Bears garner honors> Jagoutz, Hayes on A-10 1st team

On Saturday, Todd Jagoutz finished his career as the leading scorer in University of Maine football history, while junior Chad Hayes established himself as both a dominant blocker and able pass-catcher.

On Wednesday, that duo became the only Black Bears to gain mention on the Atlantic 10 All-Conference football first team.

Jagoutz, of Duxbury, Mass., was named the league’s top punter and also gained third-team honors as a placekicker. Old Town’s Hayes was named to the first-team offense as the tight end.

Also honored by the league were UMaine wide receivers Dwayne Wilmot (second team) and Phil McGeoghan (third team).

The Atlantic 10 also named Brian Westbrook of Villanova as the offensive player of the year, Brian McKenna of Delaware as the top defender, and Rich Musinski as the best rookie. Jim Reid of Richmond was named coach of the year.

Jagoutz will leave UMaine as its all-time leading scorer: he finished with 219 points on 35 field goals and 114 extra points. But the Atlantic 10 coaches honored him for what he did as a punter.

Jagoutz averaged 41.0 yards on his 37 punts to top Atlantic 10 in that category.

Hayes was hailed as a preseason A-10 first-teamer and justified that prediction with another solid year at tight end.

The 6-foot-6, 242-pounder played a big role in helping UMaine’s ground game mature late in the season, and also hauled in 15 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown.

Wilmot finished his final season as the league leader in both receptions (67) and receiving yards (955). Eight of his catches were touchdowns. Wilmot will leave Orono with the fourth-most receptions in school history and as the No. 7 man in receiving yards.

But the 5-10, 202-pound wideout from Freeport, N.Y., was bypassed on the first team in favor of the league’s all-time leader in TD catches, Northeastern’s Dave Klemic, as well as Delaware junior Jamin Elliott, who averaged a gaudy 22.7 yards per catch as the A-10’s top big-play receiver.

McGeoghan transferred to Maine after Boston University dropped football and emerged as a team leader as well as one of UMaine’s top receivers ever.

He finished the year with 51 catches for 778 yards and three touchdowns, and wound up his two-school career with a total of 161 catches for 2,343 yards. He ranks fifth in catches and fourth in yardage on the all-time UM list.

UMaine baseball signs 4 recruits

Coach Paul Kostacopoulos has completed the early signing period with four National Letters of Intent in hand, and hopes to land more recruits during the spring signing period.

The early signees are: Greg Creek, an infielder from Mt. Vernon who played for Maranacook Community High School; Mike Feriggi, an infielder from North Bellmore, N.Y.; Scott Robinson, a right-handed pitcher from Ajax, Ontario; and Steve Nelson, a right-handed pitcher from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

“We were pleased with the quality of our early signing period class,” Kostacopoulos said. “We will have to see how the 2001 Major League draft unfolds to truly evaluate this recruiting class, but we are definitely excited about these players.”

Kostacopoulos’ caution comes for good reason: The Black Bears lost prized recruit Jeremy Shorey to the pro ranks last summer.

Creek, a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder, was co-MVP of the Readfield-based Black Bears and helped lead them to a state Class B championship. He hit .449 with 31 RBIs.

Feriggi, a 6-0, 170-pounder, hit .468 as a junior at Kellenberg Memorial High and has been captain for two years.

Robinson competed for the Ontario team in the 1999 and 2000 Canadian national championships. The 6-1, 195-pounder has been projected as high as 17th overall among Canadian players eligible for the amateur draft in 2001.

Nelson, a 6-3, 195-pounder, also pitched for his provincial team in the 2000 national championships. He has been tabbed as the 14th-best Canadian player in the amateur draft.

All NLI signing are contingent upon admission to the university and compliance with all NCAA rules.