After winning three events at the SMAA indoor track championships, Victoria Bossong of Cheverus repeated that feat – for the second year in a row – at the Class A championships, taking victories in the 55, 200 and 400 meters. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
Victoria Bossong finds comfort in music. She plays the piano and violin, concentrating mostly these days on the violin as she plays in the Southern Maine and Portland Youth Symphony orchestras.
“It’s an outlet for me,” she said. “It allows me to take a deep breath after a long day. And it’s fun.”
So is running. A junior at Cheverus High, Bossong has become the state’s top female sprinter, setting high standards and records almost every time she blazes down the track. This winter, Bossong won three events at the Class A state championships, tying her own state record in the 55-meter dash (7.20 seconds) and setting a state record in the 400 (56.95). She also won the 200 in 25.50 seconds.
At the New England championships, Bossong finished fourth in the 55 (7.27) and second in the 300 (39.59).
For those efforts, she is the Varsity Maine girls’ indoor track Athlete of the Year.
“She’s just a powerhouse, an absolute powerhouse,” said Bangor Coach Alan Mosca. “She’s so explosive. Watching her come out of the blocks is a thing of art.”
And as good as she is, Bossong is always looking to be better.
“She works at it all the time. She’s an everyday hard-working kid, and the other kids know that and look up to her,” said Cheverus Coach John Wilkinson. “She has big goals for herself. And even though she’s broken records since her freshman year, she’s always looking for improvement.”
Bossong gave up all other sports for track. She played soccer, basketball and softball at St. Brigid School, a middle school in Portland, using her speed to dominate each sport. In the eighth grade, she took up track for the first time but suffered a severe hip injury in her first meet that caused her to miss the AAU basketball season and all of spring sports.
“I don’t know what happened,” she said. “But I couldn’t walk. Somehow I finished the race and won.”
She stuck with track and gave up soccer because “I realized I was very fast.”
Bossong had an outstanding sophomore year, setting three state records in the indoor season and then, in the outdoor season, running an all-time state best of 53.81 seconds in the 400 at the New Balance Nationals.
She said she was disappointed with this year’s indoor season because she trained to peak for nationals, which were canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak. Now, Maine’s outdoor season has been delayed as the state grapples with increasing COVID-19 cases each day.
Bossong is training at home as best she can. “I don’t know when we’ll compete again,” she said. “But I’m still putting in time to train. I do core work, I lift, I run up the street. Not knowing is the worst part. I’m just doing as much as I can to stay focused.”
While track remains an individual sport, she loves being part of the Stags’ team.
“I look forward to training with teammates every day,” said Bossong. “Being able to be with everyone makes you happier and makes you want to work harder so you can be there for your teammates. It gives you a reason to want to succeed. I wouldn’t want to run if I was going to be by myself.”
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