Name: Carson Bessey
School: Messalonskee
What was your most memorable race?
The 4x800 in the state meet of 2015 was probably the most exciting race that I have competed in, and certainly is the one that I consider most memorable. We went into that race hoping to just pr, but came out with the win from the 4th seed. The MVP of that race was probably Isaiah Harris and his decision not to run in that race, because if Lewiston had run their fastest team, we wouldn't have won.
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
Scarborough definitely takes the cake when it comes to state meets. However, in regular season meets, my own teammates push me the hardest. I would consider them (Owen Concaugh, Zach Hoyle, Dan Turner, and the graduated Anthony Amalfitano) my greatest competition. Actually I take that back: Anthony wasn't very hard to beat. Racing against him was like running a race against a fish: at first you think it's a joke, but once you realize the fish is serious about racing, you just feel bad.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
I once ran a workout on our track without slipping. Our track is like a discount slip n slide after the rain due to it being a ring of dirt. I swear we are the only Class A team in Maine who doesn't have a decent track. Winning two 4x800 state titles was also a very cool experience. Thanks to my teammates(see above names) for running fast, even Anthony.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school? I wish that underclassman Carson would've summer trained so that I wouldn't have sucked so much in cross. I would've tried jumping as well because that looks much more fun than running distance events.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
I ran with injury the past two outdoor seasons and never got to run at full potential. There is no worse feeling than knowing you are capable of running faster, but are unable to. And the track thing again.
What will you miss the most?
I'm going to miss my team, specifically the distance team, quite a bit. We really got to know each other in the past two years and it's gonna be weird not spending 2+ hours a day with them. It's probably a good thing, though, as extended exposure to the Messalonskee team is known to have the same side effects as most hard drugs.
What advice you would give to younger athletes?
Be confident at the starting line. Believe in your coaches, your training, and yourself. Also, spikes are only as useful as they look, so if you're packing weak shoe game, you only have yourself to blame when you suck in your race.
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
I've had a few coaches in my high school career, and the most important lesson they can teach you is the ability to not to rely on them. You don't need anyone to push you but yourself. As for life goals, I think that track itself teaches you the most overused and overtaught lesson in history: don't give up. But if you do end up giving up, fake an injury so the crowd doesn't think you're a wimp.
What are your college plans?
I will be attending USM in the fall to study the exciting world of accounting. I plan on running all three seasons for all four years while there.
Who would you like to say thank you to?
Thanks are in order for the throwers who won New England's for representing Maine in the best way. You guys rock Thank you to my stellar coaches, especially: The Holmans, Rushton, Laverierre and the almighty Hodge.Also a thank you to Mr. Veilleux for doing this whole thing. It's very much appreciated!
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Do you know a class of 2016 track and field or cross country athlete? We'd like to salute them! Have them answer the following questions plus send 2-3 photos (can not be from another website or publication) to dveilleux@milesplit.us
