Last winter, approximately 3,000 girls on 142 teams across Maine participated in high school basketball.
Along the way, many of the state’s most talented players helped their teams win conference, regional and state championships. Others turned heads for their tremendous individual performances without the benefit of a stellar supporting cast.
On Saturday, the Bangor Daily News will honor the elite girls basketball players in the state when we unveil the 41st BDN All-Maine Schoolgirl Basketball Team.
Having solicited the input of coaches, officials, media and other veteran basketball observers, the BDN Sports staff has compiled a list of the state’s best players, regardless of position or class, for inclusion on what has long been recognized as the definitive annual lineup of Maine’s most outstanding players.
As the talent, commitment and pursuit of excellence among high school girls basketball players began to surge, the BDN All-Maine Schoolgirl Basketball Team was created in 1977.
The inaugural team featured a First Team made up of Jeanne White of South Portland, Cindy Rand of Hampden Academy, Karen Schwarz of South Portland, Jill Pingree of Mt. Blue in Farmington and Shirley Averill of Bangor.
The 1977 All-Maine Second Team consisted of Kelly Kimball of Lake Region, Monica Martin of Van Buren, Debbie DiConzo of Dirigo in Dixfield, Joan Leavitt of Hermon and Bangor’s Karen Downes.
Third-team selections were Mari Warner of Thornton Academy in Saco, Kim York of McAuley in Portland, Karen Nadeau of Wisdom, Cathy Swift of South Portland and Brenda Beckwith of Lawrence High in Fairfield.
The efforts of those players helped set the standards by which subsequent All-Maine teams have been chosen even as the game, its rules and the dynamics of high school athletics have changed over the decades.
The BDN is still narrowing its list of choices for the the 62nd All-Maine Schoolboy Basketball Team, which will be revealed Saturday, April 8.