Coming off a respectable performance last year, Boothbay Region High School (BRHS) cross-country coach Nick Scott said he is optimistic for the upcoming season. Scott said the team lost several strong runners to graduation, but a strong girls team and an influx of freshmen boys has him hopeful. 

He said at the end of last year he anticipated a boys team that would be thin. However, the roster filled when a group of freshmen who weren't part of the middle school cross-country program signed up. 

“It was a pleasant surprise,” he said. “We added numbers and some young athleticism that, as the season progresses, could potentially translate to some really solid running performances.”  

Scott said the girls are returning strong, led by senior Maddie Orchard and sophomore Karen Higgins. Scott expects sophomore AJ Crocker will lead the boys and, between the three, he has seen a lot of preparation for the season.  

“Those three have been really methodical in their summer training,” he said, adding they run and play other sports throughout the year that keep them in shape. “They've really done a fantastic job of planning out their off-season training, and they really fall through just perfectly.”  

Overall, the team has 22 athletes, including one from Wiscasset Middle High School. The roster includes seniors Neal Baldwin, Hannah Kreft, Chase Mansfield, Orchard, Bella Orr and Cleyton Splaine; juniors Madeline Andreasen, Ross Gaffney, Sarah Harris, Lysander Lefevre and Nathan Percival; sophomores Crocker, Higgins, Lexi Hughes, Sophia Mansfield, Camden Peck and Olivia Rittall; and freshmen Ethan Clark, Ben Gapski (Wiscasset), Thomas Hennessy, Alex Ross and Jackson Zehm. Scott and Josiah Winchenbach coach the team.  

Only weeks in, Scott said practice has been going well and attendance and participation have been “phenomenal.” He called the attitude optimistic and positive and said it’s been a strong start to the season with “good vibes kind of just permeating throughout.” 

Part of the excitement may come from new trails on campus. Scott said donors and the Lobster Roll 5k have raised about $50,000, which is being used alongside an easement from Hammond Lumber Company to expand the school district’s trail system. Scott said the expanded trails are not 100% complete, but are useable. “We're excited to continue to work on that, and to be able to actually use it as well,” he said.  

The Seahawks will test their mettle Aug. 31 at the Medomak Panther Two-Miler preseason opening race in Waldoboro. Scott said the shorter, flat course is the perfect race to kick off the season and gauge their abilities. The race also includes athletes in the Mountain Valley and Kennebec Valley conferences, as well as other teams the Seahawks may not normally compete against.  

“It's a great way for runners of all abilities to kind of get out there ... It's a great way to either be introduced to kind of running fast in a race situation or, ‘Hey, I've been working hard and now I want to get out there and show what I've got, right, really test my capabilities,’” Scott said.