DCSAA Championships: Indoor Track
On Feb. 12, St. John’s indoor track and field team competed in the DCSAA championship. The boys’ team fell short to Gonzaga and Carroll and came in third. However, the girls took home the win to become back-to-back champions. Alicia Dawson ’19, one of the top scorers for track and field, was named meet MVP, along with Mordecai McDaniel ’20 for the boys’ side.
Dawson, who recently competed at the prestigious Millrose Games, won the triple and long jumps, came in third in the high jump, and finished as runner-up in the high jump. Another top-scoring track star, Alahna Sabbakhan ’19, took first in the 800m, breaking the meet record, came in second in the 500m and 4x400m relay, and placed third in the 300m to help get the Cadets in the top two. The distance crew on the girls side, Celia Chorzempa ’21 and Anna Cestari ’19, combined for a total of 23 points to give the girls’ side the additional points SJC needed. Cestari said, “Racing that day felt good, knowing I was racing in the PG Sports Complex for the last time after racing around the track for over four years. I kept telling myself that’s the last chance I had to win.”
McDaniel was a tank for the boys’ side during the championship and won the 300m in meet record time. McDaniel ran especially well in the 4×200 relay with teammates DM Jefferson ’21, Donald Tyler ’21, and Joshua Paige ’20 – their relay team placed second. McDaniel said he prepared well before the championship meet. “I felt good, honestly, I did well at the Icelandic games and then ran even faster at the Millrose Games. I rested up and I felt confident going into the championship with the team.” Paige also took home a bronze medal for high jump. Senior thrower Lance DaSilva took first place in the shot put. Finally, freshman distance runner Austin Rios-Colon got the Cadets points by placing third in the 800m.
