State champion Arnaud Sioho and top hitter Ella Nickerson are this year's recipients.
Written by Michael Hoffer.
Published July 14, 2024 in the South Portland Sentry.
ARNAUD SIOHO, Junior – Track
Maine Gatorade boys’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year
Class A state champion, 110 hurdles
Class A state champion, 300 hurdles
Class A state champion, long jump
Class A state champion, triple jump
SMAA All-Conference, first-team high hurdles
SMAA All-Conference, first-team 300 hurdles
SMAA All-Conference, first-team long jump
SMAA All-Conference, first-team triple jump
Sioho ran faster and jumped farther than anyone else and helped South Portland finish atop Class A for the first time in over two decades.
And he’s not done yet.
Sioho, who hails form Burkina Faso in West Africa, finished seventh in the triple jump outdoors as a freshman, but has been on a steep upwards trajectory ever since.
As a sophomore, he finished second in the triple jump and seventh in the long jump indoors, then he placed fourth in the triple jump and eighth in the long jump at the outdoor state meet.
This school year would prove to be otherworldly.
First, Sioho set a new record in the Class A triple jump indoors with a top jump of 46 feet, 10.75 inches. He also placed second in the long jump and finished third in the 55 hurdles.
This spring, Sioho was simply magical from the get-go, winning events as diverse as the sprints, hurdles and jumps, and he was sensational in the postseason.
At the conference championship meet, Sioho won the 110 hurdles (14.6 seconds), 300 hurdles (38.94), long jump (23-7.75) and triple jump (47-6.75), helping the Red Riots roll to a first-place showing.
At states, were South Portland finished atop the heap for the first time in 22 seasons, by a mere half-point over Gorham, Sioho won the same four events, setting new Class A record in both the long jump (23-2.25) and triple jump (47-2), while leaving the field in his wake in the 110 hurdles (14.7), 300 hurdles (38.67).
“I was a little nervous coming into this meet and talked to my coach (Dave Kahill) about it,” Sioho said. “He said it was OK to be nervous, just to come out and embrace it. It was probably because I was seeded first in all four events that I was nervous and thinking something could go wrong.”
Sioho went on to win the triple jump (48-4.75) at New Englands, where he also tied for 10th in the 110 hurdles and place 31st in the long jump.
Considering how far he’s come in such a short time, you have to say the sky’s the limit for Sioho in his senior season and beyond.
Coach David Kahill’s comment: “Arnaud is an outstanding student-athlete with a consistently positive attitude. A SPHS chemistry teacher recently commented that in the classroom, ‘He brings a contagious enthusiasm that uplifts his peers and creates a more engaging and supportive learning environment.’ The same is true in track and field. He definitely leads by example with his attitude and approach to practices and competitions and he elevates the attitude and performances of everyone around him. He focuses on technique, studies videos of elite athletes and embraces individual and team challenges with determination and passion. Even though he was incredibly successful in his individual events, he cared more about the team’s success than his own. That attitude inspired his teammates, which obviously mattered down to the half-point as we won the state championship, 79.5-79. Arnaud also relishes in the successes of other Maine athletes, including his top competitors. He sincerely celebrates great performances by everyone and that is just part of his incredibly joyful personality that we are so lucky to have in South Portland.”
ELLA NICKERSON, Senior – Softball
SMAA all-star, first-team
SMAA All-Academic
Senior all-star
Captain
Nickerson has been something special from the moment she first put on a Red Riots uniform and not surprisingly, she produced a sensational senior season, earning this award for a third straight year, and there’s more to come for her at the next level.
Nickerson, who also played volleyball and jumped in indoor track in high school, started playing varsity softball as a freshman and really broke out as a sophomore, as she hit .410 and slugged .738, delivering 25 hits in 61 at-bats, including three doubles, seven triples and a home run. She drove in 18 runs and only struck out six times.
As a junior, Nickerson hit .579 with 33 hits (more than two per game), which included four doubles, two triples and a pair of home runs. She drove in 18 runs, scored 29 times and fielded flawlessly in leftfield.
This spring, the excellence continued, as Nickerson batted .542 with a .633 on-base percentage. She had 26 hits, including 11 doubles, four triples (including one off Cheverus’ transcendent freshman ace Addison DeRoche) and a home run. Nickerson drove in 21 runs and scored 20 times. She was also flawless at shortstop and didn’t just lead the team from her leadoff spot, but by her words and actions as well.
Highlights included three hits, including two doubles, three runs scored and six RBI in a victory over Noble, three hits, including a pair of doubles, and three runs scored in a win over Deering, two RBI in a victory over Marshwood, a double, home run and four RBI in a win over Thornton Academy, a single, triple and run scored in a narrow victory over Gorham, a double, triple and two runs batted in in a victory over Biddeford, a single, triple and run scored off Portland ace Sadie Armstrong in a one-run win, two hits and two runs scored in a loss to Massabesic, a single, double, run scored and RBI in a loss to Scarborough and three hits, two runs and two RBI in a win over Kennebunk.
The Red Riots then dropped a one-run decision to Portland in the quarterfinals, as Nickerson’s high school career came to a close.
Nickerson plans to play softball next year at St. Michael’s College in Vermont. She will leave a mighty void behind in South Portland.
Coach Drew DiMauro’s comment: “Ella’s success is attributed to her hard work and love of the South Portland community. She takes a lot of pride in her school colors and competes fiercely while wearing her school uniform. Ella has been critical to the success that our program has seen over the past couple of seasons. She gets on base over 60 percent of the time and knows what to do once she’s on. She’s a great leader, a great teammate and a great player. People like her are rare and it will be a challenge to fill her shoes. Ella’s willingness to play wherever it was needed for the team to be successful and her camaraderie with the younger members of the team made her such an important role model. It’s easy for a coach to say they will miss Ella’s ridiculous statistics, but as a person, she will be even tougher to replace.”