Ben Gapski (left) and A.J. Crocker run around the track during the first day of practice for the Boothbay-Wiscasset outdoor track and field team on March 30 in Wiscasset. (Mic LeBel photo)
The Boothbay-Wiscasset track and field team heads into the season with a huge team with a lot of experience. The squad of 33 boys and 24 girls is a cooperative team, boasting 47 athletes from Boothbay Region High School and 10 from Wiscasset Middle High School.
“This is the biggest team we’ve had since I started coaching track and field 20 years ago at Boothbay Region High,” said head coach Nick Scott. “We have a large number of impact returners. The boys team didn’t graduate any point scorers and has added a number of athletic students to an already competitive roster. The girls team returns a large number of athletes from last year’s successful team.”
Last season saw the girls team finish second at the Mountain Valley Conference championship meet and fifth at the state Class C championship while the boys placed sixth at the MVC meet and 24th at the state meet.
The boys team features several athletes who made a big impact at the 2025 MVC meet, including senior Ross Gaffney, who is the returning conference champion in the racewalk, and sophomore Ben Gapski, who was named the team MVP last year as a freshman after scoring at the state championships in the 110m hurdles.
“Gaffney is a favorite to win Class C, and Gapski is an incredible track athlete that is poised to have a terrific season in several events including hurdles, the long jump, triple jump, and javelin,” said Scott. “Logan Bourne and Casey Phelps are the top two returning shot putters in the MVC, and A.J. Crocker and Ethan Clark are strong distance runners who scored at MVCs last year in the one and two-mile run events.”
Scott is also impressed with what he has seen so far from some of the younger athletes on the boys team, including a sprinter that he thinks is on the verge of a breakout season.
“Isaac Fanslau had a tremendous freshman season last spring, scoring at MVCs in the 400m and putting up fast times in the 100m and 200m as well,” said Scott. “He has gained a lot of speed and strength during a strong winter indoor track season.”
Scott also highlighted racewalkers Jackson Zehm and Nathan Percival, who he expects to score at MVCs and states, and Chase Licursi, Chase Carver, and Jayden Orne, who are competing in track for the first time but are expected to be competitive jumpers.
The girls team also boasts a wealth of experience led by senior Rose Campbell, who set the program record in the 100m dash last year and competed in three events at the state championship meet.
“Rose Campbell, Olivia Rittall, and Moriah Smith are all strong sprinters,” said Scott. “Their personal records rank among some of the best in the MVC. Rose and Olivia both scored at states last year, and Rose is also a favorite to win at states in the discus. Moriah is an accomplished long jumper and triple jumper.”
Other athletes who Scott thinks have the potential to make a big impact for the girls team include Sophia Mansfield in the 100 hurdles and triple jump, Zuri Smith in the throwing events, and Maggie McCarthy and Audrey Robinson in distance running events.
Scott will be supported this spring by a large group of assistant coaches with more than 35 years of experience between them, including Jake McCarthy (sprints), Josh Higgins (throws), Caitlin Shepherd (jumps/hurdles), and Robert Grant (throws). In addition to performing the duties of head coach, Scott coaches the distance runners and racewalk athletes.
The first meet of the regular season for the Boothbay-Wiscasset squad is Tuesday, April 21 in Lisbon.
Boothbay-Wiscasset girls track team members Maggie McCarthy (left) and Zuri Smith run a warm-up lap on March 30 in Wiscasset. (Mic LeBel photo)
