WATERVILLE, Maine — Maine Sports Legends honored seven individuals who were inducted into the organization’s “Hall of Honors” and six student-athletes who received scholarships on Sunday, June 24, at the Alfond Youth Center.
This year’s Hall of Honors inductees were Mark Rossignol of New Sweden, John Habeeb of Caribou and Richard Cormier of Fort Fairfield/Van Buren (posthumous) from Northern Maine; Paul Soucy of Brewer and Bernard “Mac MacKenzie of Old Town (posthumous) from Eastern Maine; and Donna Russo of Waterville and Carl “Stump” Merrill of Harpswell from Central Maine.
Rossignol is the owner of County Physical Therapy and excelled in athletics at Van Buren District High School. Habeeb has coached tennis at Caribou High School since the 1980s and has accumulated 600-plus victories and several regional and state championships. Cormier was a standout baseball player at Fort Fairfield who went on to a lengthy teaching and coaching career in Van Buren.
Evan Desmond and Gabrielle Marquis, both recent graduates of Caribou High School, received Maine Sports Legends scholarships during the induction ceremony held Sunday, June 24 in Waterville. (Courtesy of Jim Carter)
Students to be recognized are Gabrielle Marquis and Evan Desmond, both from Caribou High School, from Northern Maine; Gilleyanne Davis-Oakes of Vinalhaven School and Connor DiAngelo of Greenville High School from Eastern Maine; and Kiera-Caley Young of Oak Hill High School in Wales and Soren Nyhus of Waterville High School from Central Maine. Each will receive funds to be used in connection with their college education.
Three regional committees chose the Hall of Honors inductees to recognize their accomplishments and contributions to youth and sports in Maine. Their willingness to participate in this event helps the Maine Sports Legends provide funds for outstanding student-athletes, which is its primary goal.
