Southern Maine Athletics

John R. “Jay” Darling- USM Hall of Famer Harry True remembers his former teammates John “Jay” Darling as a talented athlete on both the baseball diamond and basketball court. “He was a good-sized guy, 6-foot-2 with long arms,” True recalls. “He was just an outstanding basketball player.” A right fielder and center/forward, Darling graduated from Gorham State Teacher’s College in 1952. During his senior season he was instrumental in the Hilltopper’s 10-6 finish and New England State College Conference basketball championship. During the 1951-1952 basketball season, Darling tied the Russell Hall scoring record with 33 points in one game. The following game Darling broke the record with 40-point performance. He finished the season with an average of 24.3 points per game. Darling, a former teacher in Bath and principal in the Portland School System, retired as a superintendent in the Fryeburg School District. He now resides in Bath.