Guerette passionate about new vocation Former UM player coaching at Wisdom

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Tracy Guerette had always planned to leave her hometown of St. Agatha and go to medical school after graduating from the University of Maine.

But Guerette, the former Wisdom High star athlete who went on to play four years of basketball at UMaine, has found two new loves: teaching and coaching.

Guerette is enrolled in a teaching certification course at UMaine-Fort Kent and is also the head girls basketball coach at Wisdom, where she won a Class D state championship as a player in 1998.

“I discovered that I have a love for working with kids,” said the two-time All-Maine basketball player, who was in Orono Sunday to be honored as a former Black Bear during halftime of a women’s basketball game at Alfond Arena.

“I wanted to go to medical school to help people, and what better way to make a difference than to teach and work with children,” she added. “I feel like I’ve been blessed in my life and I want to give back.”

Guerette took over the Wisdom position this summer when some of the girls on the team asked her if she would coach them if she still lived in the area. Guerette went to athletic director Mim Gagnon, who happens to be Guerette’s former basketball coach. The school was seeking a replacement for Tracie Hobbs, who had resigned at the end of last season.

Guerette said Gagnon told her the job was hers if she wanted it.

“It kind of just fell into my lap,” Guerette said.

The Pioneers have just one win so far this year, but Guerette is enjoying her first experience as a head varsity coach.

“We’re having a rebuilding season,” she said. “That was getting me a little frustrated at the beginning of the season, but it’s a blessing to be around my kids. They work so hard and they have a great attitude every day in practice. They’re improving a lot.”

Guerette said she’ll do her student teaching in the fall, most likely in Fort Kent teaching high school science. She was a biology major at UMaine.

Rafford turns to Black Bears

When Clark Rafford needed help running Saturday’s Eastern Maine cheerleading competition at the Bangor Auditorium, he turned to old friend Michelle Puls, a former Bangor High standout athlete and the current interim head coach of the University of Maine softball team.

Puls responded, bringing many of her Black Bear players to help Rafford, a member of the Maine Principals’ Association’s cheerleading committee and the site director for Saturday’s championships.

The Black Bears, who were restricted to working four hours each because of NCAA rules, used the competition for community service and as a fund-raiser.

The UMaine team members sold tickets and programs, manned a table where cheerleading fans could order video recordings of the competition, and helped check in teams as they arrived at the Auditorium.

Rafford has known Puls since she was a child. He and his wife Deborah were stationed at the same Air Force base near Frankfurt, Germany, as Michelle Puls’ parents Larry and Bonnie Puls more than 20 years ago.

The Raffords, who live in Houlton, were on their way to Bangor for a New Year’s Day visit with the Puls when Deborah Rafford had the idea of asking Michelle Puls if the UMaine softball players would be willing to help with the cheerleading competition.

“Once they said yes it was great because they took care of everything,” said Clark Rafford, who is the principal at Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook. “It really helped a lot. Plus it’s a great opportunity for them because the program has some funding shortcomings.”

Rafford estimated the UMaine program raised $600-700 Saturday and should bring in more the day of the Feb. 12 state championships. The Bears get 25 cents for each program they sell, plus an hourly “wage” for the program.

Michelle Puls graduated from Bangor High in 1994 and went on to play softball at UMaine, where she was the America East Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998. She was the Penobscot Valley Conference Class A Player of the Year in her senior year at Bangor.

Rams have perfect attendance

Every year before their final home meet, Bangor High boys swimming coach Phil Emery recognizes his seniors and reads off their long list of accomplishments.

This year that includes a 28-2 dual meet record, the 2002 Class A state championship, the 2003 Class A runner-up title, two Penobscot Valley Conference championships, three PVC Relay Carnival wins, and one Westbrook Invitational championship.

And for three seniors, Emery read off another honor. In more than three years on the team, seniors John Quinn, Mike Rubin and Graham Fitch have had perfect practice attendance, never missing a single morning or afternoon session in the pool.

That’s now more than 360 practices, and it’s something of which the three seniors are proud.

“It’s really important,” Quinn said Friday after the Rams faced defending Class B state champ Mount Desert Island at the Husson College pool. “Miss a day and you fall back three days.”

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