KAYLA BURCHILL AND TYLER McFARLAND NAMED MR. AND MISS MAINE BASKETBALL 2011
BANGOR, Maine (March 11, 2011) - This evening, the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches (MABC) unveiled the 2011 Mr. and Miss Maine Basketball. The announcement was made at the Maine McDonald's® High School Senior All-Star Basketball Games award banquet at Husson University in Bangor, Maine.
Kayla Burchill of Deering High School was crowned Miss Maine Basketball. Mr. Basketball honors went to Tyler McFarland of Camden Hills Regional High School
High School. (Biographies are attached.)
"This is the highest individual award presented to a male and female basketball player in the state," explained Peter Murray, president of the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches. "It is awarded for commitment, dedication and excellence throughout the player's high school career."
Other finalists for the honor of Miss Basketball were Rebecca Knight of Catherine McAuley High School and York High School's Nicole Taylor.
The other finalists for the title of Mr. Basketball included Bo Leary from Edward Little High School and Graham Safford of Hampden Academy.
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Also honored at the MABC Awards Banquet were the Maine McDonald's High School Senior All-Star Basketball Players, Regional Foul Shooting Champions, All-Star Coaches, members of the All-State Academic Team, the Maine McDonald's Spirit of the Game Award recipients, MABC Contributor Award honoree, and the MABC Media Award honoree.
The 2011 Maine McDonald's High School Senior All-Star Games will be played at Newman Gymnasium on the campus of Husson University in Bangor on Saturday, March 12. The game-day program will feature head-to-head competition between top players in the state's A/B and C/D Boys and Girls divisions.
Game Day tickets are available at the door and are good for all four Games. Tickets are $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for students. Net proceeds from the Games benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC) of Maine. More information is available at www.mainemcdonaldsbasketball.org and www.rmhcmaine.org
In addition to underwriting the cost of planning and executing the event, the Maine McDonald's Owner/Operator Association, a collaboration of 13 local Maine McDonald's franchisees, works hand-in-hand with the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches and lead sponsors to make the event possible: Hannaford, Maine Athletic Fundraising, Newman's Own® Organics, McCain Foods, Coastal T-Shirts, WLBZ-2, Bangor and WCSH-6, Portland. In-kind sponsors include Transformit of Gorham and Headlight Audio/Visual of Portland.
KAYLA BURCHILL, DEERING HIGH SCHOOL
Kayla Burchill epitomized the quiet and humble leader who let her play on the court do the talking.
The 6-foot guard helped Deering compile an 79-7 record, two state championships
and four Western Class A finals in her four years. A two-time Maine Gatorade Player of the Year finalist, Burchill was named Southwestern Maine Activities Association Player of the Year, averaging 22.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game for the Rams despite facing constant double and triple-teams. One of the state's most dangerous long-range threats, she tallied 1,249 career points while being named SMAA all-conference all four years.
The daughter of Timothy and Pamela Burchill, Kayla is an honors student who was invited to the national honor society in Washington, D.C. She volunteered for the Salvation Army, visited area nursing homes and coached at the Deering girls basketball camp.
Burchill will attend the University of Vermont and continue her basketball career with the Catamounts.
TYLER McFARLAND, CAMDEN HILLS REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Whether it's the basketball coach, faculty, fellow students, custodians or bus drivers, everyone at Camden Hills raves about Tyler McFarland - and his abilities on the basketball court have only a little to do with it.On the court, no one was more dynamic than the 6-foot-6 McFarland, who could control a game inside and outside, on offense and defense. The school's all-time leading scorer led the Windjammers to three Eastern Class B titles in a row, becoming the first-ever three-time tournament MVP in the process.
Last week, unbeaten Camden Hills won its second state championship in three years thanks in large part to his 24 points and 11 rebounds. It was a performance consistent with his regular season excellence, when he averaged 24.6 points and 12.1 rebounds per game and won his second consecutive Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B Player of the Year Award.
The son of Paul and Deborah McFarland, Tyler has served as a role model in his school and community. He is a member of the student council, was named to the KVAC All-Academic Team and earned the MPA's Citizenship Award. McFarland plans to attend prep school and continue playing basketball.
-Bios courtesy of Randy Whitehouse
