gotchanewsdaily.com 
Senior Travis Wells wrapped up his high school football career this fall for Quabbin as a standout lineman. He has plans to play in college next year, still making a decision between several offers he has received, including from Curry College and Western New England University.
Though his football season is over, it’s not time for “Senioritis” to kick in. Instead, he is competing in the winter and spring for the Panthers’ indoor and outdoor track and field teams, something that helped him improve his football game.
Wells throws for Quabbin, competing in the shot put in both indoor and outdoor as well as the discus in the spring. His main focus was football, but he found himself on the outdoor track team one spring because he figured, “Why not?”
He had nothing else to do in the football offseason and many of his friends were on the track teams so he decided to join. Little did he know that the fun extra activity would become something he excelled at.
Wells credits Quabbin throwing coach Mike Besaw, who is also the football team’s defensive coordinator, for his development in throwing.
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“Having him all three seasons has been great, I feel like I’ve built a personal relationship with him as well,” Wells said.
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Besaw’s influence has helped Wells build a connection between the two sports, using each to help him get better at the other.
“Being a lineman and being a thrower kind of go hand-in-hand,” Besaw said. “There’s a lot of footwork that has to be done and in football. He pulled a lot for us and that takes nimble feet, that footwork is huge. Fast, explosive, those are all things in there too.”
Wells’ main event is discus in the spring but that is not an indoor event, so his focus now is shot put.
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Besaw has worked with Wells on his technique and mechanics and has seen a breakthrough in his shot put performance this season. The senior has already qualified for the state meet.
Now, his goal is to perform well at states and qualify in both events in the spring.
“He’s taken the bull by the horns and made himself better and that’s a credit to him,” Besaw said. “I can do all the teaching I want, but if the athlete’s not receptive, nothing is going to happen. He learned, he applied, and he’s grown.”
