Auburn, ME – Central Maine Community College's Ella Lavigne, from women's basketball, and Jeremiah Gomez, from men's soccer, were named the school's 2025 Athletes of the Year at the CM Education Foundation's 18th Annual Awards Celebration on Wednesday night at Kirk Hall. The pair were among 16 award winners honored at the event, celebrating the outstanding achievements of students, employees, and community members.
Lavigne, a sophomore from Fort Collins, CO, was named the Female Athlete of the Year after an incredible season on the women's basketball team. The guard rewrote the Central Maine history books, setting program records for points in a single game (48) and a season (767), surpassing marks set by CMCC Athletics and New England Basketball Hall of Famer Lynn Girouard.
She helped lead the team to its eighth straight Yankee Small College Conference regular season and tournament championships, as well as reaching the USCAA National Championship semifinals. Lavigne was named both a WBCA All-American and a USCAA All-American for the second straight season and finished her Mustangs career with 1,274 points, placing her third on the program scoring list. She was also one of six players on this year's team to achieve Academic All-American status.
Gomez, a sophomore from Old Orchard Beach, ME, was named CMCC's Male Athlete of the Year after putting together a fantastic season of his own for the men's soccer team. The attacking midfielder won nearly every award possible in the fall 2024 season. He was named United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Co-Player of the Year after leading the country in assists (19) and finishing third in total points (39), sharing the honor with teammate Ivan Domingues.
The Thornton Academy graduate, who lived in Gambia before moving to the United States as a child, added 10 goals during the season to help lead the Mustangs to their fourth straight YSCC regular season and tournament titles, as well as the first USCAA National Championship in program history after an emphatic 7-0 win in the title game. There, Gomez was named the national tournament MVP and was selected to the all-tournament team. He was also chosen as a YSCC 1st-Team All-Conference selection and USCAA 1st-Team All-American.
Lavigne and Gomez are both planning on continuing their collegiate academic and athletic careers after completing their General Studies associate in arts degrees at CMCC.
