Auburn, ME - When Winnie LaRochelle decided to make the commitment to attend CM, she wanted the ability to focus on her studies while being able to play college basketball. As a member of the women's basketball team she has been working towards being physically dominant offensivenely and defensively.
A 5'8" guard/forward, LaRochelle has the ability to make shots from behind the arc and will be more consistent as she gains more opportunities. She's capable of doing a little bit of everything on the court, whether it is getting the rebound or setting up a teammate for an assist. She's everywhere and with the high pressure defense that CM plays, you can count on her to collect steals as well. "For me on the court, I make sure that my focus and work ethic remains consistent. That's what I can control everyday I'm at practice or a game. I can keep that same mentality in the classroom. I have set goals for myself and I'm going to take the steps necessary in order to achieve those goals," added LaRochelle. As a student, she is studying criminal justice with the goal of earning a bachelor's degree in criminology. Her long-term objective is to work as a detective in forensic science. "I have adjusted very well both academically and athletically. I think that being on a sports team gives you a different type of responsibility which makes your performance on and off the court strong," explained LaRochelle. With her dedication on and off the court, there is no question that LaRochelle will find success in both areas.
A graduate of Rangeley Lakes Regional School, LaRochelle is no stranger to scoring. As a Lady Laker, she finished her career as a 1,000-point scorer and committed to CM after attending one of the most historic programs in the state of Maine."Winnie played high school basketball in one of the most traditional-rich programs in the history of our state. Not only that, she played for Heidi Deery, one of the best leaders and basketball coaches our state has ever seen. Because of this, we knew Winnie would be mentally ready to take on the responsibilities and sacrifices required to be a student-athlete in our women's basketball program. Winnie followed in the footsteps of other Rangeley Lady Lakers, Seve Deery-Deraps and Taylor Esty, who had fantastic careers at CM, and now begins to forge her own path. As Winnie continues to adjust to the physical aspects of college basketball her contributions on the court will continue to grow. Winnie is a crucial member of our program, and we all look forward to her development as a student-athlete," shared Andrew Morong, head women's basketball coach at CM.
The women's basketball team has an overall record of 15-1 with a conference record of 7-0. They opened up the semester with a loss to DIII opponent, NVU-Johnson Wednesday night, but were able to bounce back with a win at YSCC opponent Vermont Tech on Thursday. Their home opener is January 24th against conference foe Paul Smith's College followed by Great Bay CC. Be sure to look for LaRochelle to continue to find success on the court and in the classroom because this student-athlete is just getting warmed up.
