Clark picks UNH over Merrimack

Danielle Clark has realized her dream to play Division I basketball.

Clark, a key member of the Nokomis of Newport girls basketball squad and a two-time All-Maine first-team honoree, is headed to the University of New Hampshire next year on a full scholarship.

She notified the UNH coaches Tuesday night.

Clark had narrowed her choices down to UNH and Merrimack, a Division II school in North Andover, Mass. She liked the Merrimack program, but the Division I challenge was more attractive.

“I’ve always had a dream to play Division I basketball,” said the 6-foot forward. “When I went to UNH on my visit it felt like it became more of a reality for me. … I got to scrimmage with the team and I saw that I could play with them.”

Nokomis coach Earl Anderson said UNH will lose two forwards after this year, so Clark will likely have a chance to play early.

“I’ve talked to [UNH coach] Sue Johnson and they’re very excited to have her,” Anderson said. “They’ll look at her to help them. She’ll have an opportunity.”

Clark said the UNH coaches saw her play for a travel team over the summer. Those games allowed her to play away from the post, which is primary role during the high school season.

“I got to do some different things, penetrate and shoot,” she said.

Clark led the Warriors to the Class A state championship in 2001 and an Eastern Maine runner-up title in 2002.

She averaged 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game during the 2001-02 season, her junior year. Clark was named the Big East Conference’s Class A Player of the Year and she was an all-tourney pick.

As a sophomore Clark was the Eastern Maine Class A tournament MVP and was all- conference in the Big East.

Clark also plays softball and soccer for the Warriors.

Other players who have verbally committed to Division I schools include Bracey Barker of MDI and Ashley Underwood of Cony in Augusta, who are both heading to UMaine, and McAuley of Portland’s Sarah Marshall who will play for Boston College next year.

“I think it says a lot about this class,” Anderson said. “We’ve seen this ever since they were sophomores.”

Students team up to coach

The life of a college student is busy with school, extracurricular activities, sports, and finding the time for some kind of social life.

Two UMaine juniors have taken on a whole other world of responsibility – they drive back and forth from Orono to Searsport every day to coach the Vikings boys soccer team.

Ryan Middleswart and Aaron Ward, who are both 20-year-old secondary education majors and roommates at Maine, took over the varsity position this season after coaching the Searsport middle school team to a 12-2 record last year.

“We like doing it,” Ward said recently. “It’s been a challenge. We definitely learn something every day.”

The two are also former Searsport soccer players who were members of the 1999 Eastern Maine Class C championship team.

The drive takes about an hour, give or take road construction, Ward said. The coaches’ classes run from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., then they head to Searsport for practice or a game, and are back in Orono by about 7 p.m.

“We talked about it [before applying for the job] and arranged our schedules so we could do it,” Ward said.

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