Auburn, ME – Central Maine Community College held its 19th annual CM Education Foundation Awards Ceremony on Wednesday night, honoring Hunter Hartsgrove, from the Women's Basketball team, and Mitch Cameron, from the Men's Soccer team, as its 2026 Female and Male Athletes of the Year. The pair were among 20 different honorees at the banquet in Kirk Hall, celebrating the achievements of students, employees, and community members.
Hartsgrove was named Female Athlete of the Year after an outstanding season for the women's basketball team. The sophomore from Patten, ME bounced back from a season-ending injury last year to lead the Mustangs in points and minutes per game. Her play helped the Mustangs earn their ninth straight Yankee Small College Conference regular season and tournament titles, along with the fourth USCAA National Championship in program history.
She averaged 12.3 points per contest and made 69 three-pointers, including 15 in one game, breaking an 18-year-old program record. She was named both YSCC All-Conference and 2nd-Team All-American. The Psychology major was also an Academic All-American with a 3.8402 GPA. Hunter will be continuing her athletic and academic college career at NCAA DII Lake Superior State University on scholarship.
Cameron added Male Athlete of the Year honors to an impressive collection of individual accolades in 2025-26. The Northwich, England native was named USCAA National Player of the Year, YSCC Conference Player of the Year, national tournament MVP, 1st-Team All-American, and Academic All-American to boot, while captaining the men's soccer team to its second straight USCAA National Championship.
The sophomore midfielder scored 23 times this past fall, giving him a career total of 30 goals and 14 assists, for 74 points in just 38 games over his two seasons in Auburn. The Exercise Science major was also a standout in the classroom, boasting a 3.9929 GPA. Cameron will be continuing his athletic and academic college career at the College of Idaho, an NAIA school, on scholarship.
It's the second straight season for both teams having a representative as the CMCC Athletes of the Year. The pair were joined by four other student-athletes who received awards at the annual dinner. Carlos Fra-Nero ran Cross Country for the Mustangs in the fall. He shared the Community Spirit Award with Cassie Ririnu and Stella Laubenstein from the Women's Basketball team. Kelson Custodio, a captain on the Men's "B" Basketball team, was named the CMCC 2025-26 Student of the Year, recognizing his fantastic work in the classroom, on the court, and around campus.
