GOUMFBEAVERS.COM - Key Persons
Alyssa Williamson enters her second season at the helm of the UMaine-Farmington softball program in 2023, after being named to the post in the summer of 2021. In her first season, Williamson led the Beavers to a 7-21 record, including 5-5 in NAC play.
Williamson, a Maine native, moved back to the Pine Tree State from Suffolk University, where she spent two years as an assistant coach.
From 2018 to 2020, Williamson was a graduate assistant coach at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. In her first season, she helped the Rams reach the postseason with an 11-5 conference record. Six Suffolk athletes received all-conference recognition, including one first-team selection, two second-team selections, and three third-team selections. Williamson was responsible for managing administrative operations, preparing practice plans, and recruiting.
Off the diamond, Williamson received her Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling at Suffolk while also working as an Academic Support Advisor for the athletics department. She met twice monthly with all incoming student-athletes to assist with their transition to college, as well as teach student-athletes proper study habits and time management skills.
Williamson spent the four years from 2015 to 2019 as an assistant and head coach for the Lady Mavericks Softball organization. She coached athletes aged 14-17 in elite level softball to help them prepare for their next level of play.
During that same time span, Williamson coached in the private sector with Maine Hits as a lead instructor. She helped organize and run clinics as well as coach athletes aged 8-16.
Outside of coaching, Williamson has worked and volunteered for a number of organizations in the realm of mental health and poverty. Most recently in September 2020 she joined LUK Inc., a non-profit that supports youth, adults, and families in challenging situations to get the help they need. From 2019 to 2020, Williamson interned at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, managing a caseload of undergraduate and graduate students providing therapy and helping to guide them with treatment plans.
As an athlete, Williamson spent one year at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, prior to transferring and completing three years at Merrimack College. She graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. On the diamond, Willamson racked up an impressive list of accolades as a standout first baseman. She was a two-time Northeast-10 All-Conference athlete, two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, NE10 Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, NE10 Woman of the Year finalist, two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, two-time D2CCA All-East Region, two-time NE10 All-Conference First Team selection, NFCA All-East Region First Team honoree, and led the conference with a .441 batting average as well as led her team with 71 hits.
At Scarborough High School, Williamson was a four-time All-State honoree, two-time state champion, and in 2014 was awarded the prestigious awards of Miss Maine Softball and Gatorade Player of the Year.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Title IX Coordinator ( Staff )
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Maine Alpine Racing Association Children 's Committee
- Director of Snowsports / Head Alpine Coach
- USSA Alpine Coach
Andrew Willihan was hired in 2016 as the men's and women's Alpine Coach and Outdoor Recreation Coordinator through Mainely Outdoors®. He then added Assistant Director of Snowsports to his title in 2017. He held the Assistant Director title until 2021 when he was named the interim Director of Snowsports replacing Scott Hoisington. In summer of 2022, Willihan became the Director of Snowsports at UMaine-Farmington.
A 2006 graduate of UMF, Willihan returns to his alma mater after spending the past decade in the ski industry, primarily as a coach. He served in numerous roles at Carrabasset Valley Academy (CVA), including head U14/U16 alpine coach and head U16 women's coach for the past two seasons resulting in three U16 National Championship qualifiers and a United States Ski Team National Training Group member. In 2015, Willihan qualified a total of ten athletes to the U14 Canadian-American games.
As Weekend Program Manager and Winter Camp Director at CVA, he was responsible for managing 20 coaches, organizing hiring clinics and maintaining equipment inventory among other things. He was instrumental in creating programming that linked CVA's weekend program and the full-time academy.
In his early years at CVA, Willihan was a J1-2 women's coach for CVA where he got his start coaching the CVA Weekend Program while completing his degree at UMF.
Willihan holds certifications as a USSA Alpine Coach (Level 300), USSA Skills Quest Evaluator, and USSA Alpine Official (Referee-2). Willihan is the chairman of the Maine Alpine Racing Association Children's Committee and sits on the Eastern Children's Committee.
Willihan graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington with a bachelor's degree in education with a concentration in psychology.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - Sprints
Ben Toribio, a 2020 graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington, joined the track and field coaching staff prior to the 2020-21 season. Toribio is experienced in the sprints, hurdles, and relay events and holds the USTFCCCA Technical Certification. In his first season working with the program, he helped guide the Beavers' sprint squad to numerous personal bests and second-place finish for the men's team at the NAC East Invitational in 2021.
During his time as an athlete, Toribio was skilled in the short sprints, relays, long jump, and triple jump, qualifying twice for the New England Championships in the long jump. He graduated with a dual major in mathematics and secondary education-mathematics, and currently teaches math at Mt. Blue Middle School.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Head Men 's Soccer Coach
Blake Hart took over as the Head Coah of the men's soccer team at the beginning of the 2019 season. Hart just conlcuded his fourth season and third full-season (COVID) at the helm for the Beavers. Over those seasons Hart has eclipsed a record of 29-19-6, including a NAC East Division Championship in 2021.
Prior to being named the Head Coach, Hart had been serving as an assistant coach with the men's soccer program for the previous three years. During that time, he also has coached with Western Maine United U-18 and been on the staff of numerous soccer camps. Additionally, he assisted with the women's basketball program at UMF.
Blake is a graduate of Castleton University where he earned his bachelor's degree in Sports Administration complemented with a minor in Business. In addition to his studies, he excelled for 4 seasons on the Spartan team, appearing in 75 games with 42 starts, tallying 15 goals and six assists. There he demonstrated leadership on many fronts, interning with the Director of Athletics and serving as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Hart's volunteer experiences include coaching youth soccer and basketball while officiating youth soccer with the Farmington Recreation Department. He has been engaged with Special Olympics in the Farmington area, and when he was a student-athlete at Castleton. He intends to draw upon his experiences and local connections to engage the team in community service as well.
Hart is from Farmington and went to Mt. Blue High School.
Job Titles:
- Head Golf Coach
- Member at Waterville Country Club
A three-time North Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year, Timmins has led the Beavers to top-three finishes in the NAC in five of the last seven seasons. UMaine-Farmington was the recipient of the Team Sportsmanship Award in 2007.
UMaine-Farmington's 2012 season under Bob Timmins was highlighted by senior Orion Cochrane's third-place individual finish the NAC Championship, matching the best individual conference finish by a UMF golfer. Cochrane earned First Team All-NAC honors in the progress, earning the 16th All-NAC award for UMF golf since 2004. Timmins has helped players garner 24 All-NAC awards through his 15th year as the head coach.
Timmins taught biology in middle and high school in School Administrative District 47 for 30 years before retiring in 2003. Following retirement, he worked for four years at Belgrade Lakes Golf Club.
A longtime member at Waterville Country Club, Timmins has served as president of the WCC and Maine State Golf Association and currently sits as the president of the board of directors for the Maine Golf Foundation. He continues to serve on the boards of directors for the WCC and MSGA and volunteers as a coach for his daughter's high school golf team.
Callie Hammer was named the Assistant Coach for the women's soccer team prior to the beginning of the 2022 season. Hammer joins Head Coach Molly Wilkie's coaching staff after playing under Wilkie for four seasons, one of which was a COVID season, as the Beaver's starting goalkeeper. After joining the team in 2018, Hammer was quickly elevated to starting goalkeeper. She put together a strong career in net posting 320 career saves. Hammer was also a two-year captain for the Beavers. In the fall of 2020 Hammer was named as the Treasurer of the North Atlantic Conference's Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Hammer currently works as a functional life skills teacher at Norridgewock Elementary School. Wilkie is very happy to have Hammer join her staff. "As a player, Callie was always a high quality leader, a great teammate, and always strived to improve. I know these qualities will transfer effortlessly as a coach. She is also a very inclusive, passionate and great mentor for our team", Wilkie states. Hammer also was a member of the softball team at UMF.
Job Titles:
- Head Baseball Coach
- Head Baseball Coach / Assistant Sports Information Director
Through his twelve seasons at the helm of UMaine-Farmington baseball, the Beavers have shown steady improvement. In 2016, the Beavers won 23 games overall and 15 conference games both all-time school records. In 2015 the Beavers won 17 games, the second-most wins in program history. In 2014, the Beavers earned five All-NAC awards, which is the most conference awards all-time in one season. The 2013 campaign also produced the first North Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year in program history in rookie Ben Keene. Bessey was voted NAC Coach of the Year in 2014.
UMaine-Farmington baseball players under Bessey's tutelage have earned 20 All-NAC awards, including 12 First Team All-NAC selections. First baseman Josh Garneau, a First Team All-NAC honoree in 2011, was UMF baseball's first First Team selection since 2004 and paved the way for two more First Team award winners in 2012. In 2017, Sean Cabaniss won the NAC Man of the Year award. The award which honors graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service, and leadership. From 2015-2017, the baseball program also had three players receive the Senior Scholar-Athlete of the year for UMF Athletics. The award is voted on by head coaches of all sports and given to one player, Joe Sullivan, Sean Cabaniss, and Jordan Croteau were the award recipients. From 2019-2022, seven players received All-NAC honors, including six First Team selections and one Sportmanship Team selection.
Bessey returned to Farmington after 14 seasons as the head varsity baseball coach at Jay High School. He amassed 141 wins at Jay and the Tigers won the State Class C championship in 2002 and reached at least the regional semifinals in six seasons.
Additionally, Bessey guided the Jay girls basketball team for eight seasons, claiming a State Class C title in 2009. He previously led the Jay boys basketball team for three years (1999-2001). Following the consolidation of Jay and Livermore Falls high schools, Bessey was named head boys basketball coach of the new Spruce Mountain High School for 2011-12 season. He coached the boys team at Spruce Mountain for three season before coaching the girls for the following two seasons.
Bessey attended the University of Maine at Farmington from 1989 to 1993 and was a standout in both baseball and men's basketball. He was inducted into the UMF Athletics Hall of Fame in October of 2010 for his performance as a two-sport student-athlete. In baseball, he held the program's career record in triples and is second in stolen bases. In men's basketball, he is third on the career scoring list at 1,641 points and maintains the standard for career steals.
Bessey graduated from UMaine-Farmington with a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health in 1993.
Bessey resides in Minot.
Clarissa Thompson is the Faculty Athletic Representative for the University of Maine at Farmington.
A faculty member in the Secondary Education program, she also serves as UMF's Early College Campus Coordinator. Currently, she is the academic adviser for all of the first year students in Secondary Education, as well as some upper class students. Many of these students are scholar-athletes, competing in a wide variety of sports, and across all seasons. Prior to becoming a college professor, she taught high school English for ten years. Her courses span a few areas, all focused on preparing prospective teachers for their careers in schools and classrooms.
Dr. Thompson is also the parent of a Division III soccer player.
Job Titles:
- Administration
- Director of Athletics
Jamie Beaudoin was named the University of Maine at Farmington's Director of Athletics on June 11, 2022, after serving in that capacity on an interim basis during the 2021-22 academic year.
He previously served as UMaine-Farmington's head women's basketball coach from 1999 to 2021 and was named Associate Athletics Director in 2010. During his time guiding UMaine-Farmington women's hoops, Beaudoin guided the team to conference championships in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007. Beaudoin was the North Atlantic Conference and State of Maine Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2007.
Over his 22 seasons (1999-2000 to 2020-21) at the helm of UMaine-Farmington women's basketball, Beaudoin posted an overall record of 294-261.
Beaudoin also coached men's soccer for the Beavers from 2001 to 2007. UMaine-Farmington enjoyed back-to-back conference titles in 2001 and 2002 under Beaudoin's tutelage, and he was named the NAC Men's Soccer Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2006.
A graduate of Orono High School and the University of Maine at Farmington with a degree in elementary education in 1997, Beaudoin was a four-year starter for the men's basketball program under Head Coach Dick Meader. During his junior and senior years, he was the team's captain and was named an NAIA Scholar Athlete each year. At the conclusion of his senior year, he was awarded the Maine Athletic Conference/Fleet Bank Scholar Athlete and the Maine College Basketball and Writers' Association Scholar Athlete awards for his outstanding efforts in competition and in the classroom.
Beaudoin also played on the highly successful men's soccer team that had a 43-8-2 record during the three years he competed. During his junior and senior seasons, he was named to the National Soccer Association of America First Team All-American, was an NAIA Scholar Athlete, and received numerous awards on the regional and state level.
Upon graduation from UMF, Beaudoin taught seventh-grade math for three years at Jay Middle School where he also coached baseball. Before that, he coached girls' soccer and JV basketball at Mt. Blue High School in Farmington. Additionally, Beaudoin served as an assistant coach under Dick Meader for the UMF men's basketball program.
He also owns a master's degree in educational leadership from the University of Maine.
Beaudoin resides in Farmington with his wife, Emily.
Job Titles:
- Director of Athletics Communications & Athletics Eligibility Officer
Brooks, a graduate of Saint Joseph's College of Maine graduated as his class valedictorian having received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Sports Management. Following completion of his undergraduate program, he received an MBA in Finance from Southern New
Jim Bessey, veteran basketball coach and University of Maine at Farmington graduate brings over 40 years of experience to the sidelines, where he will assist Head Coach Sam Leal with game strategy and player development.
Job Titles:
- Head Free Ride / Snowboard Coach
Job Titles:
- Faculty Athletics Representative
Job Titles:
- Head Women 's Lacrosse Coach
Mary Sinclair joined the Beavers's staff as an Assistant Coach for the field hockey team at the beginning of the 2022 season under Interim Head Coach Hattie Huston. Sinclair played four seasons for the Beaver's from 2002-2005. Sinclair grew up as a nearby resident to Farmington, growing up in New Sharon, Maine and attending Mt. Blue High School. Sinclair works for Upward Bound, a company that is designed to help individuals prepare to make the college transition. Huston is ecstatic to have Sinclair on her staff stating, "Mary is an extremely dependable and hardworking coach who possesses a strong ability to motivate our team. She is heavily invested in the field hockey community in Maine, and specifically at Farmington. Mary is great, I am very happy to have her as part of our program."
Job Titles:
- Faculty Athletics Representative
Bean joins the UMF staff after coaching both the Alpine and Nordic teams at Mt. Abram High School for over 30 years, where he has always enjoyed a successful teaching career. Bean's teams have won numerous conference and state championships. He has been the president of the Maine Ski Coaches Association for over 30 years and served as the liaison to the MPA Ski Committee. He was involved in the formation of the New England Nordic Ski Association and served as head of the Junior Committee, which also led him to be a part of the Athlete Development Committee.
Job Titles:
- Athletic Trainer / HEA 200 Instructor
Job Titles:
- Assistant Athletic Director / SWA / Diversity & Inclusion / Head Women 's Soccer Coach
- UMaine - Farmington 's Head
Molly Wilkie is UMaine-Farmington's head women's soccer coach and assistant athletics director. Wilkie previously served as UMF's head women's lacrosse coach for eight seasons from 2009 to 2016.
On the pitch, Wilkie has led the Beavers for 14 seasons. Wilkie guided UMaine-Farmington to a NAC Tournament Championship and accompanying NCAA Tournament berth in 2018, and she was honored as the NAC Coach of the Year in 2010 and again in 2021. The Beavers have advanced to the NAC Tournament in each of her 14 seasons at the helm of UMF women's soccer.
Over her eight seasons as UMF's women's lacrosse coach, Wilkie guided her squad to ever-increasing levels of competitive success. The Beavers clinched a North Atlantic Conference playoff berth in each of her eight seasons as head coach, and under her tutelage UMF women's lacrosse players earned 19 All-NAC awards as well as the 2013 NAC Rookie of the Year in Ayla Allen.Wilkie is a former women's soccer player at UMaine-Farmington and a 2006 graduate. She spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Beavers in women's soccer before becoming head coach.
Formerly Molly Hagstrom, Wilkie played for the Beavers in 2004 and 2005. A starter in the backfield, Wilkie appeared in 40 games over two seasons with three goals and three assists. A leader on and off the field, Wilkie was captain of the 2005 team and named to the All-NAC Second and the NAC All-Tournament Team.
Wilkie transferred from the University of Southern Maine where she was an All-Little East Conference First Team and All-New England First Team choice in 2000 and All-LEC Second Team in 2001.
A native of Yarmouth, Maine, Wilkie resides in Farmington with her husband, Andrew, and two children, River and Peri.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Head Women 's Basketball Coach
Nate Carson took over as the Head Coach of the women's basketball team prior to the start of the 2022-23 season. Carson was named as the Interim Head Coach of the women's basketball team during the 2021-22 season.
Carson is a 2014 alumnus of Farmington having played four seasons for historic coaching legend, Meader. Carson finished his playing career having amassed 536 points, 353 rebounds, and 119 assists. Carson is also in the top ten in Beaver history in free throw percentage (.776) and three-point percentage (.365).
Following graduation, Carson was hired as an assistant coach in the men's basketball program under Meader. Carson had an extensive role in Meader's program that included on-court player and team development, recruitment, as well as assisting in administrative duties such as coordinating team travel and working with alumni outreach.
After Meader's retirement following the 2019-2020 season, Carson stayed with the men's program as an assistant to Sam Leal who succeeded Meader. Carson coached one season under Leal before being named as the Interim Women's Basketball Coach replacing long-time Head Coach Jamie Beaudoin.
Carson obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health while at Farmington. In addition to his assistant coaching duties for the men's program, Carson formerly worked at Western Maine Behavioral in Wilton as a crisis counselor and as a behavioral health professional at Mt. Blue High School in Farmington.
During his time at Mt. Blue, he met his wife, Adrienne, with whom he has a six-month-old daughter, Nina. Carson resides with his family in Wilton.
Job Titles:
- Athletic Trainer / Head Strength & Conditioning Coach
Job Titles:
- Administrative Specialist
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Coach
- Head Men & Women 's Cross Country Coach
Hollis enters his first season as the Head Coach of the Men's and Women's Cross Country teams in 2023. Hollis has been a part of the cross country and track & field teams in an Assistant Coach capacity since 2021. In his role as an assistant, Hollis has primarily worked with the distance and middle distance runners. Hollis played an integral role in helping lead the Men's Cross Country team to a 2nd place finish and the Women's Cross Country team to a 3rd place finish at the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Championship meet last fall. He has also helped lead a group of athletes to break numerous school records in indoor and outdoor track events.
Hollis graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington in 2019 with a degree in Community Health Education. As an athlete at Farmington, Hollis is one of the most accomplished runners in program history. In cross country, Hollis was named the 2015 North Atlantic Conference Runner of the Year after placing 1st overall at the NAC Championship. He also received First Team All-Conference honors for three consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2017. On the track, Hollis broke multiple program records including the 1,500 meter, 5,000 meter, and 10,000 meter. Hollis currently maintains his 1,500 meter and 10,000 meter record, while he now sits 2nd all-time in the 5,000 meter after Covy Dufort broke his record in the spring of 2023.
Job Titles:
- Head Athletic Trainer / Athletic Health Care Administrator
Thompson joined the University of Maine at Farmington sports medicine team after completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. At UMPI, he served as an athletic training assistant for the men's soccer team, men's and women's basketball, club hockey, and women's softball.
Thompson interned at Colby College with the men's lacrosse and ice hockey teams where he managed acute injuries and ran conditioning practices. He worked with developing rehabilitation/exercise programs and applying therapeutic modalities.
As a volunteer, Thompson served at the 2014 Youth/Junior World Biathlon Championship in Caribou, Maine, with the Aroostook Medical Center staff. In 2014, he worked with the First Aid/Anti-Doping team at the IBU World Youth/Junior Biathlon in Presque Isle.
In the dugout, Thompson has assumed the roles of American Legion baseball coach and assistant baseball coach at UMPI and Schenck High School.
As a student-athlete, Thompson was a pitcher on the Owls baseball team. In his final three seasons, Thompson made 28 pitching appearances with 54 innings pitched. He also racked up 30 strikeouts, including 16 as a senior.
Originally from Millinocket, Maine, Thompson graduated from Schenck High School in 2010 and was a three-sport athlete in soccer, basketball, and baseball.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head Men 's Basketball Coach
Sam Leal returned to the UMaine-Farmington men's basketball program in April 2020, ready to build on the strong foundation and tradition of Beaver Basketball. The 2022-23 season will mark his second season at the helm of UMaine-Farmington men's baskerball. In his first two seasons as a coach, Leal has led the Beavers to a 16-8 record.
Prior to accepting the head coaching position at UMaine-Farmington, Leal was a full-time assistant and lead recruiter during the 2019-20 season for Bates College, where he was involved in every aspect of the program. Beyond recruiting and strategic X's and O's, he played a key role in player development, was responsible for operationalizing the team's social media presence, was integral in leading successful fund-raising events, and assisted with scheduling and other logistics for the program.
"Sam did a tremendous job for us at Bates. His passion for the game and commitment to the development of our student-athletes, not just as basketball players but as young men, was an integral part of our success this year. Sam has great energy and positively influences all people he works with. While he will be greatly missed, I couldn't be happier for him to start his own program. He'll be a great addition to the UMF athletics department," said Jon Furbush, head men's basketball coach at Bates.
Prior to Bates, Leal served as a graduate assistant men's basketball coach at Springfield College while earning his master's degree in sport and exercise psychology. In Leal's first year, Springfield went 12-2 in conference play, setting a NEWMAC record before advancing to the NCAA DIII Men's Basketball Championship national semifinals. Leal took the lead in developing the mindset for a winning culture with the team and staff, which served the team well as they advanced deeper in tournament play. In 2019, he was tabbed to help organize the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division III All-Star Game in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
"I am elated for Coach Leal, and congratulate UMF for hiring him. Sam has a great pedigree, is excellent working with young people, and is adept at recruiting talented players and good people. He is, most of all, a student of the game, and an outstanding teacher. Sam will be a great young head coach and an asset to the coaching profession," said storied coach Charlie Brock of Springfield College.
Leal began his coaching career at the University of Southern Maine in 2014-15, and taught math at Greely High School (Cumberland Center, Maine) for two years.
Leal graduated from UMaine-Farmington in 2014 with a degree in secondary education, specializing in mathematics. He played four years for the Beavers, contributing on and off the court. A stellar student, he earned North Athletic Conference (NAC) Scholar-Athlete recognition multiple times, made the Dean's List and graduated cum laude. He was recognized by his peers with the school's Beaver Pride Award in 2014 as a senior, and was named to the 2014 NABC Honors Court.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Title IX Coordinator ( Students )
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Coach
- Head Men & Women 's Track & Field Coach
Sean Cabaniss '17 returned to the University of Maine at Farmington as the head coach for the men's and women's cross country and track & field programs prior to the 2020-21 season. He has a rich history at UMaine-Farmington, having founded the track and field program as a student in 2012.
"There's no better feeling than to coach the program that was such an integral part of your life in college", said Cabaniss.
After graduating from UMaine-Farmington, Cabaniss was a graduate assistant coach at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he received his Master's degree in Exercise and Sport studies. At Smith, he coached sprints, hurdles, jumps, and multi-events, while guiding athletes to two school records, four New England Championship appearances, and 17 personal bests.
After Smith, Cabaniss joined the staff at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, as an assistant coach for jumps and multi-event athletes. In his only season at Tufts, Cabaniss helped two athletes garner three All-America honors in the long jump, triple jump, and high jump. Additionally, he guided 15 athletes to the New England Championship, resulting in the New England Champion in the women's long jump and a third-place finish by the women's team.
During his time at UMaine-Farmington as a student-athlete, Cabaniss studied secondary education-mathematics, applied mathematics, and coaching. He broke several track and field records and still holds program records in the long jump and triple jump. Additionally, he was a four-year standout with the UMaine-Farmington baseball team, twice setting the team's single-season hits record and finishing his career second among the program's all-time hits leaders. Cabaniss was the recipient of a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, the 2017 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Senior Scholar-Athlete award in men's outdoor track & field, and the 2017 NAC Man of the Year award.
Formerly a competitive Division III discus, shot put and hammer thrower, Will Barron is entering his first year as the throws coach for the UMaine-Farmington men's and women's track and field team in 2021-22.
Barron previously coached the throws at Colby College with great success, sending multiple athletes to the NCAA national championships in the javelin, weight throw, shot put and hammer. He brings over 25 years of experience as a competitive thrower to the coaching staff at UMF.
After graduating from Colby College in 2001, Barron began throwing professionally in the Highland Games "Heavy Events", a sport that combines shot putting, weight throwing, and hammer throwing with some unique strength events like the caber toss. Over the course of his 20 years in the professional class, he was repeatedly ranked nationally as high as fifth and has competed throughout Scotland, Canada and the U.S. In 2009, Barron and a teammate won the World Team Heavy Events Championships in Nova Scotia, Canada. In 2010, he placed fifth at the Highland Games World Hammer Throw Championships in Lincoln, N.H. He is now currently ranked in the world top 10 in the Highland Games Masters Division.