(Ed. Note: This story will appear in the July 12 northern print edition)

Male Athlete of the Year:

JONAH NORMANDEAU, Junior-Baseball

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CITATIONS

* WMC Class B Player of the Year

* WMC All-Conference, first-team, pitcher

Normandeau had a literally perfect start to his 2012 season and was close to perfect the rest of the way as he was recognized as the best player in the conference in his class for a team that had another stellar season.

Normandeau grew up in Cumberland and started playing baseball at a young age. He joined the Greely varsity as a freshman. As a sophomore, he was 4-1 on the mound and hit .320, but that merely set the table for what was to come this spring.

In the opener, April 24, versus Lake Region, Normandeau threw a five-inning perfect game, striking out eight batters. If that wasn’t enough, he rapped out five hits, drove in four runs and scored three times. His next time out, he threw a two-hit shutout versus Cape Elizabeth, fanning 11. Normandeau finally surrendered a run in his next start, against Freeport, but still got the win, holding the Falcons to a run on five hits in five innings. He struck out seven. Normandeau threw five shutout innings and had a pair of RBI versus Gray-New Gloucester, scored the winning run against eventual champion Falmouth, threw a two-hit shutout against Wells with nine strikeouts (flirting with a no-hitter into the sixth inning) and hit a walkoff home run versus York.

Normandeau wound up 5-0 with a minuscule 0.48 earned runs average. He struck out 40 hitters in 29 innings. Offensively, Normandeau had a .408 average, scored 11 times and drove in 18 runs.

He was named a first-team all-star and even more impressively, was selected the Western Maine Conference Class B Player of the Year.

Normandeau credited his fall and winter throwing regimen for his superb season. He also plays basketball at Greely and is competing on the Cumberland Legion squad this summer.

Normandeau belongs to Spanish Club and helps coach Little League baseball and youth basketball teams. He wants to play in college and has just begun the selection process.

Rest assured, he’ll have no shortage of suitors. Normandeau had a season to remember and still has one high school campaign left to strut his stuff.

Coach Derek Soule’s comment: “Jonah had a tremendous season. He was a stopper on the mound and a monster at the dish. I was most impressed with his constant desire to improve, which was evident every day at practice. He was very consistent on the mound. I felt I knew what I was going to get every time I handed him the ball.”

2011 winner: Mike Leeman (Baseball)

2010 winner: Mark McCauley (Track)

2009 winner: Sam Stauber (Baseball)

2008 winner: Eric Thompson (Lacrosse)

2007 winner: Caleb Jordan (Baseball)

2006 winner: Sam Green (Baseball)

2005 winner: Chris Martin (Baseball)

2004 winner: Ben True (Track)

2003 winner: Ryan Copp (Baseball)

2002 winner: Brent Lemieux (Baseball)

Female Athlete of the Year:

AUDREY PAROLIN, Senior-Lacrosse

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CITATIONS

* WMC All-Conference, second-team

* WMC All-Academic team

* Senior All-Star

* Captain

Parolin was the quintessential leader and big-game performer during her time in a Greely uniform and she had a very productive senior season.

Parolin’s first sport is soccer, which she played for four seasons at Greely, but she certainly made a mark on the lacrosse field as well. She started playing in the third grade and helped the varsity program go from 1-11 her sophomore year to a six-win campaign and a near-upset of powerhouse Waynflete in the semifinals in 2011. This spring, Parolin was a team leader in several categories.

She had two goals in the opener, a loss to Cape Elizabeth, scored four times and added two assists in a win over York, scored twice, grabbed seven ground balls and won two of three draws versus Waynflete, had five tallies in a loss at York, three in a win over North Yarmouth Academy and closed the regular season with five-goal performances against both Fryeburg and Freeport.

Greely beat York in the Western B quarterfinals, as Parolin scored four times and had seven ground balls. She had two goals in a semifinal round loss to Cape Elizabeth.

Parolin led the Rangers with 33 goals and 19 assists and also caused 13 turnovers. She won 30 draws and collected 17 ground balls.

Parolin was named to the All-Conference team and played in the Senior All-Star Game.

Through it all, she was a steady captain, a role at which she’s a natural.

“I thrive on competition,” Parolin said. “When I see someone doing something better than me, I push to be the best I can be.”

In addition to her soccer excellence, Parolin ran sprints and hurdles in indoor track and took part on the Nordic ski team. She volunteers at Maine Medical Center, has taken part in walks to benefit breast cancer and diabetes and has done community service. Parolin will attend and play soccer at Endicott College in Massachusetts. She plans to study nursing.

Her teammates and the Greely community as a whole have been in Parolin’s good hands the past four years. She exemplified the student-athlete ideal and produced many memorable moments on the field.

Coach Sara Dimick’s comment: “Audrey is a top-notch athlete and along with that, she is an incredible individual. Her hard work and speed as an athlete are unparalleled. She’s been an amazing leader for our team and consistently set a strong example for her teammates. She put her team first in every situation. It’s tough to lose her, but I am thrilled she’ll continue to play sports at the collegiate level.”

2011 winner: Katherine Harrington (Track)

2010 winner: Marika Stayte (Softball)

2009 winner: Liza LePage (Track)

2008 winner: Kate Otley (Lacrosse)

2007 winner: Becky O’Brien (Track)

2006 winner: Lauren Kinney (Tennis)

2005 winner: Molly Hamel (Lacrosse)

2004 winner: Kate Mason (Track)

2003 winner: Sara Dimick (Lacrosse)

2002 winner: Sarah Bennis (Softball)

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

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