It stares at Gabby Chapman every single day.

The sophomore has seen it so many times she knows it by heart.

1980. 17 feet and four inches. Venus Pinkham.

Someday, with a little luck, there will be another student 35 years from now looking at Chapman's name in the Wiscasset High School record book, if she has anything to do with it.

Chapman and her teammates will begin their march toward school records and the state meet April 28.

But for Chapman, the record has been in her sights for a while.

“I walk past it every day,” she said. “My hope is that this year, or eventually, I break the girls long jump record.”

She wouldn't be the first Chapman to enter the Wiscasset record books: her older brother Joe claimed the long jump record two springs ago when he uncorked a 20-foot, 10.5 inch jump. That record has been eclipsed — 2014 graduate Dale Peaslee broke it at the state meet in 2013 when he leaped 21-and-a-half feet — by a jumper who learned from the elder Chapman, track and field head coach Warren Cossette said.

While Gabby Chapman tries to take home the top spot in the Wiscasset record books, there will be plenty of other athletes to watch on this year's track and field team, including several returning athletes.

Cossette said in his 21 years as the head coach he has developed a routine as the season progresses for his athletes to be in peak shape in time for the state meet.

“We look to improve individually: The beginning of the year we start by building up strength,” he said. “Then in the middle (of the season) we want to pick up speed then taper to the end. It's worked for us for a lot of years.”

Cossette said this year's team, which on Thursday, April 2 had its second practice, isn't yet completed, but is already full of talented athletes. Cossette said in addition to Gabby Chapman, who sprints and long jumps, there are a number of standout athletes.

“We have (sophomore) Brandon Goud coming back to run the 1,600 and 3,200 (meter races),” Cossette said. “We have Sam (Storer), who's going to be running long distance this year.”

For Storer, a junior, and Goud, the mission is the same: improve gradually and make it to state. Goud and Storer competed a year ago at the Mountain Valley Conference meet, but both said their goal was to make it even further.

Storer said he doesn't have his eyes set on school records; he just wants to take the next step.

“Last year I did the 200 and 100 (meter sprints), but I think this year I am going to try to do the mile,” he said. “My goal is just to make it to states.”

Goud, who also runs cross country and was picked as a second-team all-conference runner in the fall, returns to the long distance scene.

“I definitely want to make it to state, and run a sub-five (minute) mile, if possible,” he said. “But mostly, I want to make it to state.”

Last year Goud missed the state cut by the narrowest of margins; something he hopes to rectify this year.

But it won't just be the long distance runners to watch out for, Cossette said: shot put thrower Andrew Lincoln, sprinter and jumper Ayanna Main, 400-meter specialist Colin Viele, 800-meter runner and thrower Brian Dunning and several others figure to round out the squad to give Wiscasset a good balance throughout the events.

“This is a talented, very talented group,” Cossette said. “Next year we could be even better; we have a pretty good following (at the middle school).”