One of the most dominant Eastern Maine Class D softball pitchers of the last four years plans to take her stuff on to college.

Bangor Christian’s Kara Hartman said she picked Gordon, an NCAA Division III school in Wenham, Mass., over other schools that were offering scholarships.

“Gordon just feels right,” she said.

Hartman racked up 214 strikeouts this season, including 13 in the EM Class D final against Lee, a 2-1 loss for Hartman and the Patriots. Bangor Christian was a contender every year Hartman was in the circle, and the Patriots won the 2001 Eastern Maine Class D title.

Hartman said she worked this winter to hone her pitching and add a few more pitches to her repertoire.

“I added a curveball and I tried to work on a screwball, but I only used the curveball a few times,” she said. “It worked, but I wasn’t used to it enough to play it all the time.”

Hartman was named the Maine Softball Coaches Association’s Eastern Maine Class D Player of the Year and started for the East in last week’s senior all-star game.

St. Dominic of Auburn’s Kat Vincent, who was named Miss Maine Softball, is also heading to Gordon next year.

Distance festival slots open

The meet directors of the New Balance Maine Distance Festival are looking for high school distance runners to compete in the July 5 meet in Brunswick.

High schoolers compete in the 800 meters and mile races, which are scheduled before the elite races. The meet starts at 5 p.m. and is held at Bowdoin College’s Whittier Field.

The time standards for girls are 2 minutes, 30 seconds in the 800 and 5:32 in the mile. The standards for boys are 1:59.5 and 4:28, respectively.

For more information contact Peter Slovenski at 725-3010 or

e-mail pslovens@bowdoin.edu. More meet information is available at www.mainedistance.org.

Mainers solid at New Englands

Maine high school tennis and golf standouts posted solid finishes in the recent New England championships in those sports.

Shawn Warren of Windham High School shot a 71 at the New England Golf Championships, good enough for second place overall. Megan Angis of Thornton Academy in Saco shot a 78 to finish sixth overall at the girls tournament.

The championships were held at Bretwood Golf Course, a par 72 layout in Keene, N.H.

Other boys finishers from Maine were Dan Dalfanso of Camden Hills (74), Chris Bixby of North Yarmouth (75), Andy LaBreque of Mountain Valley in Rumford (79), Hermon’s Adam Duplisea (80), Mount Ararat of Brunswick’s Mike Doran (80), James Anderson of Georges Valley in Thomaston (88), and John Smith of Calais (92).

On the girls side, Alicia Ramsdell of Wells shot an 85, Brunswick’s Shannon Mitchell finished with an 87, Jessica LaRoche had a 97 and Orono’s Ashley Card-Burns scored a 99.

The overall boys winner was Jesse Larson of Rutland, Vt., who carded a 70. Jessica Steward of Fitch High School in Connecticut won with a 71.

In tennis, three of the four Maine entrants won at least one match at Hall High School in West Hartford, Conn.

Maine state individual girls champion Erin Moakler of Greater Houlton Christian Academy defeated Talia Williams of Montpelier High School (Vt.) 6-1, 6-0 in the quarterfinals but fell in the semifinals to Sarah D’Elia of Fairfield High (Conn.) 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (10-6). D’Elia went on to win the tourney.

Kennebunk’s Kelly Graham also earned a shot in the semis with a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (10-6) win over Pamila Pillo, of Notre Dame Fairfield (Conn.). Graham also fell in the next round, losing to Amy Berkman of Rice High (Vt.) 6-3, 6-2.

Maine’s individual boys runner-up Garrett Currier of Cape Elizabeth won a preliminary match 6-1, 6-0 against Kenny Ribidoux of Cumberland High (R.I.) but fell in the quarterfinals 6-1, 6-1 to Corey Keller of Mount Mansfield Union High (Vt.). Maine individual champ Ian Robinson of Brewer was beaten 2-6, 6-0, 7-6 (12-10) by Matt Furmaga of Manchester High (Conn.)

Gustavo Sanchez of Derby High (Conn.) was the eventual winner.

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