BANGOR – Two central Maine players with championship pedigrees were honored as the state’s 2008 Mr. and Miss Basketball during the Maine McDonald’s High School Senior All-Star Banquet at Husson College on Friday night.

Ryan Martin of Maranacook of Readfield and Rachael Mack of Cony of Augusta became the 21st recipients of the annual awards, presented by the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches to the top senior players in the state.

Mack, a 6-foot-1 center, helped Cony to an 81-7 four-year record that produced three Eastern Maine Class A crowns and state titles in 2005 and 2007.

Martin, a 5-9 guard, led Maranacook to Class B state titles in 2006 and 2008, and the four-year starter helped the Black Bears compile a 69-13 cumulative record.

“Winning the gold balls are nice, and all of these individual accomplishments are great to have, too, but you can’t do this without the help of your teammates,” said Martin, who credited senior teammates Mike Poulin and Will Bardaglio for much of his success.

Martin was perhaps the state’s most electric performer throughout his career, using a quick release and accuracy both from the field and free-throw line to amass 1,899 points – or 23.1 points per game -for coach Rob Schmidt’s club.

The 5-foot-9 guard is a three-time Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B player of the year, a three-time All-KVAC defensive team selection, a two-time Bangor Daily News All-Maine honoree and a two-time Eastern B tourney MVP.

As a senior, he averaged 24 points per game in leading Maranacook to a 22-0 record.

Martin hasn’t formalized his college plans but is considering Maine, Vermont, Keene State, Quinnipiac and Franklin Pierce.

Other Mr. Basketball finalists were Jon McAllian of Bangor and Sam Leclerc of Winthrop.

McAllian, a 6-6 guard, averaged 12.1 points and 3.7 assists per game to help Bangor compile a 21-1 record and win its second straight Eastern Maine Class A title.

The Eastern A tourney MVP and first-team KVAC Class A North all-star has accepted a basketball scholarship from the University of Maine.

Leclerc, a 6-1 guard, led Winthrop to a 21-1 record and the 2008 Class C state title. The Mountain Valley Conference player of the year averaged 20.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 3.8 steals per game and was the Western C tourney MVP before scoring 28 points against Calais in the state final.

Leclerc, a 1,194-point career scorer, is undecided on his college plans.

Mack becomes the third Miss Basketball from Cony, following Amy Vachon in 1996 and Katie Rollins in 2005. She averaged 18.2 points, 10.1 rebounds and three assists per game while leading Cony to an 18-3 record and a berth in the 2008 Eastern A final.

It was a more prominent role than in previous seasons for Mack, who was a quiet complement to the likes of Rollins, Cassie Cooper and Kristi Violette during her earlier years.

“The last few years, there’s always been Cassie and Katie, Cassie and Kristi with the inside game getting all the attention from the defense,” said Mack, who will attend Colby College in Waterville. “This year it was me, and I just really had to step up and work harder every game.”

A 1,000-point career scorer, Mack was named to the NEWS All-Maine second team as a junior, and this year was the KVAC Class A North player of the year and an Eastern A all-tournament selection.

Other Miss Basketball finalists were Jill Henrikson of Morse of Bath and Aarika Ritchie of Lee Academy.

Henrikson, a 5-9 guard, helped the Shipbuilders to a berth in the Eastern A semifinals this winter, averaging 18.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. She finished with 1,439 career points, and will play next winter at Bowdoin College in Brunswick.

Ritchie, a 5-6 guard, helped Lee make a successful transition from Class D to Class C this winter, as the Pandas won their third state title in the last four years.

The 1,043-point career scorer was named Eastern C tournament MVP a year after earning the same honor in Class D.

Also a member of the McDonald’s All-State Academic Team and a finalist in the state free-throw shooting championships, Ritchie will join Mack at Colby next winter.

Among others recognized during the banquet, Kevin Jenkins of Gorham, who is retiring after 24 years as the school’s boys varsity coach, received the Bob Brown Contributor Award, while Randy Whitehouse of the Lewiston Sun-Journal was presented the Ron Brown Media Award.

Christian Larochelle of Bangor and Amanda Gifford of Lee Academy received the Maine McDonald’s Academic All-State Scholarships.

McDonald’s all-star weekend continues Saturday, beginning at 8:30 a.m. with the state free-throw championship. The C/D girls game starts at 9:15, followed by a 3-point shooting competition at 10:30. The A/B girls game is set for 11, after which will be an awards presentation and halftime show.

The C/D boys game will begin at 12:45 p.m., followed at 2 p.m. by a slam dunk competition and then the C/D boys game at 2:30.

eclark@bangordailynews.net

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