It doesn't take someone long to figure out that Maine head coach Cindy Blodgett has a passion for the University. Whether speaking with local organizations, the media, prospective recruits, or friends of the program, she is quick to point out the storied success of the program and how it will be a part of even bigger and better things in the future.
Blodgett's burning desire to continue the proud tradition of the program is the same one she had while as a player at Maine. The accolades that she accumulated while at Maine as a player speak for themselves ... two (2) America East Player-of-the-Year awards; four (4) WBCA District I All-America honors; three (3) time ECAC Division I All-Star; four (4) NCAA Tournament appearances; four (4) America East Tournament MVP awards; four (4) time America East First-Team selection; 3,005 career points.
For all the impressive individual accomplishments, Blodgett is most proud of her team's accomplishments, including the four-straight America East Tournament titles which enabled the team to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Blodgett believes those championships aren't a thing of the past, but are just the start of great things to come in Orono.
"The University of Maine provides a solid education, unlimited opportunities, and quality people to assist you to become successful," Blodgett says of her alma mater. "The Maine women's basketball program is known statewide for its pride, tradition, and fan support. All of these things add up for an outstanding college experience."
Building A Foundation
Upon returning to Maine, Blodgett quickly instilled a rigorous workout plan that she used as a player in becoming one of the finest competitors in conference history. The team bought into the system and played hard in every game during her first season.
A young Black Bear squad (which returned only 19 percent of its scoring and 28 percent of its minutes from the previous season) turned in several strong performances on the season, including a win over ACC-foe Miami in the opening round of the Hurricane Holiday Classic in Coral Gables, Fla. The Black Bears' 54-53 win over the Hurricanes marked the just the fifth win in program history over an ACC opponent.
The Black Bears proved to be a solid team at home in conference play as they posted a 4-4 record, including an 82-77 win over Boston University on Jan. 23. The win came against the same BU team which would advance all the way to the America East Tournament title game in March.
Maine was also recognized at the league's annual year-end banquet, as freshman guard Tanna Ross was named to the America East All-Rookie Team. Ross became the 10th player in program history to be named to the squad and the first since Abby Schrader in 2003.
Off the court, the Black Bears were active in the community while also turning in several outstanding achievements in the classroom. The team took part in several events including Race for the Cure, Run for Hope, and spending time with several local Special Olympics teams. Maine had 11 players named to the America East Academic Honor Roll in the spring, and as a team, ranked 16th nationally in the WBCA poll for highest overall team grade point average at 3.345. Maine was the only school in America East to be ranked in the national top-25 poll, and finished ahead of a pair of Ivy League schools.
Another young Black Bear squad took the floor in 2008-09, and provided glimpses late in the season which showed their potential for years to come. It was most evident with a 2-1 stretch during a three-game homestand in late February. The Black Bears played solid all-around basketball in knocking off New Hampshire and Albany to pick up their first conference wins of the season.
The 2009-10 iteration of the Black Bears recorded a number of firsts enroute to the winningest season under Blodgett. UMaine received its first All-Conference honor since the 2006-07 season, first back-to-back non-home wins since 2006-07 and largest comeback since 2002-03. Maine had multiple players honored at the America East Awards Banquet for the first time since 2006-07. Samantha Wheeler earned third team All-America East honors after leading the team in points and rebounds, while Kristin Baker was named to the All-Academic team. The Black Bears took on a tough schedule and played seven teams who advanced to the postseason while the non-conference schedule featured four teams who won 20 games or more. UMaine also picked up a win over Southland conference co-champions and WNIT participant Stephen F. Austin in the non-conference portion of the season.
Welcome Back Coach
Blodgett returned to her alma mater on May 23, 2007, when she was introduced as the 10th It doesn't take someone long to figure out that Maine head coach Cindy Blodgett has a passion for the University. Whether speaking with local organizations, the media, prospective recruits, or friends of the program, she is quick to point out the storied success of the program and how it will be a part of even bigger and better things in the future.
Blodgett's burning desire to continue the proud tradition of the program is the same one she had while as a player at Maine. The accolades that she accumulated while at Maine as a player speak for themselves ... two (2) America East Player-of-the-Year awards; four (4) WBCA District I All-America honors; three (3) time ECAC Division I All-Star; four (4) NCAA Tournament appearances; four (4) America East Tournament MVP awards; four (4) time America East First-Team selection; 3,005 career points.
For all the impressive individual accomplishments, Blodgett is most proud of her team's accomplishments, including the four-straight America East Tournament titles which enabled the team to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Blodgett believes those championships aren't a thing of the past, but are just the start of great things to come in Orono.
"The University of Maine provides a solid education, unlimited opportunities, and quality people to assist you to become successful," Blodgett says of her alma mater. "The Maine women's basketball program is known statewide for its pride, tradition, and fan support. All of these things add up for an outstanding college experience."
In addition, Coach Blodgett has been involved in many community service projects and speaking engagements. She has been the Honorary Chair for the 2008 and 2009 Alzheimer's walks. She has also spoke at numerous Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs and University of Maine functions.
A Legendary Playing Career
A four-time All-American, Blodgett was just the second woman in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring for two-consecutive seasons, averaging over 27 points per game in her sophomore and junior seasons at Maine. She finished her career with the Black Bears with 3,005 points, breaking a total of 20 school records. Blodgett ranks sixth all-time in NCAA history in scoring. She led Maine to its first four appearances in the NCAA Tournament in the program's history. In both 1996 and 1998, she was the America East Player of the Year, while also being named a preseason candidate for the Naismith Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998.
In addition to her on-the-court accomplishments, Blodgett was also a standout in the classroom. She earned Academic All-America honors in 1998.
"I am thrilled with Cindy being named the head coach at Maine," said former Maine head coach and current Duke University head coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie. "I can't think of a better fit and can't think of a better person to lead the way. She is gifted, she has worked very hard and understands the commitment it will take to elevate the program. This is a wonderful hire and I commend Blake, Anne Pooler, and the search committee for their efforts. I am excited for Cindy in every possible way."
After a storied career at the University of Maine, Blodgett went on to play in the WNBA from 1998-2002. Drafted sixth overall in 1998, she played for the Cleveland Rockers for one season, before going on to play with the Sacramento Monarchs for three seasons. She has also played internationally in Korea, two years in France and for the National Women's Basketball League. For three years, Blodgett ran a summer skills basketball camp in Waterville, Maine.
A native of Clinton, Maine, Blodgett led Lawrence High School to four-straight Class A State Championships. She is Maine's all-time leading scorer in high school basketball with 2,596 career points. She was named Maine Gatorade Player of the Year in 1992, 1993 and 1994, and was Miss Basketball in Maine in 1994. Blodgett was also the Portland Press Herald Athlete of the Year in 1994, and the recipient of the Bangor Daily News Owen Osborne Award.
Blodgett earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Maine in 1998, graduating cum laude.
