Page 7 - Newsletter_Summer_2018

Houlton’s Bouchard named state’s Miss Basketball

By Ernie Clark, Bangor Daily News - Reprinted with permission

BANGOR, Maine — It was a big Friday night (March 9th) for
Kolleen Bouchard of Houlton as the Maine Association of Basketball
Coaches honored the state’s top senior basketball players at the
annual Maine McDonald’s all-star banquet.
Bouchard was named Miss Maine Basketball, joining 2015 Mr.
Maine Basketball recipient Kyle Bouchard as the first brother and
sister to capture Maine’s top individual high school honors.

“I’m kind of at a loss for words, it’s a huge honor,” said Bouchard.
“It’s awesome to be part of the Maine basketball tradition and now
I’m part of it forever.”

Kyle Bouchard, now at Bentley University where Kolleen Bouchard
will join the school’s NCAA Division II women’s basketball team
on scholarship next fall, was among those present to watch his sister
receive the Miss Basketball honor.
“That makes it even more special,” said Kolleen Bouchard. “I got
to experience him winning it so I’m used to the process and it’s
awesome that I could do it, too. You always want to one-up your
brother.”

Bouchard, a 6-foot guard, played in four state championship games
at Houlton, leading the Shiretowners to the gold ball in 2015 and
2016 and additional regional crowns in 2017 and 2018.

She was a four-time winner of the BDN’s Owen Osborne Award as
the North regional tournament’s outstanding player, twice in Class
B North and twice in C North. A four-year captain, she averaged
23 points, nine rebounds, four assists and 3.5 five steals per game
throughout her career, earning Big East Player of the Year honors
twice.

Bouchard, the daughter of Karen and Marty Bouchard, finished her high school career with 2,046 points, becoming the first
Houlton player to reach the 2,000-point plateau. She also set a single-season school scoring record with 641 points as a senior
— averaging 29.1 points per game this winter.
“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” said Bouchard. “This is a career accomplishment and without them this
wouldn’t have been possible.”

Other finalists for the Miss Basketball Award were Emily Wheaton of Presque Isle and Page Brown of Boothbay. Wheaton will
continue her basketball career next winter at Husson University while Brown will play at St. Joseph’s College in Standish.

Terion Moss of Portland earned this year’s Mr. Maine Basketball award, and during his acceptance speech made a verbal
commitment to accept a full athletic scholarship offer made earlier in the day by the University of Maine.

Other Mr. Basketball finalists were Ian McIntyre of Hampden Academy and Taylor Schildroth of George Stevens Academy
in Blue Hill. McIntyre plans to play at Husson University next year while Schildroth has not yet determined his collegiate
destination.
The Mr. and Miss Basketball Awards are presented each year to the senior players who have exhibited outstanding skills
throughout their careers, have made a significant impact on their teams, have demonstrated respect for the game through
leadership on and off the court, have epitomized the values of sportsmanship and have been positive school and community
citizens.

Editor’s Note: Bouchard was also selected as the Gatorade Maine Girls Basketball Player of the Year. As a Gatorade Player of the Year,
Kolleen was able to select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a $1,000 grant as part of the Gatorade Play It Forward
program. She chose to present the $1,000 to the Houlton Parks & Recreation Department where she participated in many programs
over the years.

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