SJC community continues runs to remember

On Monday, October 24, the annual Waclawik 5K was run in Rock Creek Park by St. John’s and faculty. SJC students, alumni, and faculty members ran a trail that’s been frequented by the SJC cross country team for years.

This event was started by Mr. Sheehy, a Math teacher at St. John’s, and the former head cross country coach. It initially began in 2006 as a way to showcase the cross country team and have some friendly competition between students and faculty. However, after the passing of Carl Waclawik, a student on the team, his teammates requested that the race be renamed after him.

Carl Waclawik was a gifted athlete on the SJC cross country team. As his sister, Sydney, said to us on the day of the race, “Carl just loved running!”

He was an integral part of the team his freshman and sophomore years and he even won the student-faculty 5K in his two years at St. John’s.

His unexpected passing was felt deeply by the community and this race is one of the ways that we continue to remember his life and all that he brought to those around him.

Mr. Sheehy always wants the event to be “a celebration of Carl’s life and of the St. John’s community he really loved.” He feels that the event has such a cool energy and it is always lots of fun for the students and faculty who participate.

Carl passed away fifteen years ago and this event is a way to sustain Carl’s memory and celebrate all that he accomplished as a member of the SJC community. This race is not only important to the cross country team, but also the SJC community as a whole. It is a reminder of the strength of the community and the love that we have for each other.