Track standout Arnaud Sioho is joined by hockey star Marina Bassett
Published Monday, March 24, 2025 by Michael Hoffer, The Forecaster
ARNAUD SIOHO, Senior – Indoor track
Class A state champion, long jump
Class A state champion, triple jump
SMAA all-star, first-team, senior hurdles
SMAA all-star, first-team, senior long jump
SMAA all-star, first-team, senior triple jump
Nothing could prevent Sioho from producing another epic season.
Not determined opponents.
Not injury.
While it didn’t come easily, Sioho ended up turning heads yet again as he continues to stake his claim as one of the elite track and field athletes we’ve seen in a long time.
Sioho, who originally hails from Burkina Faso in West Africa, was also named South Portland’s Spring Athlete of the Year last school year, in addition to the Gatorade Maine boys outdoor track Athlete of the Year.
Sioho first made his presence felt in indoor track as a sophomore, coming in second in the triple jump and seventh in the long jump at the Class A state meet. Last winter, he set a new record in winning the triple jump (46 feet, 10.75 inches) and he was second in the long jump and third in the 55 hurdles.
Sioho came into the 2025 campaign with high hopes, but he would have to overcome a hamstring injury, as well as the pressure of being the athlete to beat in every event.
Sioho started with a bang, breaking the league record in the senior 55 hurdles in the first meet with a time of 7.68 seconds. He hurt his hamstring at the University of Southern Maine’s New Year’s Invitational, then was limited the remainder of the regular season, but when he returned to action, he did so with a flourish, becoming the first Maine indoor track athlete to eclipse 50 feet (50 feet-1.75 inches) in the triple jump.
Even though Sioho wasn’t 100 percent, he won three events at Southwesterns, taking the 55 hurdles (7.67), long jump (23-3) and triple jump (48-8.5). Sioho then focused strictly on the jumps at the state meet and he made an indelible mark, winning and setting new state meet records in the long jump (22-11.25) and triple jump (48-6.25).
Sioho will graduate holding the all-time state mark in the triple jump and he’s second in the long jump (with a leap of 23-8.25, which left him second at the New England championship meet) and ninth in the 55 hurdles. Sioho is the league record-holder in all three events and boasts school records in the long jump, triple jump, 55 hurdles, 55 (6.61) and 200 (23.1).
Sioho will look to produce one final round of memories in outdoor track, then he’ll compete for the University of Rhode Island next year.
Arnaud Sioho, South Portland’s Winter Athlete of the Year, has simply rewritten the record books and elevated his team and his sport to the stratosphere. He’ll be the measuring stick for many seasons to come.
Coach David Kahill’s comment: “It’s hard to comprehend how incredible Arnaud’s indoor season was, especially considering he was rehabilitating a injury for most of it. A huge reason for his success was through his own preparation with summer and fall conditioning and he had tremendous focus. It really wasn’t until the New England championship in March when he seemed fully recovered from the injury, so it is a testament to his perseverance, focus, team camaraderie, passion for track and field and incredible athletic ability.”
MARINA BASSETT, Senior – Hockey
Schaffer Award winner
All-State
Captain
Bassett was an offensive force like no other and she helped her Portland/South Portland/Cape Elizabeth/Deering/Waynflete Beacons co-op team embark on a deep playoff run, giving opposing goalies nightmares in the process.
Bassett won this award as a freshman after debuting with 24 goals and 20 assists, which earned her mention on the All-State team. As a sophomore, Bassett scored 30 times and added 19 assists, making the All-State squad again. Last winter, Bassett erupted for 37 goals and 26 assists, earning All-State mention.
This season, Bassett was even more prolific, scoring 59 times, adding 17 assists and she eclipsed a couple of milestones in the process.
Bassett opened the season with four goals in a win over Falmouth/Scarborough. She then scored six times, including the 100th goal of her career, in a victory over St. Dom’s. Bassett scored three goals, including the winner, as the Beacons handed eventual champion Cheverus its only loss of the season. Bassett also had three goals, including the winner, in a victory over Gorham, scored four times in a win over Biddeford, had three goals in a loss to Yarmouth/Freeport, five more in a win over Greely, three goals in a narrow victory over Penobscot and four goals in a wild 10-9, come-from-behind overtime win over Penobscot.
In the playoffs, Bassett had a goal and a pair of assists in a quarterfinal round victory over Greely, produced a hat trick in a semifinal round win over Gorham, then tallied the only goal in a regional final round loss to Cheverus.
Bassett graduates with 228 career points, which Beacons coach Bob Mills believes could be a state record.
In recognition of her four years of sheer transcendence, Bassett was given the Becky Schaffer Award, as the state’s top senior player, following the season.
Bassett, who also played soccer at South Portland, will play college hockey next season at Rivièr in New Hampshire.
Marina Bassett, South Portland’s Winter Athlete of the Year, was more than just a scoring machine. She was a great teammate as well and it will be a long time before we see someone of her ability again.
Coach Bob Mills’ comment: “Marina was in a category by herself this season. Her immense natural talent, combined with a deep desire to continually improve her game, made her a force to be reckoned with. Marina’s strong skating and stickhandling abilities made it extremely difficult for other teams to contain her, even when other teams assigned multiple players to defend her. Her ability to place her shots where she wanted made her a scoring threat every time she touched the puck. Marina also made her teammates better with an uncanny ability to see plays developing and making well-timed passes to open line-mates to create scoring opportunities.”