Each week during the high school sports season, Eastern Maine Sports will announce a female and male athlete of the week. You can send your nominations during the week to Marc at easternmainesports@gmail.com. When you send your nominations include the athlete, name of the school, stats for the week of the nomination. Here is a full list of the 224 past athlete of the week winners.
This week, we had nine Rowell’s Garage female athlete of the week nominations. Leine McKechnie allowed pitched the first perfect game in the history Penobscot Valley High School (PVHS). This is the fourth athlete of the week honor for McKechnie. This is her second straight honor and fourth in the past five weeks. The freshman finished the regular season with over 200 strikeouts in the circle. The Howlers enter the Maine Principals’Association class D tournament with a 16-0 record and as the number two seed.
Roadrunner Taxi female athlete of the week
Leine McKechnie- PVHS – softball- pitched a three-hitter, striking out 11 and had two hits, including a double in 9-3 win over Schenck. Pitched a perfect game with 17 strikeouts plus reached base four times with a double, two RBI, and three walks in 13-0 win over Katahdin. The perfect game was the first ever for PVHS softball.
Runner up
Katelin Saunders- Bucksport- softball- pitched a three-hitter with seven strikeouts and had a hit with two RBI in 14-1 win in five innings over George Stevens. Pitched a three-hitter, striking out seven, plus had three hits, including a double and two RBI in 17-3 six inning win over Sumner. Pitched a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts plus had two hits and three RBI in 13-1 win in five innings over Dexter.
Other nominations
Tina Hjelle- Bucksport – softball- the senior foreign exchange student from Norway, playing her first year of softball had three hits, including a double and four RBI in 14-1 win over George Stevens.
Bailey Robbins- Winslow- softball- had four hits, including a triple and four RBI in 9-2 win over Belfast. Had two hits, including a double in 4-1 loss to Oceanside.
Bre Oakes- Hermon- softball- pitched a two hitter with 10 strikeouts in 5-1 win over Foxcroft.
Kaelyn Parks- Central middle school- softball- struck out 17 and had two hits of her own in 10-2 win over Somerset.
Alivia Hunt- PCHS- softball- hit a two run home run in 23-5 win over Lee. Hit a triple and home run in 8-3 loss to Stearns. Went 4-4 with two triples, two runs scored, two RBI, and a stolen base in 6-3 win over Dexter.
Haley McLaughlin- Mattanawcook- softball- pitched a one-hitter and struck out 12 in 3-0 win over Dexter.
Kylie Vining- Southern Aroostook- softball- pitched a three-hitter, striking out 10 in 7-1 win over Woodland.