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Jazz musician, youth sports coach, soccer player, possible future doctor – Caribou High senior Caleb Swanberg is a well-rounded student-athlete.
He recently found out he has won an award that recognizes his wide variety of activities.
Swanberg was named a National Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year (SAMMY) winner, an award that includes a $7,500 scholarship, a trip to Florida, and an appearance in the June 22 issue of USA Today.
“I’m pretty pleased with it,” Swanberg said. “A lot of scholarships and awards focus on just academics or sports or leadership. This one recognizes everything you do. That’s kind of what I tried to do in high school, be balanced.”
Swanberg is one of 25 SAMMY winners from across the country. The group will be in Orlando, Fla., June 22-24 for a weekend that will include an awards ceremony, SAMMY Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and scheduled appearances by Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman and world champion figure skater Michelle Kwan.
Kwan was also a celebrity judge along with tennis star Andy Roddick, basketball player Jason Kidd, soccer player Mia Hamm, and pro skaterboarder Tony Hawk. The award is based on commitment to academics, athletics, and personal health.
There is one winner from each of 25 regions in the country. There were 56,000 applicants.
“I think I got a little lucky,” Swanberg said. “I don’t think my region was as competitive as a California. But I’m still happy to be the one person from my region.”
Mark Shea, the Caribou High soccer coach, encouraged Swanberg to apply.
Swanberg was a midfielder on the Caribou soccer team, participated in both Nordic and Alpine skiing, and was a hurdler for the outdoor track and field squad.
He also volunteered with a youth soccer camp and worked to help maintain the high school ski facilities. Swanberg will likely graduate as the No. 2 student in the senior class and has also won Maine Principals’ Association and Maine Sports Hall of Fame awards and scholarships.
In addition, the pianist was named Caribou’s Outstanding Jazz Musician and earned an award at a state jazz competition in March.
Swanberg will attend the University of Maine where he plans to major in biochemistry with a possible minor in jazz studies. He wants to either be a doctor or go into research for a pharmaceutical company.
His playing days are likely over as he wants to focus on school, but that won’t keep him off the ski trails. Swanberg said he plans to ski every weekend he can.
Morse of Bath’s Luke Trafton was a SAMMY winner last year and Lee’s Shelby Pickering was a 2005 winner.
Moreau moving on
Chris Moreau found his only year at Dexter so rewarding that he said leaving the school will be the hardest thing he’s ever had to do professionally.
Moreau, who served as the Dexter athletic director this past year, is headed to Scarborough High School to be the full-time athletic director.
“I stepped in here and I felt from Day 1 that I’d been here for 20 years. It was that comfortable. That’s what makes it difficult. … The kids here work incredibly hard and the staff’s unbelievable. One of the best I’ve ever worked with.”
Moreau was an assistant principal-AD at Dexter. He’s excited to go to Scarborough, a Western Maine Class A school in what he said is one of the fastest-growing areas of the state.
“I found that I really enjoyed [the athletic director duties] and I was looking for that kind of position,” he said. “When I saw the advertisement, I knew I had to apply.”
A former Livermore Falls Middle School athletic director, Moreau also performed some athletic director duties at Sumner of East Sullivan.
He took over at Dexter for Steve Bell, who is now the school’s principal.
“To be honest, Steve’s been a great mentor and friend,” Moreau said. “He’s someone I can ask questions to and he was always there to provide an answer with sound advice behind it.”
O’Brien aims high
Greely of Cumberland Center’s Becky O’Brien has gotten far with a lot of yelling, grunting, and groaning.
But the Ranger junior isn’t complaining about anything. Her yells, grunts, and groans are all about releasing energy during throwing events for Greely’s track and field team.
“People get kind of used to it,” she said during Saturday’s Class B state championship meet. “My freshman year I wasn’t as good so they’d be like, is she serious? But now they think, oh, it must work. It’s just a natural thing because there’s so much buildup that you have to get it out.”
It worked Saturday as O’Brien set Class B records in shot put (47 feet, 5 inches) and discus (140-8). The shot put record is also an overall state record.
The previous Class B discus record of 129 feet was set in 1990 by Jen Cook of Kennebunk and the Class B shot put record of 43-33/4 was set in 1990, also by Cook. Jane Woodhead of Lewiston set the former overall record of 44-73/4 in 1986.
For Saturday, O’Brien’s goals were 148 in the discus and 45 in the shot put, but the state championships and records were more than enough for her.
“I was hoping to get them last year, so I came in here this year hoping for both of them,” she said of the records. “I wanted to pull it off so that was big for me.”
O’Brien also finished second in the javelin with a personal-best 113-9.
After competing in this weekend’s New England championships, she’ll take another big step this summer when colleges are allowed to start contacting her on the phone. O’Brien is already looking at NCAA Division I schools such as Arizona State, Miami, and North Carolina.
She plans to spend the first part of her senior year working on her strength so that colleges will notice her.
“My fall sport is just training to get as strong as I can and have that carry over to the indoor season,” said the former Greely volleyball player.
O’Brien’s shot put effort puts her in the top 20 nationally. She’ll be on display internationally this summer at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, July 11-15.
The 31-member U.S. roster was based on performance as well as required participation in the 2006 Finish Line USA Junior Track & Field Championships, the 2006 USA Youth Outdoor Track & Field Championships, or the 2006 USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships.
Jessica Bloch can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net.
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