2000 - 2005
The Curry College football roster boasts eight members of the BA alumni ranks, two at the coaching level, and five current players. Skip Bandini '77 is the head coach of Curry Colonels, and is aided by offensive line coach, Nick Markos '00. Wolverines on the field include Ryan Van DeGiesen '05, Jason Ryan '07, Jamal Woods '06, Dave Bonaparte '08, and Carl D'Haiti '04. Absent from photo is Matthew Duggan '08.
Griff Jaggard '00 caught up with football coach Rick Marcella at a BA area gathering in Texas this winter. Griff and his wife, Jessica, are doing well. In addition to his day job, Griff stays busy with his involvement in fundraising to fight multiple sclerosis. Griff, along with the help of his brother, started a bike team for the MS 150 bike ride from Houston to Austin to raise money for this cause. For more information on the Griff's bike team, visit http://www.MS150CarneyMen.org
Steve Kobzik '00 recently wrote to check in with coach Rick Marcella. Steve is married to his high school sweetheart, Kristen Kobzik, and the two live in Massachusetts. He works at a small software firm, and is also involved as a leader in his church working with a group of young high school guys. "We play basketball, go on trips, mentor, etc. It's a blast working with young men, as you know." After Bridgton, Steve graduated from UNH, and then entered Americorps.
Bridgton Academy is saddened to report the passing of Matthew H. Kier '00.
Bridgton Academy is excited to announce the appointment of Jonathan Lounsbury '01 as the new Head Hockey Coach. To read a press release about Jonathan, click here. Lounsbury returns to Bridgton following a decorated playing career in the NCAA and as a professional hockey player.
Pat Pingicer '01 was recently married in East Greenwich, Rhode Island to the former Karla Tumidajski. The couple honeymooned in Hawaii. The Pingicer's live in Massachusetts, and Pat works in accounting out of Boston.
Patrick Taylor '01 and Pete Gately caught up at the annual Down East Ski Club sale over Thanksgiving break. Patrick is doing well, living in Massachusetts and working for an electrical contractor.
Collin Knowles '02 is working in Boulder, Colorado, for a private investment firm with offices in Boulder, Manhattan and Florida. "The stock market hasn't been very welcoming lately, but I'm toughing it out," Collin writes. He is loving life in Colorado got in more than 50 days of skiing last year at notable locations including Vail and Beaver Creek. He still plays lacrosse, "however it now consists of more beer drinking than actual playing at times!"
Daniel Wolff '02 recently wrote to Dave Lepage. Dan is teaching special education and coaching football and wrestling in Bethesda, Maryland. "I think I found my niche is in coaching and teaching," Wolff writes. Dan continues to refer young men to Bridgton. "When everyone asks me how it was, I tell them Bridgton was the best decision of my life."
Former Wolverine football player Nafie Pollard '02 made his cable television debut on a lively episode of this seasons "Pros vs. Joes All Stars" on SpikeTV. Nafie, along with two other athletes, took on NFL greats Simeon Rice, Tim Brown, and Steve McNair. A personal trainer from New York City, Nafie starts off the show with a bang when he goes up against Simeon Rice.
To view Nafie's episode on "Pros vs. Joes", click here.
Michael "Evan" Starkman '03 is now appearing on the Real World Road Rules Challenge: Duel 2 which is airing on MTV. This is his fourth Challenge appearance, and the show is taking place in New Zealand. The winning players will split a $300,000 dollar prize! Good luck Mike!
Eric Rehfield '03 reports that he is doing well and still living in Boston. He recently checked in with Head basketball coach, Whit Lesure. "I actually went to the Northeastern/Hofsra game to see Cork (Corky McMullen '03) – good to always catch up with BA buddies."
Ryan Sousa '03 is working in the hospitality industry in Newport, Rhode Island. A special thanks to Ryan for referring a young man to Bridgton Academy, always a great help for our Admissions effort!
AJ Johnson '03, former NBA center, has been picked up by the professional German basketball club, Brose Baskets.
Steven Brooks '03, a member of the MLL's Chicago Machine, played in the East vs. West All Star game. Steven and his Western Conference All Star teammates pulled off a win against the Eastern All Stars. During his rookie season with Chicago, Steven scored twenty-three goals.
Ashley Lewis '03 has been working in the finance industry for the past five years. On June 1st, he and his girlfriend, Aimee, leave for Asia with plans to travel around the world for the next year. In his free-time, Ashely has also been playing soccer with the St. Ouens Football Club.
Kurt Dosch '04 spoke with Chris Webb and reports that he is doing well and still living in South Hampton, NY. Kurt is about one year away from finishing his degree, but is currently taking a break from school to work as a commercial fisherman.
Asen Marchev '04 was offered a wonderful opportunity to work for the President of Northwood University as his personal assistant. Asen keeps a busy schedule between this job and his graduate studies.
Benjamin Slagle '04 is a senior English major and soccer player at the University of Southern Maine. He was recently named a USM Husky Hero this past fall. After graduation, he hopes to pursue a career as a sports writer or teacher.
Ben Thomas '04 recently passed his nursing certification exam. An Elmira graduate and one of three brothers to attend BA, Ben spent some time studying for his exam in the Bridgton Academy library!
Andrew Staub '04 recently finished an internship with Randy Leach, the Commonwealth's Attorney for Roanoke County, and as of this summer, was awaiting official confirmation on an internship with the office of Senator Jim Webb of Virginia. Andrew is currently attending law school.
Luke McPartlin '04 was featured on the front page of the Bangor News in an article titled "Fighting pirates without swords." Luke is a third-year cadet at Maine Maritime Academy. Part of MMA training is to learn about protecting his ship from pirates and other potential dangers.
Tim Jones '04 played four years of basketball and two of football at Curry College. He is currently playing basketball in Europe.
While on a recruiting trip in Florida, football coach Rick Marcella was meeting with fellow coaches at a pub in Boca Raton called the Dubliner. While there, he bumped into alumnus Matt Schena '04. Matt is doing well living in Florida. "I hope football is still going well…what a small world it is to run into a teacher from Bridgton at a bar in Florida!"
Matt Berry '04 attended the New England Rugby Football Union Tournament in North Conway this spring where he ran in Coach Matt Burgess '88. Matt is back living in Massachusetts.
Robert Vaden '04 was chosen as the 54th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft! Robert was the fastest player to ever reach 1,000 points scoring at the University of Alabama, accomplishing this feat in just fifty games. Vaden was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats, and was then traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Stay tuned for news about Robert and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Pat Casten '05 is planning to attend Law school this fall. In February, he was invited to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference, sharing the stage with Rush Limbaugh, Mitt Romney, and Ron Paul. The event was live on C-SPAN, and Pat had the opportunity to speak in front of several thousand people in attendance. "It was quite the experience!" Pat was also named as the National Conservative Student Activist of the year for 2008-2009 by Young America's foundation, and was honored at a ceremony in California this past April.
Alumnus Andrew Elsmore '05 of Scituate, MA, recently played for the elite USA Athletes International lacrosse team in the London Tournament Championship. Posting a 8-0 record at Eton College, in Windsor, USA Athletes International were able to grab the tournament crown over Team Gatorade in the championship game to remain undefeated. Team Gatorade was composed of post graduate players from Syracuse University, Ohio State, Hobart College, and Gettysburg. Prior to attending Bridgton, Andrew was a three sport athlete at Scituate High School and excelled in both hockey and lacrosse at BA. He is currently studying for his degree in landscape and environmental architecture at SUNY Morrisville, NY.
Norris Golberg '05 graduated with honors from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in kinesiology. Currently he is doing strength and conditioning internship at the US Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid.
Josh Jennings '05 was recently featured in a Boston Globe article titled "Challenges have made UMass's Jennings Stronger." Josh, who plays as a linebacker on the UMass football team, earned first team all conference honors this season, along with being named the CAA co-defensive player of the week on three separate occasions. After leaving BA, Josh spent a year at Dean College, before making his way to UMass in the fall of 2006. Though his play on the football field has earned him rave reviews, this year has not been without hardship for Jenning's. His father passed away suddenly several months ago, and his stepmother had died earlier in the year. "I'm really proud of him," stated Coach Don Brown. "Nobody should go through what he's gone through, but he's come out the other side…He's one of those guys you'll always feel good about because he's made something of himself."
Eddy Livingstone, a new Class of 2005 Class Representative, is busy between work and preperations for his wedding. Ed works with elementary school students during the day. He and his fiance will be married this July.
Kevin Peters '05, a former walk-on to the University of New Hampshire Wildcat football team, was offered a scholarship during training camp. Now a junior, Kevin was one of leading tacklers on the Wildcat's this season, and receives high praise from his coaches. "He's extremely solid," stated coach Sean McDonnell. "I don't know how I can say it any better."
Tom Daley '05, co-captain and defensive back for Colby College's football team, demonstrates that he is more than "just a football player." Considered a leader by many in the Colby College community, Tom is a mentor for the Colby Cares About Kids program, a youth basketball coach in Oakland, Maine, and a baseball coach for the Oakland Rangers. This year, he also organized the Colby College football team's participation in the Relay for Life Walkathon, raising over $1,000. Tom was one of 71 players nominated nation-wide for the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team, a nomination that was a point of pride for Colby head football coach Ed Mestieri '71. "Tom is a young man who gives a lot of himself," said Mestieri. "I'm really fired up that he is a finalist."Tom just finished a month long internship at Bridgton Academy where he had a glimpse of the professional world of education in the classroom, athletic fields, and beyond. Tom's plans after graduation are still uncertain, but a stint with professional football in Europe, or teaching and coaching are all possible. Daley plans to graduate next spring with a degree in Sociology.
Jack Reed '05, a walk on to the Kansas State University's Division I football team, has earned a full scholarship. After two years of hard work at linebacker and special teams, he was offered the scholarship this August. "Reed is the ultimate success story," a recent Gloucester Times article stated. "He cherishes his opportunities to play in some of the largest and loudest stadiums in the country against Heisman Trophy hopefuls and future NFL draft picks."
Three BA representatives Bob Katz (school counselor); Milagros Katz (head librarian); and Linda Kautz (retired librarian) traveled to Boston College this winter for a special basketball game against Virginia Tech. The Hokies team features Cheick Diakite '05. Cheick has played four years with the Hokies, and impressed them with his dedication and work ethic, just as he impressed everyone at BA. A special thank you to fellow alumni who also came to watch the Hokies game in Boston: Tyler Bullock '05; Ben Summerhayes '05; and Tripp Baker '05.
David Carroll '05 was selected as the captain for the Southern New Hampshire University Ice Hockey team. Dave is a senior at SNHU where he is studying business. He has been a starter all four years for the PenMen. Last season, Dave played in all 26 contests, and recorded eight assists on the season.
Jesse Mattson '05 is a published author. His first novel, Into the Den, was released in the fall of 2008. Bridgton Academy caught up with Jesse to talk about his book, click here for the interview.
Roland Millian '05 caught up briefly with Joe Daley '77 this winter at Bridgewater State College. Roland is having a great season with the Bridgewater State basketball team, and so far this season has been named the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week on three separate occasions.
Congratulations to Courtney Greene '05, drafted in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks! Greene, who attended Rutgers University, was signed as a strong safety. This summer he will participate in the Seahawks training camp.
