The Maine Maritime Academy women’s basketball team recently wrapped up the most successful season in the six-year history of the program.

First-year coach Craig Dagan guided the Mariners to an 18-7 overall record and the North Atlantic Conference championship by virtue of a 59-53 victory over Elms College.

That proved the end of MMA’s season as the NAC does not receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III national tournament and the Mariners did not receive an at-large bid.

This marked the fourth season the Mariners have won a conference title. And MMA did it with only seven players.

“We began the season with 10 players, but after Christmas we had only seven,” Dagan said. “Those seven kids exceeded all my expectations. They worked hard and showed tremendous heart throughout the season.”

MMA was led by seniors Kate Lawler of Bangor and Rachel Merrill of Anson. Lawler was an All-NAC first-team pick, while Merrill was an honorable mention.

Freshman Stacy Jones of Bath averaged 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals for MMA on her way to NAC Rookie of the Year honors. Her 4.4 steals per game ranked sixth in the nation in Division III.

“Stacy has been our floor leader all year,” Dagan said. “She has her best games against the best teams. She has unlimited potential.”

MMA also received key contributions from Jessica Sawyer, Jen Nored, Amy Puleo, and Lynda Doughty.

The Mariners were ranked in the Top 10 in the nation in three categories. MMA was first in field-goal percentage defense at .296, second in scoring defense (47.8 points per game) and second in rebounding margin at plus-15.2.

Dagan hopes this season’s performance bodes well for the future.

“I am very proud of what we accomplished this year, but I’m definitely not satisfied,” Dagan said. “I want to win another NAC title next year.”

Tuck, Dolbec named USM captains

Senior Jason Tuck of Bangor and junior Greg Dolbec of Shapleigh have been named captains of the University of Southern Maine men’s outdoor track team.

Dolbec ran cross country in the fall and is expected to compete in the hurdles, pole vault and middle distance races.

Tuck scored points in the triple jump, long jump, and 800 during the indoor season.

“Jason is a dedicated teammate whose sole concern is helping the team to victory,” coach Bruce Bickford said. “He’s a versatile athlete who will often compete in a variety of events to help the team score as many points as possible.”

Pratt All-America Scholar-Athlete

Betsy Pratt, a senior at Thomas College in Waterville, has been selected as an NAIA All-American Scholar-Athlete.

Pratt, a marketing management major from Turner, served as a captain of the Terriers women’s basketball team in each of the last two seasons. The former Leavitt High standout helped lead Thomas to four straight appearances in the Maine Athletic Conference tournament, including a berth in this season’s semifinals.

Pratt, a high honors student, recently was chosen as the undergraduate commencement speaker at Thomas. Last year, she was named the Maine Athletic Conference scholar-athlete of the year. She was nominated for the same honor this year.

McLeod makes splash at Utica

Rebecca McLeod of Glenburn recently completed a successful sophomore season on the Utica College swim team.

McLeod, a graduate of John Bapst High School in Bangor, competed on three record-setting relay teams for the Pioneers during the recent New York State championship meet.

She swam the freestyle leg on Utica’s 400-yard medley, 400 freestyle, and 800 free relay squads, all of which set school records in the New York State meet. McLeod also finished fifth in the 1,650 free, was seventh in the 200 breaststroke and took ninth in the 500 free.