2009-10 Winter Male Athlete of the Year:

ROBBY GRAVEL, Senior-Swimming

* Class A state champion, 200 IM (new state record)

* Class A state champion, 100 breaststroke

* All-Conference, first team, 100 butterfly

* All-Conference, first team, 200 IM

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* All-Conference, first team, medley relay

* All-Conference, second team, 400 free relay

* All-State, first team, 200 IM

* All-State, first team, 100 breaststroke

* All-State, first team, medley relay

* All-State, first team, 200 free relay

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Robby Gravel certainly made the most of his lone high school swim season.

Accomplishments included new state records, school records, a pair of state titles, several postseason accolades and the admiration of friend and foe alike.

For so easily making the adjustment to high school competition, for being at his best on the biggest stage and being so good at so many different disciplines, Robby Gravel gets The Forecaster’s nod as Scarborough’s 2009-10 Winter Male Athlete of the Year.

Gravel came to Scarborough from Portland in the seventh grade. He started swimming with a club team at the age of seven, got serious at age 10 and has been with Coastal Maine Aquatics since middle school.

This year, Gravel (along with his brothers, Kip and Jerry) joined the Red Storm, came to high school competition facing plenty of expectations and rose to the occasion time and again.

After a strong regular year, Gravel stole the show in the postseason. At Southwesterns, Gravel won the individual medley in 1 minute, 57.97 seconds and the 100 fly (52.43 seconds). He also keyed the 200 medley relay squad to a first place finish as Scarborough beat several top teams (including eventual Class B champ Greely) to win the meet.

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Even that paled in comparison to his performance at states.

There, he did battle with Morse standout James Wells in the IM and held him off to not only win the state title, but also break coach Sean Flaherty’s long-standing state record. Gravel went on to win the breaststroke as well, as the Red Storm came in second as a team.

Gravel said that he loved his time with Scarborough and he certainly etched his name in school lore.

Gravel estimates he spends at least 12 hours a week in the pool training. It’s certainly paid off. Next year, Gravel will attend LaSalle, where he’ll study business and swim the IM, breaststroke and fly.

He made it look so easy this winter. Robby Gravel, Scarborough’s 2009-10 Winter Male Athlete of the Year, exceeded the hype and became a legend.

Coach Sean Flaherty’s comment: “Robby has such incredible talent. This year, I saw him work harder than he has in a number of years. I’ve been told he had his eye on my record since he was a freshman and I can’t tell you how great it was to see him do it. More importantly, it was so exciting for me to coach him. He swam great all season. I can’t wait to see what he does next year.“

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2008-09 winner: Brad Nakanishi (Track)

2007-08 winner: Chris Hughes (Basketball)

2006-07 winner: Brent Mayo (Hockey)

2005-06 winner: Doug Endrizzi (Swimming)

2004-05 winner: Andrew Rogers (Swimming)

2003-04 winner: Mike Walker (Basketball)

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2002-03 winner: Ryan Colpitts (Basketball)

2001-02 winner: Sean Flaherty (Swimming)

2009-10 Winter Female Athlete of the Year

LAURA FLEWELLING, Junior-Swimming

* Class A state champion, 200 free

* Class A state champion, 500 free

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* All-Conference, first team, 200 free

* All-Conference, first team, 500 free

* All-Conference, first team, medley relay

* All-Conference, first team, 400 free relay

* All-State, first team, 200 free

* All-State, first team, 500 free

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* All-State, first team, 400 free relay

* All-State, second team, medley relay

Like Robby Gravel, Laura Flewelling came to the Scarborough swim team this winter and made an immediate, memorable impact.

As versatile as any swimmer around, Flewelling focused on events that best helped her team win, but at the end of the day, she managed to do something that no other Class A swimmer accomplished, winning two individual and two relay state titles.

For arriving with a mighty splash, for being a solid teammate and for dominating in the biggest meets, Laura Flewelling is The Forecaster’s choice as Scarborough’s 2009-10 Winter Female Athlete of the Year.

Flewelling grew up in Scarborough, started swimming and joined Coastal Maine Aquatics at the age of seven. She joined the Red Storm this year and enjoyed high school competition so much she intends to do it again in 2010-11.

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Of course she had fun with the amount of success she enjoyed. Flewelling swam everything from the 100 free to the 500 free to the IM to the backstroke in the regular season. In the postseason, she had no peer.

At the Southwesterns meet, Flewelling won the fly (59.72 seconds) and the 200 free (1 minute, 56.21 seconds).

At states, she won relay titles in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle. Individually, she was tops in the 200 free (1:53.56) and 500 free (5:17.23). Flewelling would likely have been a shoo-in to break the state record in the breaststroke, but deferred to a teammate to allow the team to score more points.

Flewelling aims to keep improving her times and wants to be more of a leader going forward. She’s a member of National Honor Society and the Key Club. She wants to swim in college and may study pre-med.

First, she has a promising senior season to look forward to. Probably a championship or two as well and possibly a new record. Laura Flewelling, Scarborough’s 2009-10 Winter Female Athlete of the Year, is simply awesome in the water.

Coach Sean Flaherty’s comment: “Laura is one of the most determined athletes I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. She’s so talented and you wouldn’t know it by what events she swum, but she’s actually a better breaststroker than anything else. She’s continuing to grow as an athlete and as a teammate and I’m so proud of her this year. She’s the only Class A athlete who was a state champ in all four events.“

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2008-09 winner: Reegan Brackett (Basketball)

2007-08 winner: Nicole Harmon (Swimming)

2006-07 winner: Kaitlynn Saldanha (Indoor track)

2005-06 winner: Erica Jesseman (Indoor track)

2004-05 winner: Jenn Flaherty (Swimming)

2003-04 winner: Sarah Mills (Hockey)

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2002-03 winner: Jenn Flaherty (Swimming)

2001-02 winner: Mandi Rapisardi (Basketball)

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Gravel

Flewelling


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