Boothbay Region High School Seahawks track and field athletes received accolades June 2 for impressive team and individual performances over the past season. Coaches Nick Scott, Caitlyn Shepherd and Josh Higgins handed out awards for Most Improved Players and Most Valuable Players. There were also Coaches Awards and the new Golden Hammer Award.

The Boosters Club gives every team three plaques to award top performing athletes which makes six premier awards of the night, Scott said. “In addition to those, we also give out what we refer to as the Golden Hammer – someone who may not fit the mold for one of the (plaques), but is deserving of acknowledgment, kind of a plaque quality award.”

Scott named Quinn Ranta winner of this award for his versatility, dedication to the sport and willingness to participate in any capacity he is asked to.

Grace Campbell and Gerald Gagne were Most Improved Players and Ava Schlosser and Will Perkins, Most Valuable Players. Receiving Coach's Awards were Riley Sullivan and Blake Erhard.

Scott detailed the past season of athlete after athlete shattering personal and school records while upholding the Seahawks' reputation for sportsmanship and fine athletic performance.

“Will Perkins received the highest honor in our conference which is the Track and Field Male Athlete of the Year. Nice job, Will. That was because he was a workhorse that night. He won the 800m, he won the 3200m and came in second in the 1600m, but by like half a second.”

Great things also happened at the Class C State Championship, Scott said. “If you placed at the state meet, that is fantastic. It's a huge deal and it's the culmination of a season or maybe a whole year's worth of work to reach that point.”

Several athletes left their mark on the Seahawk Top Ten list of best performances by event. Two of the most notable performances, Scott said, were Erhard who claimed best ever time for the 400m dash at states and the 4x800m relay team of Fox Elder, Graham Harris, Erhard and Perkins which took first on the list by 14 seconds.

Also shattering school records were: Quinn Ranta, second for 110m hurdles and 5th for triple jump; Gerald Gagne, 10th for the 100m dash; Perkins, third for the 800m, third for the 1600m, fifth for the 3200m runs, and sixth for high jump; the 4x800 relay team at the Mountain Valley Conference championship – Nathan Chatterton, Elder, Harris and Erhard – which took sixth; and Ava Schlosser who moved steadily up to third best time for the 1600m racewalk.

“Kate (Wickline) and Grace went back and forth all season on this and both steadily improved. At one point Grace was 0.01 seconds ahead of Kate for the 10th spot, then they both moved up to the eighth spot, and now you can see they're in the sixth and seventh spot.”

Scott said all athletes making the Seahawk Top Ten list should feel accomplished because the list dates all the way back to the 1950s when the school opened and track and field began competing.

In closing the ceremony, Scott thanked Shepherd and Higgins for all the work they put in during the season, and he thanked all the athletes and parents and friends who volunteered, cheered, and drove as far as Bethel.

Said Scott, “It was a fantastic season. Thank you to all the parents who continually support their student-athletes. As coaches, we do believe that school is a better place to participate and that's not always the popular thing to do in this day and age of constant connectivity, so we thank you for your efforts and please make sure you come back those of you who are not seniors."

Before family members, friends and athletes began to rise at the conclusion of the ceremony, Perkins, Erhard, Sullivan and all athletes gave Scott a thank you.

“Mr. Scott just does a wonderful job with everything he does,” said Perkins. “So another round of applause.”