Lincoln Academy gets its turn, wins first Class B golf championship
Lincoln Academy’s Eagles Clinch First Class B State Title
VASSALBORO – The Lincoln Academy Eagles entered the Class B state golf championship at Natanis Golf Course expecting a strong showing, but the victory that followed was a first for the team and a moment of triumph that has echoed through the school’s recent history.
On Saturday, October 10, the Eagles finished the day with a 317 total, 11 strokes ahead of the Freeport Falcons, who posted a 326. Yarmouth, Cape Elizabeth, and Fryeburg Academy all trailed with scores in the low‑340s. The win marked Lincoln Academy’s first Class B state title in school history and ended a stretch in which the team had repeatedly finished near the bottom of the leaderboard.
The medalist honors went to senior Colin Mitchell, who shot a 2‑over‑par 74. “It was a huge goal of ours. We won KVACs, which was nice, but we knew that this was a bigger goal on our minds,” Mitchell said after the final round. “We knew if we played well, we would have a fighting chance.”
Mitchell, who had finished 91st in the tournament the previous year, spent the spring honing his skills at Natanis, a course that had only recently opened. “This is one of the first courses to open in the spring… I’d play every day in the summer, like four to five hours a day, if not more,” he explained. His preparation paid off on the course. He opened the day with birdies on the fourth and sixth holes, hit bogeys on the eighth, ninth and 11th, and then played the final seven holes at even par, “keeping my lead,” he said. “I felt like I was still swinging it good, so I just had to trust that… I definitely checked back in mentally.”
The Eagles’ victory was built on a solid team effort. Junior Brody Day shot a 79, Drew Nichols a 80, and Max Blake an 84. All three were juniors, a testament to the program’s depth of young talent. In addition, Nichols tied with Lake Region’s Shane Plummer for seventh place on the leaderboard with an 80. Lincoln’s fourth‑place finish at 317 was a significant jump from its ninth‑place finishes the last two seasons, and the only top‑five finish in the program’s previous four‑year run.
Lincoln’s coach, Todd Brackett, reflected on the season’s progress. “It’s been on my mind for a couple of years… This team has a lot of potential. They’re young, and we’ve seen it coming up. They’ve had some great (individual) performances, but just never put it all together. Obviously, it came together today.”
The team’s journey to the title began with a dominant performance in the KVAC B qualifier, where they finished 15 strokes clear of the field. “We knew this was definitely doable,” Mitchell added. “We knew if we played well, we would have a fighting chance.”
Freeport’s Ryan Savona finished second on the leaderboard with a 76, just two strokes behind Mitchell. Savona, a senior, said after his round, “It got kind of scrappy for a little bit, but I felt like I held it together well. I made a couple of double (bogeys) out there, and my mentality was that it wasn’t even a bad double. I hit a couple of bad shots. I still feel solid about my game.” He followed up his 76 with strong finishes in the final rounds, holding the team near the top of the leaderboard.
Other teams on the field included Yarmouth’s Lucas D’Alessandro (82), Rory Truesdell (86), and Charles Hughes (88); Cape Elizabeth’s Charlie Lampman (82); and Fryeburg Academy’s Sergio Trejo (81). Lake Region’s Shane Plummer, who finished tied for seventh, posted an 80.
Lincoln Academy’s win not only capped a season of steady improvement but also established a new benchmark for future teams. “It’s a huge goal of ours,” Coach Brackett said, “and it’s definitely doable. If we play well, we’ll have a fighting chance.” With a medalist who has shown that hard work can pay off, the Eagles have set the stage for a bright future on the greens.
