There’s no telling what career Matt Waite will choose after he graduates from the University of Southern Maine. Right now, the junior wrestling co-captain is busy laying foundations.
Waite, a Canton native and Mt. Blue High School product, is a heavyweight building block for a USM mat program in its infancy. And somehow he finds time for community involvement that wouldn’t intrigue many of his peers.
When he isn’t defending his nearly spotless record for the Huskies, Waite is helping his roommate, a 22-year-old man with behavioral and social challenges, adapt to independent living.
“The thing about Matt is that he is both very passionate and very compassionate,” said USM coach Joe Pistone. “Anything in life that he does, he not only dedicates himself to, he literally loves it.”
Pistone is both Waite’s coach and his boss.
In addition to his USM duties, Pistone runs a group home through Lutheran Social Services. Pistone mentored developmentally disabled adults during his own career at American International College, where he graduated in 2000.
When he arrived at USM, Pistone pitched the community service to Waite and other wrestlers.
“Matt just ate it up,” said Pistone. “He is an extremely caring role model for this man. How many other college students would make that commitment?”
Few student-athletes would find the time, particularly one so engrossed in his sport.
Waite is 37-4 in two varsity seasons, including a sterling 17-2 mark this winter. He won the heavyweight division at the Plymouth (N.H.) Invitational on Jan. 16 with three straight wins, including two pins and a major decision. That backed up an earlier victory in the unlimited class at the Lions Brute Invitational at the College of New Jersey.
Last year, Waite hit 20 wins and was All-New England at 197 pounds.
He shares the role of captain with Skowhegan’s Phil Hamilton on a team dominated by freshmen and sophomores. USM, currently 6-6 in team competition, continues to spread the word to Maine grapplers about the rising NCAA Division III program.
“The great thing about Southern Maine wrestling,” said Pistone, “is that everything is basically brand new. Everybody’s trying to compete not only with their opponents but to be the first USM All-American, the first to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Matt’s a champion. He’s winning almost all his matches, and it’s bleeding into the program and all the other guys.”
Freshman Derek Giusto of Lisbon has notched four victories at 133 pounds for the Huskies.
Super stretch for Patriots
It’s been an exciting week for the Patriots. That is, three graduates of the multi-time regional high school champion Gray-New Gloucester Patriots girls’ basketball program.
Katie Whittier, a 6-foot-2 junior forward, is making the most of her first significant playing time at the University of Maine. Whittier scored a career-high 12 points in the Black Bears’ 88-60 rout of Stony Brook on Sunday.
Perhaps Whittier was inspired by that day’s tribute to another versatile Maine post player of recent vintage.
“There was a lot of excitement in the game, which included the retirement of Jamie Cassidy’s number,” said Maine coach Sharon Versyp. “The win was a big boost for us.”
Maine also beat Boston University on Wednesday for its fourth straight victory, moving to 11-8 overall and 7-2 in America East.
Senior Sarah DeLuca is peppering the stat sheet at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass. In the Fighting Scots’ most recent outing, a loss to Endicott on Tuesday, DeLuca put up 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists. That followed lines of 10-7-4 against Wentworth and 14-6-4 versus Clark.
Down at Rhode Island College, freshman Josalee Danieli continues her solid contribution. Danieli’s 5.4 rebounds per game rank among the top 15 in Little East.
Blazing trails
Two local cross-country skiers scored important points for Colby at the St. Michael’s Carnival last weekend.
Fred Bailey of Andover was 32nd for the White Mules in the 10-kilometer men’s Nordic race in a time of 31:44.6. Jay’s Hillary Easter clocked in at 19:05.8, good for 42nd in the women’s 5K.
Pooling his resources
Mt. Blue High School doesn’t have a varsity swim team, but that hasn’t stopped Farmington product Joe Fowler from making a splash at Wheaton College in Norton, Mass.
Fowler swam for the victorious 400-yard medley relay team last Friday in a home meet against the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. His quartet, which also included Matt Jordan of Ellsworth, completed the event in 3:49.88.
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