SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine—Six student-athletes of the Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) class of 2018-19 have found new homes in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III athletics. Meranda Martin (Richmond, Maine), Jacobee Burpee (Manchester, N.H.), Yaya Dunn (Kittery, Maine), Abigail Ramirez (Portland, Maine), and Lauryn Fagan (Standish, Maine) will all continue their playing careers and pursue bachelor degrees at the next level beginning this fall.
Meranda Martin, Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Meranda Martin, a pitcher/utility player from Richmond, Maine, played two seasons under Coach Ray Magnant as a member of the Lady SeaWolves Softball program. She finished her career as a .503 hitter totaling 95 hits spanning 189 at-bats. The lead-off hitter ranks second all-time in program history in runs scored (95) and first all-time in stolen bases with 77. From the pitching circle, Martin logged a career 4.10 ERA over 73.1 innings pitched. Martin, a two-time Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) All-Conference and United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) All-American selection, captained the SeaWolves in her final season and was tabbed both YSCC Pitcher and Player of the Year. She has transferred to Saint Joseph’s College of Maine to join a Monks’ program that finished 20-19 a season ago.
“We are very excited to add a player of Meranda’s caliber to our roster. She is the type of player that will make an immediate impact on our team for many reasons. She is a young lady of high character and passion for the game of softball. We are looking forward to seeing her continue to grow both as an individual and a softball player.”
—Jamie Smyth, Head Softball Coach, Saint Joseph’s College
Jacobee Burpee, Nichols College
Jacobee Burpee, a 5-foot 10-inch guard from Manchester, N.H., served as a steady force to the Men’s Basketball program for two seasons under Head Coach Matt Richards. Burpee started all 58 games at the point guard position from 2017-2019 and tallied 248 career points and 265 assists—ranking him seventh all-time in this category. Burpee led the USCAA in three-point percentage (48.3) in 2018 and made a YSCC Finals and USCAA National Tournament appearance in 2019. Burpee will be joining a Bison squad that had a banner year in 2018-19 winning the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) and making it all the way to the Elite 8 round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament.
“We are excited to welcome Jacobee to Nichols College and our basketball program. His experience and leadership will be highly valued in our program the next two seasons. We’re excited for what he can add to our group!”
—Brandon Linton, Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Nichols College
Yaya Dunn, University of Southern Maine
Yaya Dunn played an integral role as a wing midfielder for the SeaWolves Women’s Soccer program in 2018. Dunn logged a goal and assist in her rookie season and helped the SeaWolves to a 12-4 overall record. She started all 16 games under Head Coach Ethan Wells and made a YSCC Finals and USCAA National Tournament appearance in the same season. Dunn has transferred to the University of Southern Maine to study Organizational Leadership and to aid a Lady Huskie program that posted a 14-5-1 mark in 2018.
“We are very excited to have Yaya join our program at USM this coming fall. Yaya is a perfect fit for our team not only because of who she is as a player but also because of the outstanding person she is. Yaya will add a dynamic element to our attack and we feel she is a player that can put pressure on the opponent’s backline. Again, we are excited to have her joining us in the fall!”
—Seth Benjamin, Head Women’s Soccer Coach, University of Southern Maine
Abigail Ramirez, University of Southern Maine
Abigail Ramirez played a two-year stint as a member of the Women’s Basketball program, accomplishing many accolades along the way. Ramirez ranks first all-time in program history with 174 steals, and second all-time in assists with 274. The crafty point guard led her team to a YSCC Finals and USCAA National Tournament appearance in 2019; she was also named a two-time YSCC First Team All-Conference and two-time USCAA All-American selection for a combined 42-15 overall record as a SeaWolf.
Lauryn Fagan, University of Southern Maine
Lauryn Fagan helped provide a prowess on both ends of the floor from the high-post position for Coach Katie Bergeron and the Women’s Basketball program the previous two seasons. Fagan netted 219 points and collected 212 rebounds in her career as a SeaWolf. The five-foot, eleven inch forward from Standish, Maine was tabbed a USCAA Academic All-American in 2019.
Ramirez and Fagan have transferred to the University of Southern Maine and intend to walk on a women’s basketball program that finished 16-11 overall and 11-5 in the Little East Conference a season ago.
“We have many players trying out for our team who come from established programs, including Abi and Lauryn. Their experiences at SMCC put them in a great place to challenge for a spot on the roster. We will look to both of them to use their strong work ethic and competitiveness that they’ve learned as SeaWolves throughout preseason.”
—Samantha Allen, Head Women’s Basketball Coach, University of Southern Maine
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