4 From Aroostook County & Team Into Maine Basketball Hall of Fame

Aroostook County continues to add to Maine Hoops History

With the high school basketball tournament set to begin in Bangor, the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 2022 class of entrants and Legends of the Game.

There were three individuals with Aroostook County ties named to the Class of 2022 with one team being inducted, and one Houlton native entering as a Legends of the Game. The inductees will all be honored at a ceremony held at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on August 28, 2022. 

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The First Team to Win Class D Girls State Championship 

Class D girls basketball held the inaugural season during the 1974-75 school year, and the team from East Grand took home the title beating Richmond 49-41.

This was the first state tournament for girls in Maine and it came three years after Title IX was enacted. The Vikings went on to win three more titles — in 1979, 1982 and 1983 — in the next eight years. - Maine Basketball Hall of Fame

2022 Individual Inductees 

Kim Condon Lane – Presque Isle High School, Colby College 

Kim Condon became a known name across the State of Maine during an eventful and magical run during the 1997 Class A girls basketball tournament. She led the Presque Isle Wildcats to a State Championship win, scoring a state final record of 41 points. Adding to the legend of Condon Lane's run in 97’, during the Eastern Maine tournament she was able to improve a sprained ankle by putting a cut Maine potato on the ankle overnight. When Kim Condon Lane is inducted to the Hall, she will be joining her father, Steve Condon.

Kim Condon Lane, a New England Basketball Hall of Fame and Presque Isle Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, was an Honorable Mention All-American at Colby College, where she scored 1,094 points. In 2001, the captain led the Mules to the ECAC Championship. At Presque Isle High School, Lane was an All-State player and 1,000-point scorer. In 1997, she was named Miss Basketball, U.S.A. Today State of Maine Player of the Year, and Maine Gatorade Player of the Year. - Maine Basketball Hall of Fame

Neile Joler Nelson – Fort Kent High School, St. Joseph's College 

A multiple sport athlete from Fort Kent, Neile Joler Nelson was named to the All-Tournament team and McDonald's All-Star team in 1991. Joler Nelson continued her success in softball and basketball at St. Joseph's College where she is also a Hall of Fame member. Neile has stayed involved in athletics, most recently as an assistant for the Gorham High School girls' basketball team.

Neile Joler Nelson earned Maine NCAA Woman of the Year honors at St. Joseph’s College and was a Scholar-Athlete All-American. She’s in the Monks Hall of Fame for softball and basketball. Her career hoop totals: 814 points, 313 assists, 279 rebounds, and 143 steals. She also was inducted with the 1991-92 women’s basketball team, which posted a 23-8 record and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament. - Maine Basketball Hall of Fame

Rick McAvoy – Sherman High School, Fort Kent State College 

Averaging a double/double as a senior in 1967, Rick McAvoy guided Sherman High School to a State Championship victory. McAvoy would go on to a successful college career at Fort Kent State College, which is now known as the University of Maine-Fort Kent.

McAvoy averaged more than 20 points and 15 rebounds a game as a senior. He was named All-Tourney and Honorable Mention All-State in ’67. At Fort Kent State College (now the University of Maine at Fort Kent), he was a four-time All-Maine selection. - Maine Basketball Hall of Fame

2022 Legends of the Game 

Dale Duff – Houlton High School, Ricker College 

Dale Duff has been a voice recognized across the state of Maine athletics for almost 50 years since his graduation from Houlton High School and Ricker College. Duff has won numerous awards for his work on radio and television, and has helped spread awareness of student-athletes across Maine.

McAvoy averaged more than 20 points and 15 rebounds a game as a senior. He was named All-Tourney and Honorable Mention All-State in ’67. At Fort Kent State College (now the University of Maine at Fort Kent), he was a four-time All-Maine selection. - Maine Basketball Hall of Fame

Congratulations to all of the inductees on being recognized for their contributions to the history of Maine Basketball.