Kelly Flagg has a wide range of experience playing sports, and has done a bit of coaching as well, but when Nokomis athletic director Carl Parker approached her with an idea at the Eastern Maine basketball tournament, she wasn’t sure what to do.

Flagg, who was known as Kelly Bowman when she was a three-sport standout at the Newport high school and a member of the University of Maine women’s basketball team, had never coached softball. But that’s what Parker was asking.

“I kind of laughed it off, thought it was a joke,” Flagg said recently.

But Parker asked again – more like “pleaded and begged,” Flagg joked. And after thinking it over, Flagg accepted the varsity coaching job.

Flagg teaches fifth- and sixth-graders in Pittsfield. She also coached an eighth-grade girls basketball team in Pittsfield.

Although Flagg didn’t have softball coaching experience, she’s a name around Nokomis: she led the Warriors to the Eastern Maine Class A basketball final in 1995, captained Nokomis soccer, basketball and softball in her senior year and was named the top female athlete at the school as a senior.

Although the Warriors have not been among the top teams in Eastern Maine Class A in recent years, Flagg believes that can change. It should help that at least five members of the team have played for the Nokomis basketball squad that has been the Class A state champ and Eastern Maine runner-up in the past two years.

Basketball starters Danielle Clark, Michelle Murray and Lindsey Welch play softball, along with key hoop backups Aimee Paradis and Kirsten Gould. And the Warriors have their own softball standout in second-team all-PVC third baseman Kaycea Grignon.

“Nokomis softball hasn’t been well-known lately,” Flagg said. “But those girls have had that experience of winning.”

Flagg isn’t sure if she’ll be back next year, but she said the season has been rewarding so far.

“When I started this year I had no experience so I wasn’t sure how I felt about it,” she said. “It was new territory for me. But I’ve enjoyed it so far. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Ham heading to Husson

Lee Academy’s three-sport star Deidra Ham will play soccer at Husson College in Bangor next year.

Ham, who amassed 119 goals and 55 assists, is second all-time in points for Maine schoolgirls. She was a four-time member of the Penobscot Valley Conference’s first-team. Ham is also a basketball and softball player.

“I’ve very excited about the opportunity to attend Husson College and continue playing soccer on the next level,” said Ham, who plans to study occupational therapy.

Palmer, Warren in Hall of Fame

Norm Palmer, a local swimming fixture as a coach and referee for more than 40 years, was inducted into the Maine Swimming Hall of Fame Sunday.

Along with Palmer, former Bangor High and University of Maine star Roy Warren was also inducted Sunday in a ceremony in Portland.

Former Portland High star Irving McCalmon and Deering High standout Patricia Scott were also honored with entrance into the Hall of Fame.

Palmer worked the state high school swimming championship meets for about 20 years until his retirement in 2001. He also coached the Bangor and Old Town YMCA swimming programs, officiated at University of Maine and America East Conference championship meets, and served as the president of the Maine Swim Officials Association and its Eastern Maine chapter.

In 2000 the National Federation of State High School Associations awarded Palmer its Distinguished Official Award for the Northeast region.

Warren, a former high school All-America diver, was undefeated in four years at Bangor High School, a three-time state diving champion and won a New England championship in 1973.

At UMaine, Warren helped the Black Bears to two Yankee Conference championships, two runner-up titles, six individual New England titles and four Yankee Conference 3-meter championships. He also competed at the NCAA championships all four years.

Warren coached the Old Town boys swim team for a season and served as the Bangor diving coach on two different occasions.

McCalmon swam for legendary coach Harold Paulson at Portland High in the late 1950s. In four years McCalmon lost just one race and he was the first Maine schoolboy to go under two minutes in the 200-yard freestyle.

Scott starred at Deering in the late 1940s and qualified for the 1948 Olympic Trials where she finished fourth in the 100-meter backstroke, just one place from making the Olympic team.

Bangor pitchers will throw in college

Bangor High softball pitchers Jen Jimmo and Shelby Soohey have decided to continue their careers in college.

Jimmo will head down Interstate 95 to pitch for Thomas College in Waterville. Soohey will attend Wheaton College in Norton, Mass.

Neither school offers athletic scholarships, although Soohey said she has qualified for an academic scholarship.

Haney coaching Old Town baseball

Old Town athletic director and former University of Maine baseball assistant coach Matt Haney was recently appointed to coach the Old Town baseball team this season.

Haney, who also serves as the school’s athletic director, was approved by a 6-0 vote at a recent school board meeting. The Indians were 5-0-1 after a Saturday sweep of Presque Isle.

Haney, a 1998 UMaine graduate, saw limited time as a Black Bear catcher-outfielder from 1994-97. As an assistant to Maine coach Paul Kostacopoulos, Haney was responsible for working with the hitters and the administration of Maine’s baseball camps.

The Orland native and George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill graduate played American Legion baseball and was a player-coach for Worcester Peat of the Portland Twilight League.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net.