Bertrand is named Stearns hoop coach

After just one year of coaching at the high school level, Tom Bertrand has landed his first varsity basketball job.

Bertrand, 25, takes over for Greg Friel as the boys coach at Stearns High School in Millinocket. Bertrand coached the Stearns junior varsity last season.

“I thought it was a good chance to advance career-wise. I’m confident in the program,” said Bertrand.

Bertrand graduated from the University of Maine and attended high school at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield. A middle school physical education teacher in the Millinocket school system, he also coached AAU basketball for three years, working with 12, 14, and 15-year-olds.

His 14-under team won the 1994 state title and played in the national tournament.

Bertrand inherits a young team. The Minutemen graduated four starters and the sixth man from a team that finished ninth in the Class B Heal Points and lost to Orono in a tournament play-off game last winter.

“I’ll have to put some kids out there without a lot of experience. It’s a good opportunity for the kids to step up,” said Bertrand.

Bertrand said he has coached the team this summer in scrimmage games against area schools.

“It’s fun to work with kids at the next level. It’s going to be an exciting season,” he said.

Former Westbrook High School basketball star Lisa Blais Manning has been selected to coach the girls’ varsity team at Cape Elizabeth.

Manning, 34, led Westbrook to four state championships between 1978 and 1981. A four-time all-Maine selection, she scored over 1500 points in her high school career before moving on to Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., where she was a captain of the Monarchs’ 1985 Division I national championship team.

Manning makes the move to Class B Cape Elizabeth after coaching at the freshman and junior varsity levels at Class A Westbrook. She replaces Dan Deniso, who coached the Capers to appearances in the last two Western Maine finals.

Windham High senior Lea Bennett had the chance to test her basketball skills against the nation’s top players when she attended the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association “rising seniors” camp July 11-13 at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tenn.

Bennett was one of 450 players invited to the clinics. The WBCA sponsored separate camps for seniors and underclassmen at several locations around the country.

The three-day camp gave Bennett the chance to play six games in front of college coaches. The clinic also featured instruction on NCAA recruiting rules and lectures by Olympic softball gold medalist Dot Richardson and ABL stars Debbie Black, Val Still, and Edna Campbell.

Husson College hosted the 17th annual National Cheerleading Association camp July 21-24. Nearly 400 junior high and high school cheerleaders were taught the proper techniques for warming up, jumping, performing stunts, and dancing.

Director Tami Campbell of Hampden said the camp is more evaluative than competitive. Former Shead High School and University of Maine-Orono cheerleader Jeff Frankland was the head instructor.

“The cheerleaders are much more athletic (than 17 years ago),” said Campbell. “The jumps are more difficult and there weren’t many stunts before. It’s changed dramatically.”