Tag: Aaron Calixte

Stoughton’s Calixte Making the Leap to Big 12

Aaron Calixte
Former Stoughton star Aaron Calixte has announced that he is transferring from Maine to the University of Oklahoma for his senior season. (UMaine Athletics)

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After four years of trips to Vermont, Albany, and Hartford, former Stoughton star Aaron Calixte will be taking his game to a whole new level next season. The redshirt junior guard has decided to transfer from the University of Maine and will play his last season of college eligibility at the University of Oklahoma and take on the powerhouse programs of the Big 12.

With the graduation of standout Trae Young and the transfer of his backup Jordan Shepherd, the Sooners had an opening at point guard and Calixte is confident that his game is ready so that he can step in and perform for a perennial NCAA Tournament contender.

“We played against a couple of high majors throughout my college career so it will be just an adjustment more than anything,” Calixte said in a phone call from Maine, where he is completing his senior year of classes. As a senior, Calixte is a graduate transfer, which means he won’t have to sit out a year and will join the Sooners for a preseason camp in June.

“I’m definitely excited,” he said. “I think one of the main things for me during this transfer process was me getting to a school that plays on a high level to showcase what I can do. I think that can help my career going forward, so I’m more than excited.”

Coming into this past winter, Calixte had considered the possibility of transferring to a larger program, but it wasn’t until after the Black Bears completed their season with a loss to Vermont in the America East Tournament and head coach Bob Walsh elected to opt out of his contract that he made the decision to move on.

He admitted that his coach’s decision to leave was an impetus for his own move and that if Coach Walsh had remained in charge, his transfer would have been a more difficult choice.

“If he had stayed, I would have had to have a conversation with him and my family to see if I was going to take that route,” Calixte explained. “With him not being here anymore, it just made the decision that much easier. I came in with that guy and it would’ve been weird if I was here and he wasn’t my coach.”

A positive relationship with the coaching staff was important to Calixte ending up in Orono and it has also played a part in his move to Norman. Just a couple days after the Sooners lost to URI in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Calixte said that OU coach Lon Kruger and his son, and assistant coach, Kevin were sitting in his living room talking about the opportunities in Oklahoma. That relationship grew over the next month, while Calixte weighed his options, and just two days after his official visit to Norman he declared his move on April 17.

The coaches played a role, but he also wanted to go someplace where he could take advantage of his senior year by being on the court. “I definitely didn’t want to go to a school where I was going to have to play spot minutes or anything like that,” he said. “This is my last year, so I definitely want to play a lot. That was definitely one of the main things that I considered going into the transfer process.”

When asked if the transfer process was any different than being recruited after high school, Calixte joked, “It was similar just because coaches were calling and telling you the same things trying to get you to come, but this time it was Tom Crean (Georgia), Coach Kruger, Fran McCaffery (Iowa), coaches like that calling me.”

As a junior at Stoughton, Calixte had built a strong case for himself as a potential DI college player but he lacked the national profile of his rival from King Philip, Jake Layman, who went on to play for Maryland and is now with the Portland Trailblazers. Calixte attended Lee Academy to build his recruiting profile and got his collegiate chance at Maine.

He started 28 games as a freshman with the Black Bears and 26 games as a sophomore, scoring 10.8 points per game, which was third best on the team. Five games into his junior season, one in which Calixte had high expectations for what he could achieve, a foot injury in November cost him the year.

“Me missing that whole year, I felt like I was forgotten about,” Calixte reflected. “Preseason polls came out and there was a bunch of guys that made preseason teams that I thought I was much better than. It was just another chip on my shoulder.

“Me missing out on a whole year and not being able to do what I wanted to last year, there was a sense of urgency coming into this year. I kind of started off a little slow but I got better throughout the season.”

Calixte started all 32 games as a redshirt junior and was named America East Third Team All-Conference, averaging team-highs in points (16.9), assists (3.2), minutes (33.2), three-point percentage (38.0), and free throw percentage (89.0). Unfortunately, his personal success didn’t translate to wins, as the Black Bears finished 6-26.

While the team struggled, Calixte grew as a player, improving his decision-making, leadership, and his all-around game as a point guard. He credits Coach Walsh for making him a better player and a better person.

“The reason I went to Maine was that he told me I would have to work for my spot every year,” Calixte said. “If I wasn’t on my game, doing what I had to do, he would tell me right away.

“From the basketball lessons he taught me, they weren’t just about basketball they were life lessons – being able to be accountable, being able to take criticism, being a good teammate. Him being the coach he is, it just helped me a ton not only with basketball situations but life situations as well.”

Walsh recently tweeted his support for Calixte’s move to Oklahoma and in an article for the OU Daily, Walsh said, “I think he can be an elite scorer, he’s proven that. But if that’s not what the team needs on a given night and he needs to be a great defender, he needs to make his teammates better and get them open shots on the ball or off the ball, he can do that. I expect him to have a significant impact on whatever areas Coach Kruger needs him to impact to win.”

Calixte went back to Stoughton the weekend before this interview, talking to friends and family and former teammates, and he was grateful for the support that he received from his hometown.

“It just kind of means more than just for me,” he remarked. “I’m doing a deed for the Town of Stoughton, my teammates here at Maine, you know, so it’s more than just an opportunity for me. I’m kind of a small town kid, I wasn’t nationally-known, so for me to have that chance to showcase myself against the best guys in the world is something I’m looking forward to. I want to play against the best and make a name for myself.”

It has been a whirlwind few years – from competing in the Hockomock League to the America East to now a chance to take on the likes of Kansas, Texas Tech, and other national powers and play on some of the biggest stages in college basketball.

Calixte reflected, “It’s been an extremely long ride from Stoughton to going to prep school for two years to being at Maine, especially the way things went at Maine with us not winning and me getting hurt…It’s been a roller coaster. It’s been a unique journey, but I’m happy with where I’m at.”

The roller coaster ride continues for Calixte in June when he joins up with the Sooners for the preseason and all of Stoughton, and the country, will be watching in November when he laces up for Oklahoma next winter.

The Campus Report: Winter Season Rolls On

Below is an update on former Hockomock League athletes currently competing in collegiate sports. If you would like to submit an update, please e-mail info@HockomockSports.com.
Mansfield graduate and Merrimack freshman Aidan Friend was named the Northeast-10 Conference Track Rookie of the Week. Friend finished second in the 60M with a time of 7.09, which was a personal best and ranks fourth on the school record board. That time is also the fourth-fastest recorded in the event in the NE-10 so far this season according to Merrimack.
Franklin graduate Sam Bohmiller has averaged 8.2 points a game over the last six contests for Babson, who is 5-1 in that stretch. In wins over Coast Guard and Wheaton, Bohmiller pulled down four rebounds and had three assists. In the Beavers’ win over WPI, Bohmiller netted 10 points, the second highest total of the season. Also in that WPI game, Bohmiller’s former teammate Chris Rodgers came off the bench to score 10 points for the Engineers, including a layup to make it a two point game with 19 seconds left. Rodgers has been solid option for WPI this season had just last week had a game-winner. With 0.4 seconds left and WPI trailing by one, Rodgers floated one for the go ahead bucket.
Merrimack freshman Maeve McGowan had a first place finish in the 100 backstroke in 1:04.82 against Bentley. The Mansfield alum was also first in the 200 backstroke by nearly 10 seconds, finishing in 2:21.95 and first in the 100 butterfly in 1:26.26.
Bridgewater State is an ever 3-3 over its last six games, the last being an overtime win over MCLA fueled by former Hock players. OA’s Ryan Carney came off the bench to score a team-high 13 points, Taunton’s Fawaz Mass finished with 12 points and three steals and Mansfield’s Rocky DeAndrade had eight points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals. In overtime, all but one point for BSU was scored by a Hockomock alum. Carney had seven of his points in the extra period, Mansfield’s Greg Romanko had a three, Mass and DeAndrade each hit a pair of free throws and Milford’s Michael Soares had a dunk.
Former Canton standout Quinn Merrigan is 14-3 for Gettysburg wrestling so far this season. A sophomore, Merrigan has won five straight matches and 13-1 since a 1-2 start to the season. A year removed from a 22-15 campaign as a freshman, Merrigan – who wrestles at 149 – has been a vital part of the Bullets’ 5-4 season this year.
Stoughton alum Aaron Calixte had his best scoring day of his collegiate career on Wednesday night. The sophomore scored a career-high 23 points to lead Maine to a 105-100 overtime win on the road at Hartford. Calixte scored the Black Bears’ first four points in the extra period to keep pace with the Hawks. He finished with five assists and four rebounds in the game. On the season, Calixte is fourth on the team with 9.4 points per game.
Boston University has a trio of former Hockomock swimmers making a splash for the Terriers. Freshman Michael Choate came in first in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:54.45 to get nine points for BU in a win over Bryant. Choate was second in the 1000 free and sixth in the 200 butterfly. Another KP alum also played a big role in the win as Stephanie Nasson was first in the 500 free by over six seconds and was second in the 200 free for four points. North Attleboro’s Sarah Hargrave was less than a second behind Nasson in the 200 free to finish third and she also was second in the 200 breaststroke, finishing just 0.15 seconds behind first place.
Former Mansfield 1,000 point scorer Ryan Boulter has reached double-digits in the scoring column over the past two games, including a career-high 18 points in Merrimack’s loss to Adelphi. Boulter played a personal high 34 points, hitting four three pointers and seven field goals in total. He also hauled in a career-high six rebounds in the game. Boulter, a freshman for the Warriors, had 11 points and three rebounds in a 105-81 win over American International earlier this week.
Mansfield’s Kevin Conner scored a season-high 17 points and shot 60% from the field as Mount Ida scored a big win over Anna Maria for the first time since 2012. Connor also had a season-high four assists and hit a pair of three pointers for the first time this year as the Mustangs picked up a 21 point win.
Northeastern had a massive win over UMass this past weekend. A pair of Hockomock alums both had important finishes for the Huskies in the win. King Philip’s Carly Schnabel had a trio of individual top five finishes, finishing 4th in the 50 free (24.19), 4th in the 200 free (1:53.57) and fifth in the 100 backstroke (59.49). Oliver Ames’ Jacquelyn Gover was 4th in the 3 meter diving with a score of 234.00 and sixth in the 1 meter diving with a score of 237.65.
Franklin’s Marcus Giese has worked his way into RPI’s starting lineup as a freshman. After coming off the bench for the first 13 games, Giese has started the last two games. He’s shot 50% from the field between the two games with 16 points and combined for 14 rebounds. RPI, which won both games after a four game skid, is now 9-7 overall.
Stoughton’s Chrystal Holland had one of her best games of the season earlier this week as AIC rolled to a big win over Merrimack. Holland came off the bench, shooting 60% for six points. The Yellow Jackets are an impressive 16-4 in Holland’s senior season.
Taunton grad Dylan Schrama has impressed in his first year for Clark University. In the Cougars’ most recent meet against WPI, Schrama was fourth overall and first for Clark in the 200 free. In the 100 free, he finished fifth in 52.36.
Stoughton’s Tahira Peralta cracked the starting lineup for the first this season late last week for Salem State. The senior has started the past two games, shooting nearly 50% for 17 points. She had a pair of rebounds in each game – both wins – as the Vikings snapped a three game skid.
Meg Ronaghan continues to dominate for UMass Dartmouth. The North Attleboro product, who scored her 1,000th career point earlier this season, was named the Little East Conference and the New England Women’s Basketball Association Player of the Week. She had a career-high 37 points – only two off the program record – and 20 rebounds in a win at Rhode Island College. She’s leading the Corsairs with 18. points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. Over the past four games, Franklin’s Alicia Kutil has averaged 10.3 games for UMass Dartmouth, who went 3-1 in that stretch.
Milford alum Natasha Gonzalez has started all but one game for Worcester State so far this season. Over the past five games, she’s averaged 7.2 points per game, including 11 points against Keene State. In her two starts this year, Gonzalez has combined for 13 rebounds and seven assists.
King Philip’s Olivia Sugrue had a pair of wins for Bridgewater State in its meet with Bentley. Sugrue won the 100 butterfly in 1:10.77 and won the 200 IM in 2:41.54. She also placed fourth in the 100 backstroke. KP’s Emily Garven had a pair of third place finishes for the Bears. In the 200 butterfly, the freshman earned the Bears three points with a time of 2:56.07 and in the 100 butterfly, she finished in a time of 1:15.97. Mansfield’s Abbie Grant won the 500 free in 6:00.21 to get nine points for BSU and was third in the 200 free.
 

The Campus Report: Catching Up With Basketball Alums

Below is an update on former Hockomock League athletes currently competing in collegiate sports. If you would like to submit an update, please e-mail info@HockomockSports.com.
Joe Farroba’s Bridgewater State team is full of former Hockomock players and for the first time this season, all five of them made up his starting lineup on Thursday night. Oliver Ames’ Ryan Carney, Taunton’s Fawaz Mass, Milford’s Michael Soares and Mansfield’s Greg Romanko and Rocky DeAndrade. The five combined for 72 of the team’s 83 points in a double overtime win over UMass Boston. It was Carney’s first collegiate start and he didn’t disappoint, scoring a career-high 23 points while Romanko also netted a career-high 18 points. For the season, Mass leads the Bears in scoring with 15.2 points (5.6 rebounds), DeAndrade is third with 8.9 points (3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists), Romanko has 8.8 points (3.3 rebounds), Carney 8.3 points and Soares 3.1 points (2.1 rebounds).
Canton’s Olivia Murphy has been a monster for UMass Boston so far during his senior season, leading the team with 20.1 points and 15.6 rebounds a game. She’s been a nuisance for opponents by averaging an impressive 8.4 offensive rebounds per game and is leading the team with 2.6 blocks a game.
Former HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Sam Bohmiller has played a big role for Babson in the first part of the season. Bohmiller has started in all 11 games, averaging 5.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and has connected on a team-high 17 three pointers. Babson is 7-4 so far this season.
Franklin’s Lexi Martin has missed the past two games but has been a vital piece for Merrimack so far in her freshman year. Through her 12 appearances, Martin has averaged 6.4 points per game, shooting nearly 50% from the floor. She’s added 2.3 rebounds a game as well. Back at the beginning of December, Martin poured in a career high 19 points in a 72-68 win up at St. Michael’s.
Taunton’s Angie Martinez continues to be the go-to scorer for Mount Ida in her junior season. Martinez is averaging a team-high 15.3 points per game while also pulling in over 13 rebounds a game (another team-high). Over the Mustangs’ past three games, Martinez has averaged 19 points, including dropping 23 points in a 59-57 win over Becker.
Out in Worcester, a trio of former Milford Scarlet Hawks are playing a big role for Clark. Juniors David Mercier and Joe Atkinson are both regulars in the lineup while former Milford coach Steve Manguso is in his third year as Associate Head Coach. Former North Attleboro standout Justin Perron is in his first year as an assistant coach. Mercier is averaging 9.3 points per game and 4.4 rebounds while Atkinson is scoring 7.4 points per game, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals.
At Framingham State, Joe McCabe is having a solid start to his senior season. A former Canton standout, McCabe is a captain and has appeared in all of the Rams games except for one. McCabe is coming off his best scoring performance since November, scoring 10 points against Salem State.
A trio of Hockomock alums – all from different schools – are the captains at Colby Sawyer this year. Mansfield’s Katie McCarthy, Oliver Ames’ Kristin Ellis and Sharon’s Jessica Shenkel are the captains are all in the top six in scoring on the team. Shenkel leads the 7-4 Chargers at 11.4 points per game, Ellis has averaged 5.5 points and a team-high 8.9 rebounds and McCarthy has 3.7 points a team-best 3.7 assists a game.
King Philip alum John Mullane is just one of two players to start all 10 games for Elmira College in New York. Mullane, a senior, is averaging 6.4 points per game, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He also leads the Eagles in free throw attempts (25) and offensive rebounds (16). Mullane had a season-best 13 rebounds in the team’s 62-59 win over Endicott at the end of December.
King Philip graduate Ellen Wagner has impressed early on in her sophomore year for Roanoke College. Wagner is fourth on the team in scoring with 7.7 points and four rebounds a game. She scored a career-high 17 points back in December, shooting over 72% of the floor to help the Maroons to a big win over Mary Baldwin College.
Former Stoughton 1,000 pointer scorer Aaron Calixte has appeared in all 14 games for Maine, a D1 team, this season. Calixte is averaging 8.1 points per game, shooting at nearly 50% from the floor. He is averaging 2.4 assists per game and 2.6 rebounds as the Bears are 4-10 so far this season.
Speaking of D1 programs, former KP star Jake Layman and Maryland is ranked third in the country. Layman has started in all 15 games and is averaging 11.1 points per game and 5.3 rebounds a game. He has 18 steals and 14 blocks on the season. Layman had one of his best games of the season when he dropped 18 points in the Terps 88-63 win over Rutgers.
Over at UMass Dartmouth, former HockomockSports.com Girls Basketball Player of the Year Meg Ronaghan scored her 1,000 career point in the fourth quarter in a win over Salem State. The North Attleboro grad scored 21 points in the game to reach the milestone. Check back on Sunday for our feature story on Ronaghan.
Also at Umass Dartmouth, Franklin graduate Alicia Kutil has started all 10 games and is averaging 9.5 points per game, which is fourth on the team. Kutil is also averaging 4.9 rebounds while Milford grad Jess Pye has appeared in five games so far for the 8-2 Corsairs.
On Wednesday, former Mansfield standout and 2015 Hockomock League Boys Basketball MVP Ryan Boulter dropped career-high 17 points in his 11th game played for Merrimack. The Warriors needed a late bucket to secure the win but Boulter was a big reason that Merrimack was in it. Coming off the bench, Boulter played 26 minutes and shots 55% from the floor and hit five three pointers. So far in his rookie year, Boulter is averaging 5.8 points per game.
Another former Mansfield player, Kevin Conner, has started in all 11 of Mount Ida’s game so far, averaging 6 points per game and 3.6 rebounds a game. The Mustangs are 4-5 so far while Conner’s best game came back in December in a one point loss to Johnson & Wales. The sophomore had a season-best 15 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in the game.
Former HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Karlie O’Driscoll has been a big part of Caldwell’s nine wins i 15 games so far this season. The Sharon alum is third on the team in scoring at 11.9 points per game while she leads the teams in rebounds at 5.8 per game. In the two games in 2016, O’Driscoll has reached double figures both times, scoring 24 points over the two games.
Taunton’s Chris Green and Sharon’s Jimmy Fritzson are the two leading scorers for Rhode Island College through 12 games this season. Green is scoring a team-best 18.3 points a game, also averaging 3.4 rebounds a game and has shot nearly 90% at the free throw line. Fritzson, a former 1,000 point scorer for the Eagles, is second on the team with 11.3 points per game and is averaging 2.1 rebounds a game.
Former Franklin big man Marcus Giese is enjoying a successful start to his collegiate career at RPI. Standing at 6’8, Giese has played and scored in every single game this season. He’s averaging 6.4 points per game (a career high 10 came against Hibert in November), is pulling in 5.3 boards a game and 2.1 assists per game. RPI is 7-4 so far this season and 1-1 in conference play.
Sharon’s Emilee Daley scored a season-high 17 points in Boston College’s win over Bryant just before the new year. Daley was 7/11 from the floor and had a pair of rebounds and assists in just 23 minutes of play. Daley, who played two years at Sharon, is averaging 8.3 points per game and 3.1 rebounds off the bench for the 11-1 Eagles.
Attleboro’s Kerri Beland is currently third in scoring at 6.0 points per game for Salve Regina. Beland has started in 10 games so far this season and is pulling down 3.3 rebounds a game and has 1.5 assists a game. Back in December, the former Bombardier scored 12 points in a win over Curry.
Former Oliver Ames 1,000 point scorer Caitlyn Abela is second in scoring for Saint Anselm, who is 7-5 to start the season. Abela is averaging 10.4 points per game, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists. In the month of December, Abela scored 61 points over five games for the Hawks. Her strongest scoring performance of the year came when she scored 19 points in a loss at Assumption.
Another former player for OA’s Laney Clement-Holbrook is enjoying success at the D1 level. Asia Mitchell-Owens is currently third in scoring with 10.5 points per game for UMass Lowell. Mitchell-Owens has started in all 13 games for the River Hawks (3-10). The former Tigers is also averaging 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game.
Former Attleboro coach Missy Traversi’s Wildcats are 6-2 so far this season. Wheelock has four straight games and Attleboro grad Bri Hochwarter is a big season. The junior is second in scoring at 12.9 points per game and has scored in double figures in each of the last four games.