After two days of SPC competition, the final event was set to take place: the 4×400-meter relay. As the gun fired, runners from Kinkaid, Episcopal and Awty took the early lead. Although the girls track team finished third and the boys finished sixth, St. John’s still achieved outstanding feats, such as sophomore Thea Popovic, who unofficially broke the girls 400 meter record.
The St. John’s boys track and field team has not received an SPC title since 2019, and the girls team has not won an SPC title since 2013. After several years, they are looking forward to reclaiming the top spot in their division.
“We definitely have improved as a team since I was a freshman,” captain Marshall Dunahoe said. “But there is fierce competition from schools like Episcopal and Kinkaid, who have consistent athletes competing in every aspect of track and field.”
Sub groups within the team focus on different aspects of the sport. Throwers work on shot put and discus. There are the jumpers, who compete in long jump and high jump. Runners include sprinters, who run hurdles and short-distance events that rely on speed. Distance runners train for races that range from half a mile to two miles.
“Different parts of the track and field team can perform differently from the same school,” Dunahoe said.
Head coach Richie Mercado has been working with the Maverick track and cross-country teams since 1984.
“It was a total accident,” Mercado said. “I was going to go to law school, but then worked offshore in the oil field, worked on a subsidiary of the railroad company for a while, and then I got an offer to come here to teach and coach.”
As an experienced coach, Mercado reflects on the team’s evolution and high points.
“There are a lot more students at St. John’s since I got here,” Mercado said. “There are more sports as well, such as baseball and lacrosse, which all compete for athletes in the spring.”
In 1985, the boys’ team won their first SPC meet with 266 points. In 1994, the team only scored eight points in SPC. Like any other team, athletic performance can fluctuate even over a short period of time.
Although the team’s performance can change from year to year, the School continues to have several talented athletes within the program.
Last year, alumnus Reese Animashaun (‘24) won the 100 and 200 meter dash, and senior Jackie Chapman won shotput and discus, respectively.
“That’s the whole thing about track and field, there is individual performance and then team performance,” Mercado said.
As individuals, athletes talk about their personal goals this season.
“Some of my goals are making PR’s, focusing during practice more, hanging out with friends and just being the best that I can be as a person,” captain Jay Woodhouse said.
“I’m always pushing myself to be the best that I can be,” said captain Dylan Davis. “I write my goal times on my mirror, look at them, and do my best to work towards it.”
“Individually, I definitely want to take down some records on the hurdles side and join some of the best on the wall of records,” Dunahoe said. “I’m also really looking forward to competing and hopefully taking down a rival from Episcopal that I have been competing with since freshman year.”
Mercado explains that the key to a well-performing track and field team is having athletes that focus on themselves and their self-improvement.
“While an athlete cannot control the performance of the team overall, an athlete can control their performance by working hard and putting in effort. If enough athletes do that, we can definitely do well as a team at SPC.”
