August 31, 2006
SACO, ME, August 31, 2006— The Maine Games has announced its 2006 male and female athletes of the year.
Karen Croteau, 45, a professor at the University of Southern Maine, has been chosen as the 2006 Maine Games/New Balance Female Athlete of the Year. Croteau led her field hockey team to an undefeated tournament, scoring 12 of the team's 24 total goals.
Originally from Blackstone MA, Croteau scored a total of 98 goals during her high school career at Blackstone-Millville Regional Jr. and Sr. High School, and 82 goals with 22 assists in college at Bridgewater State College where she was a four-year athlete in field hockey and basketball, and captained both teams in her senior year. In 1982, she led her team to their first post-season tournament in school history. She is a member of the Bridgewater Athletics Hall of Fame (1993).
According to Maine Games teammate, Suzanne Parks, of Portland, Croteau was unanimously named team MVP following the tournament. "Karen is truly one of the best players on the field at any time. She has incredible control & presence on the field, great stick skills, an amazing drive/shot, and has an overall great mind for the game.
"Karen is definitely a leader on the field - she communicates with others very well. She also exhibits incredible sportsmanship and unselfishness. She is not out for herself. She will pass as readily as she will take a shot on her own," said Parks.
The 2006 Maine Games/New Balance Male Athlete of the Year is Dane Carter. Carter, 16, of Falmouth, won two gold medals at this year's New Hampshire Figure Skating Festival, on August 12. Carter, son of Steve and Carol Carter, claimed overall gold in the Men's Intermediate Short Program and the Men's Intermediate Unrestricted Freestyle, besting athletes from both New Hampshire and Vermont. Carter claimed two Maine Games gold medals as well for his efforts. In addition, he's qualified to represent the state of Maine at the 2007 State Games of America, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, next summer.
Since 2000, Carter has earned 84 medals in figure skating at both open and qualifying competitions. He earned the pewter medal for the Intermediate Men at the 2005 New England Regionals, qualifying him for the 2005 Junior National Championships. This was the first time in ten years that a freestyle skater from Maine has qualified for this event. He came 5th at the 2006 New England Regional Championship, qualifying him for the 2006 Junior National Championships, his second consecutive trip. In 2005, he traveled to Luxembourg to compete in the Novice Men's event at the Coup de Printemps Competition against skaters from France, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands, where he won the bronze medal. In 2004, he won the gold medal in the Eastern section Intermediate Men division of the US Figure Skating Future Champions Series. In 2005, he won silver in that series.
Earlier this year, Dane passed the highest US Figure Skating moves test, the senior moves or gold moves test. So far, he has passed every skating test first time with every judge awarding him the pass mark. He has also passed the ISI freestyle 8 test, the first male Mainer to do so.
Both athletes have been nominated by the Maine Games for the prestigious National Congress of State Games Athletes of the year. If chosen, the athlete and guests would be flown to the National Congress of State Games annual symposium, in Colorado Springs for a banquet in their honor.
This award has been sponsored by New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. for the past four years.
Past recipients include; Alana Van Loenen, of Falmouth, track and field; Trey Gadbois, Portland, track and field; Christine Snow-Reaser, track and field, and 5k; Buster Byrnes, Lincolnville, track and field, and powerlifting, Pam Swan, Bowdoin, track and field, World's Longest Throw; and Jason Tanguay, Gorham, track and field and World's Longest Throw.
