They compete in three drastically different sports in three different states.

One grew accustomed to being the star of her team from an early age. Another watched a high school teammate garner most of the attention while she blossomed into a top-three player for a perennial state championship program. And the other had never seen his sport staged competitively — hadn’t even set foot in this country, in fact — four years ago.

But Laura Martel, Julia Bergeron and Mohamed Noor share more of a common bond than being fellow graduates of Lewiston High School.

All three excelled at the collegiate level during the recently completely fall season, basking in a boatload of honors.

FINISHING KICK

Martel wrapped up her career at the University of Maine with one of the highest achievements available to a women’s soccer player in the region. She was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Northeast Region first team.

It’s a mouthful, so here’s the skinny: Martel is only the third Maine player to earn that distinction. 

Now consider that the coaches reorganized the region two years ago, putting players from several Big East schools into the same pool as Martel and most of Maine’s America East opponents. Martel is the Black Bears’ first representative to win a spot on the region’s first team since that change was made.

America East coaches already had voted Martel the league’s top striker, and her sheer numbers explain why it was an easy decision. Martel erupted for 13 goals, six more than her closest rival in that category.

She added an assist for 27 points, tops on her team and in the conference. Martel finished seven points ahead of the second-leading scorer, and she did it while participating in five fewer games.

Maine won nine games and tied three en route to the conference semifinals, where it lost to Binghamton in penalty kicks after playing through regulation and overtime to a scoreless tie.

Martel scored the game-winning goal in overtime to push Maine past New Hampshire in the previous tournament game.

For her career at Maine, Martel posted 25 goals (tied for second on the school’s all-time list) and 53 points (fifth in the program’s history).

ACE OF GRADES

Bergeron was a star on the tennis court, off it, and behind the scenes for Clark University in Worcester, Mass.

The sophomore was her team’s most valuable player for the second year in a row. Bergeron won six singles matches this fall, including four at the No. 1 rung on the Cougars’ ladder.

Together with her doubles partner, Andrea Nathan, Bergeron was a three-time winner.

Success in the classroom earned Bergeron academic all-conference status in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference.

Additionally, Clark picked up the NEWMAC team sportsmanship award.

Bergeron’s stellar second year earned her teammates’ respect for 2010 and beyond. She has been named a team captain for next season.

AHEAD OF THE PACK

Having emigrated from Somalia with his family as a teenager, Noor has a unique appreciation of the All-American label. He wears it for a second straight year after his exploits at Garden City (Kan.) Community College.

Noor locked up that recognition with a seventh-place result in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I championship meet at East Peoria, Ill. His time was 25 minutes, 2 seconds.

Previously, Noor finished second in the Region VI championship meet for the Broncbusters, who swept their conference and regional crowns for the second straight year.

“We had a good season, and we have a great team,” Noor told the Garden City Telegram. “We ran strong. Better than last year.”

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