The Midcoast Sports Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce the Student Athletes of the Year for 2020. Due to the coronavirus, the annual banquet will not be held this year but female and male athletes of the year will still be chosen, receive their award and will be invited to attend the 2021 banquet to be recognized. Schools in the Midcoast area were asked to submit names of two female and male athletes to be considered for this award. Due to issues created by Covid-19, not all schools in the area submitted names this year.

The Female Athlete of the Year is Kristina Kelly of Camden Hills Regional High School. During the 2019-20 school year Kristina was a member of the state championship CHRHS girls soccer team. She was the leading soccer on the team, establishing the school scoring record of 159 goals, which is third most in state history and first for a Class A player. She was selected to the KVAC Team, All-State Team and voted Portland Press Herald Player of the Year. Her most significant award though was being chosen National Female Player of the Year. Kristina has also been a member of the CHRHS wrestling team where in the 2018-19 season she won the 113-pound girls state championship and in the 2019-20 season she was runner-up for the state championship in the 120-pound division. Kristina is attending Central Connecticut State University where she is a member of the women’s soccer team.

The Male Athlete of the Year is Erik Benner of Medomak Valley High School. Erik was a member of both the MVHS football and wrestling teams. In football he was a tackle, being selected as 1st team All-Conference as both an offensive and defensive tackle. He was an All-Conference nominee for Lineman of the Year, team MVP, setting the MVHS record for most tackles in a season by a defensive tackle. He was also chosen to play in the 2020 Shriner Lobster Bowl as an offensive tackle. As a wrestler, Erik was captain of his team, winning first place at the KVAC meet, second in Class B regionals, second in Class B states and first in the All States New England Qualifier. He accumulated 150 career wins with 100 of those won by a pin. He was chosen team MVP and received the Brian Jackson Memorial Award and the U.S. Marines Distinguished Athlete Award. Erik is pursuing growing the lobstering business.

Other student/athlete finalists were Madison Bradbury of Lincoln Academy, Caitlin Cass of Camden Hills, Sadie Cohen of Medomak Valley and Ella Pierce of Camden Hills for females, with the males being Quinn Brown of Camden Hills, Andrew Orne of Camden Hills and Braxton Farrin of Lincoln Academy.