Sanford High School recognized dozens of student-athletes for academic achievement, leadership, and athletic performance at its Spring Sports Awards Recognition Night on Monday, June 9th, in the Performing Arts Center.
Athletic Director Zach Lemelin opened the ceremony by expressing gratitude for the student-athletes. "Thank you again for these student athletes who continue to set great examples for what multi support student athletes should strive to be," Lemelin said.
The evening began with recognition of academic excellence, as Lemelin honored students who achieved a cumulative GPA of 92.5 or higher. Students from the boys tennis, softball, baseball, girls lacrosse, girls tennis, and outdoor track teams were called to the stage to receive their academic certificates.
One highlight of the evening was the recognition of the Leadership Council, a group of students who have gone above and beyond their regular commitments. "These student athletes have been nominated by their coaches and teammates and have met with me for the last several Wednesdays," Lemelin said. "They could have gone home or anywhere else, but they chose to stay to meet with myself and the rest of the Leadership Council."
Following the Leadership Council recognition, coaches presented individual sport awards that showcased the talent across Sanford's spring athletic programs. The baseball team celebrated MVP Scott Robitaille Jr. and Cy Young Award winner Brady Adams, while recognizing Drew Vessels as Rookie of the Year. The girls lacrosse program honored Most Improved player Evelyn Cole and Rookie of the Year Natalie Nadeau. Savannah Knight received the Coaches Award, while Kya Duprey was named Defensive Player of the Year.
Track and field athletes were celebrated across both boys and girls programs, with standout performers like Caleb Pelletier earning Most Valuable Track recognition for the boys team, while Annalise Stimmel and Georgia Whitman shared Most Valuable honors for the girls track team. Tennis programs also recognized their top performers, including Rookie of the Year Elijah Laurendeau for boys tennis and Hailey Payeur for girls tennis.
Several Sanford athletes earned recognition at the conference level through All-SMAA Awards. The baseball team saw Robitaille Jr. named to the First-Team as an outfielder, while Adams earned Second-Team honors as a pitcher. Coach Ryan Alexander received an Honorable Mention for his leadership of the baseball program. In girls lacrosse, Knight and Duprey were selected as SMAA All-Stars, with Alissa Long earning an Honorable Mention and Jaslinn Johnson being named to the All Rookie Team.