Collet (Skiing)

2008-09: Jon Klages (Basketball)

2007-08: Reid Christian (Basketball)

2006-07: Danny Mehler (Basketball)

2005-06: Nate Fuller (Skiing)

2004-05: Dan Sandberg (Skiing)

2003-04: Kegan Pettit (Hockey)

2002-03: Frank Roy (Skiing)

2001-02: Griff Leach (Skiing)

Female:

NINA DAVENPORT—Senior, Basketball

• Miss Maine Basketball semifinalist

• Maine McDonald’s Senior All-Star

• WMC Class B all-star, first-team

• WMC Senior All-Star

• Captain

Davenport staked her claim to being the finest girls’ player in Freeport history by scoring a lot of points despite being hounded by every defense she faced.

Davenport grew up in Freeport, started playing basketball in the second grade and began taking it seriously in middle school. She started high school at McAuley and saw limited time as a freshman on a state championship team, but she returned to Freeport as a sophomore. In her first year in the Western Maine Conference, she was second in scoring with 17.7 points per game. As a junior (and captain), Davenport was second in scoring again, this time with 19.4 points per game, and was named a first-team, all-star.

Davenport knew she’d be double- and triple-teamed as a senior and while the Falcons weren’t able to make a return run to the playoffs, she had another dazzling individual campaign.

Davenport wound up averaging 22.4 points a game, good for first in the league, and was also in the top 10 in rebounds (9.0) and steals (3.0). Along the way, she eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career (she wound up with a program-record 1,127) and wound up Freeport’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers.

“I worked hard and wanted to get better,” said Davenport. “I have a passion for the game.”

Davenport’s play earned her mention on the all-conference team and an invitation to play in the Maine McDonald’s Senior All-Star game (she had eight points in the West’s victory). She was also a semifinalist for the Miss Maine Basketball award, which was won by her one-time teammate, McAuley’s Allie Clement.

Davenport also ran cross country in the fall and played seven years for the Maine Firecrackers AAU team, something she credits for much of her development. Davenport is a mentor to younger students, belongs to National Honor Society and enjoys snowmobiling. She’s still weighing her college options, but there’s a good chance we’ll see her starring at the next level somewhere in New England.

Nina Davenport, Freeport’s Winter Female Athlete of the Year, came home and made her presence felt in a way that turned her into a program legend.

Coach Jim Seavey‘s comment: “Nina kept getting better and better. She worked hard on her game. She was constantly getting double- and triple-teamed, but she was a tough matchup. We could put her in the post or on the perimeter. She has a very diverse game. She’s the type of player who can do a little bit of everything. She’s a fierce competitor. She wanted to get back to the tournament in the worst way. She can play at the next level. She’s still getting better.”

Previous winners:

2012-13: Nina Davenport (Basketball)

2011-12: Elly Bengtsson (Skiing)

2010-11: Elly Bengtsson (Skiing)

2009-10: Adrian Baker (Track)

2008-09: Molly Susla (Skiing)

2007-08: Adrian Baker (Track)

2006-07: Abby Fuller (Swimming)

2005-06: Lucy Garrec (Skiing)

2004-05: Logan Crane (Track)

2003-04: Logan Crane (Track)

2002-03: Jessica Harold (Skiing)

2001-02: Molly Pierce (Skiing)

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

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Harry Stivers

Nina Davenport