Bangor’s Sullivan leads All-Big East girls squad

Bangor High School senior basketball player Rita Sullivan was named Player of the Year in the Big East Conference during the Pepsi-Cola/Big East Awards Banquet held at the Bangor Civic Center on March 9.

Sullivan, who was joined on the All-Star team by nine other players, also received the scholar-athlete award which goes to players achieving academic excellence based on class ranking, grade-point average, academic honors, and school and community citizenship.

Joining Sullivan on the Big East All-Star team were Bangor High teammate Stephanie Clark; Seana Dionne and Trisha Ripton, both of Stearns in Millinocket; Amy Winchester of Brewer; Karen Case and Heather Brewer of Old Town; Shelly Richardson of Caribou; and Kristina Roderick and Tara Leavitt of Hampden Academy.

Stearns won the conference championship and Garry Spencer of Old Town was named Big East girls’ basketball Coach of the Year.

The Caribou Vikings received the Sportsmanship Award and a Special Recognition Award was presented to retiring Caribou Coach Roland Duprey.

In addition to Sullivan, other scholar-athlete awards were presented to Allison Bragg of Bangor; Winchester; Darcie McElwee of Caribou; Anjanette Lowe of Hampden; Jennifer Hersey of Presque Isle; Jessi Beadnell of Stearns; Stephanie Smith of Old Town; and Raeleen Erskine of Nokomis in Newport.

Recipients of the Pepsi Spirit Award (given to players who are important contributors to the team and are enthusiastic, supportive, exhibit desire and a positive attitude) were Kendra Stine, Bangor; Tricia Largay, Brewer; Lucy Moore, Nokomis; Lori Yanush, Old Town; Jessica Leach, Stearns; Maggie Watson, Caribou; Jennifer Staples, Presque Isle; and Shellie Arbuckle, Hampden.

Heading the Big East All-Stars is Sullivan.

Sullivan averaged 17 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game for Coach Tom Tennett’s Bangor team. “She’s just a tremendous, all-around student-athlete and a team and school leader,” Tennett said. “She is capable of dominating a game from the three main points: offensively, defensively and rebounding.” Sullivan was a four-year starter and team tri-captain.

Clark is an emotional leader as well as a floor leader. “She’s the perfect example of how hard work makes a complete ball player,” Tennett said. The tri-captain averaged 15.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2 steals a game.

Dionne averaged 17.5 points per game and will play for the University of Maine next year. She helped lead Stearns to an EM Class A runnerup finish. “She had an outstanding year, especially on defense,” Coach Jerry Burleigh said. “She always (covered) the toughest girl and that was a real factor for us.”

Ripton averaged 20.6 points and 11 rebounds. “People forget she is only a sophomore, and a sophomore who had a complete change of environment with a new school, new kids, a new coach, and a new team,” Burleigh said. “She’s a very offensive player. Her biggest factor is her tremendous anticipation.”

Brewer’s Winchester was Coach Tom Winston’s go-to player, and one he’s glad to have returning next year. The tri-captain averaged 14 points per game and led the league in rebounding with 14 a game.

Case averaged 11 points and 11 rebounds for Old Town while shooting 63 percent from the line and 41 percent from the floor. Spencer said her work ethic, both in practice and in games, made a difference in the team’s success. She scored netted 29 points and 38 rebounds last season.

Brewer averaged 9 points and 5 rebounds a game. “The big thing is, in three years, she’s gotten well over 150 assists and her foul shooting is 72 percent,” Spencer said.”She just made things happen for us.”

Caribou’s Richardson averaged 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2.4 assists per game. She was the top 3-point shooter in the Big East. “Shelley is very quick, very strong and is a tremendous streak shooter who can get hot,” Duprey said. She had 23 3-pointers this year.

Roderick averaged 11.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest and shot 47.8 percent from the floor. “Kristina was our captain and a good defensive player,” Coach Clint Worthley said. “We built all our defenses around her, which is why we were so high up in defensive stats this year.”

Leavitt averaged 13.9 points, 12.3 rebounds per game, and shot 45.2 percent from the floor. Leavitt, a junior, has a very good touch for a big player, Worthley said, and expects her to be a dominant force in the Big East next year.