PAYTON SMITH, Senior – Baseball
File photos
• WMC Class C/D Pitcher of the Year
• WMC Class C/D all-star, first-team
Payton Smith
Smith was one of the conference’s finest pitchers and helped the Waynflete/NYA co-op squad to a second straight memorable campaign.
Smith showed steady improvement throughout his high school career and really turned heads as a senior.
Smith led the team in innings pitched with 47.1, which also set a program record since the program entered Class C. He finished 5-3 with a 2.37 earned run average, also tops on the team. Smith walked 10, struck out 40 and had a .217 batting average against.
Waynflete/NYA got to the Class C South quarterfinals before being eliminated by Monmouth Academy, but was a season it was.
“Payton is inquisitive and loves baseball, especially pitching,” said Waynflete/NYA coach Paul Grazia. “As a result, he has dedicated countless hours to developing himself as a player and a pitcher. He has worked very hard to find consistency through fine-tuning his mechanics, developing and being consistent with his off-speed pitches, holding runners and understanding pitching as a craft. Due to his dedication and passion to this craft, Payton has seen his role expand every year he has been on the field as a pitcher and as an outfielder, culminating in a historic senior season and one of the best pitching seasons I have seen at my time at Waynflete.”
The Waynflete/NYA program is well positioned for continued success, thanks in large part to the effort of Payton Smith, Waynflete’s Spring Athlete of the Year.
Coach Paul Grazia’s comment: “As a program, we believe that pitching is the key to success, and Payton was an enormous part of our success this year. Payton was the leader of our pitching staff both on and off the field. Full of confidence and poise, he would lead by example and his energy and enthusiasm on the mound was contagious. He supported his teammates and would be the first to greet a teammate after a big play and pick a teammate up after an error. Payton worked very hard to improve as a player but also wanted his teammates to improve and would often support less experienced players in practice to improve their own skills. Payton is an incredibly hardworking and passionate player. One thing that makes Payton unique is that, unlike many dominant high school pitchers, Payton does not have an overpowering fastball but instead commands the strike zone with a combination of curveballs and change-ups. He is masterful at keeping hitters off balance, uncomfortable in the batter box and forcing weak contact. In addition, Payton does not walk hitters and makes the other team earn each and every run they score. Payton has had a lasting impact on our program. His hard work, dedication and passion helped build the program to where it is today and he was a crucial piece of our last two seasons. Payton will be greatly missed next year.”
Previous winners:
• 2021 Ben Adey (lacrosse/tennis)
• 2020 No season
• 2019 Thorne Kieffer (tennis)
• 2018 Hank Duvall (lacrosse)
• 2017 Brandon Ameglio (tennis)
• 2016 Will Nelligan (lacrosse)
• 2015 Isaac Salas (tennis)
• 2014 Isaac Salas (tennis)
• 2013 Andrew Butler (baseball)
• 2012 Chris Burke (lacrosse)
• 2011 Charlie Laprade (baseball)
• 2010 Brandon Thompson (tennis)
• 2009 Brandon Thompson (tennis)
• 2008 Brandon Thompson (tennis)
• 2007 David Cutler (lacrosse)
• 2006 Ben Whipple (tennis)
• 2005 Reid McMullan (lacrosse)
• 2004 Matt Lacasse (track)
LUCY HART, Sophomore – Tennis
• WMC all-star, first-team, singles
• Captain
Lucy Hart
Hart and her teammates embarked on a memorable run this spring, nearly winning the Class C state title and that success was nothing new for Hart, who has made quite a name for herself in high school in multiple sports.
Hart, who also plays soccer and basketball for the Flyers, initially played third singles as a freshman, then moved up to No. 2 singles as Waynflete got to the Class C South Final.
This spring, the Flyers did even better, as Hart moved into the top singles spot and held her own against some of the state’s finest players.
Hart made an immediate opener in the season opener, holding off Cape Elizabeth’s Caroline Gentile in a close match. Waynflete won just two of its first six matches, but the Flyers then flipped the switch, as Hart helped Waynflete to key victories with her leadership at first singles.
Hart then won her playoff matches against Winthrop, Hall-Dale and Maranacook to help the fourth-ranked Flyers reach the state match. There, Waynflete fell just short of the championship, losing, 3-2, to Washington Academy, as Hart finally met her match in Sarah Moulton, falling, 4-6, 3-6.
The Flyers will make another run at the crown next season and leading the way will be Lucy Hart, Waynflete’s Spring Athlete of the Year, who is always doing special things, regardless of the season.
Coach Linda Cohen’s comment: “Lucy has exemplified everything a coach could ever ask for in a student-athlete. With the graduation of nine seniors, I knew 2022 would leave a lot of shoes to be filled and Lucy did just that. She put the team on her shoulders. (First) singles can be so difficult, often waiting to play with the potential of the match being on the line. Her mental toughness and physical talents as a three-sport athlete were evident as she played her way through the season. I look forward to having her on the team for two more years. The only thing missing is an ‘e’ in her last name, as she plays with so much heart.”
Previous winners:
• 2021 Jesse Connors (lacrosse)
• 2020 No season
• 2019 Emi Boedeker (lacrosse)
• 2018 Izzy Burdick (lacrosse)
• 2017 Abby Pipkin (track)
• 2016 Nina Moore (lacrosse)
• 2015 Helen Gray-Bauer (lacrosse)
• 2014 Emily White (tennis)
• 2013 Sadie Cole (lacrosse)
• 2012 Martha Veroneau (lacrosse)
• 2011 Scout Haffenreffer (lacrosse)
• 2010 Morgan Woodhouse (lacrosse)
• 2009 Christine Ordway (tennis)
• 2008 Laura Armstrong (lacrosse)
• 2007 Christine Ordway (tennis)
• 2006 Christine Ordway (tennis)
• 2005 Gretchen Koch (lacrosse)
• 2004 Lily Hoffman (lacrosse)
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.
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