Endzone Sports Magazine 2018

ENDZONE HOW TO BUILD A CULTURE OF CHAMPIONS PAGE 12

ENDZONE SPORTS MAGAZINE — MAY 17, 2018

(WRESTLING)

SM 10

THE SM 10, THE 10 MOST INFLUENTIAL FIGURES IN ST. MARK’S SPORTS IN 2018 — AS VOTED ON BY THE STAFF. PAGE 13 REFLECTIONS FROM SENIOR VARSITY ATHLETES ON WHAT IT MEANS TO WEAR THE BLUE AND GOLD. PAGE 23

WHAT IT TAKES TO DON THE CAPTAIN UNIFORM FOR THE LIONS, ACROSS ALL THREE SEASONS AND ALL 15 VARSITY SPORTS. PAGE 8

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Table of contents

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EDITOR’S NOTE — THE LIONS SPORTS LEGACY IN 2018.

by Will Forbes uring my 12 years at St. Mark’s, sports have been a huge part of my life.

One of my first memories of the school is the first Friday night football game I attended more than a decade ago.

Watching future NFL players like the Acho brothers and Ty Montgomery torch SPC competition while I was in lower school, I was hooked.

From that point on, I’ve made an effort to attend as many games and support as many teams as possible, and my love for St. Mark’s sports has continued to grow over the 11 years since I first fell in love with the Lions.

In high school, I have served as sports editor for The ReMarker and played on the varsity football and baseball teams. Many of my favorite St. Mark’s moments have been a result of playing for and watching Lions sports teams.

Moments like Parker Dixon’s game winning buzzer beater against ESD when I was a freshman and the lacrosse team’s triple overtime victory over Highland Park last year are two memories that stand out for me because of the sense of community I felt cheering alongside my peers.

Additionally, I was fortunate enough to be on the field for football and baseball games 2 ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018

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and experience the same rush as an athlete that I have felt countless times as a fan.

Needless to say, sports have been integral to my St. Mark’s experience, and it’s truly surreal to know that the end of this spring season marked the end of both my time as a varsity athlete and a member of the student section.

After the senior night football game, I cried on the field knowing that I would never put on those pads again. I still can’t really grasp that it’s over.

Sports at St. Mark’s are a special part of this school’s culture, and coming to the end of the road is extremely emotional.

This rush of emotion encapsulates why we put this magazine together.

So many people in this community invest so much in sports, and this magazine is a testament to that grind.

Every single team on campus works extremely hard, and while not every team gets the same support during the season, every team deserves to be recognized for the unique grind that goes into each of their seasons.

Starting with the overtime win against Greenhill in the first football game, this has been an incredible year for Lions’ sports, and it has been an absolute pleasure having the opportunity to recap it all.

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Cross country

3

Volleyball

4

Football

5

Fencing

6

Wrestling

7

Varsity captains

8

Swimming

10

Soccer

11

Basketball

12

The SM10

13

Water polo

16

Crew

17

Track and field

18

Baseball

19

Tennis

20

Lacrosse

21

Golf

22

Reflections

23

Back cover

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STEP BY STEP

FRESH LEGS Only a short way into the race, junior Jayan Joshi glances at his watch to check his pace. Each cross country meet is comprised of a 5K race.

Led by a top tier of runners made up of predominantly underclassmen, the cross country team showed promise and finished fourth in SPC.

R

un faster!

Hunched over, sophomore Pablo Arroyo musters out a command to his teammate Julian Ivarra. He’s not used to being passed like this.

The unfamiliar sight of runners zooming by pains Arroyo, but it pales in comparison to what he feels in his side, right below the ribs: a pain, sharp and persistent.

Pushing through SPC Finish: the pain, Arroyo is determined to regain his blazing pace. This is the SPC championship, after all.

After two attempts to press on, it becomes clear the pain is too great for the talented runner. Arroyo finishes with the worst time of his career and his face glazes over with tears.

“He went from a potential all-SPC athlete to our last runner,” coach John Turek said.

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4

This event was difficult for Arroyo and his

teammates, but it does not take away from their season. Look no farther than Arroyo himself: he, his twin brother Andres and junior Seth Weprin all ran fast enough this season to secure top ten 5k times in school history, with times of 16:11, 16:01, and 15:56, respectively. The season started off on the right foot, with the team putting up a historic performance in their first meet, the Greenhill Relays, in late August.

“It’s the fastest four guys we’ve ever put together for those relays,” Turek said.

After this strong start, the 30-plus members of the team continued to improve over their next eight meets, which took place in Dallas, McKinney, Southlake, Denton and Fort Worth. The team eventually placed fourth out of the sixteen teams that participated in the SPC Championship. Even

FINAL PUSH Junior Antonio Ivarra looks ahead as he nears the end of the race. Ivarra and his brother Julian both found themselves competing on the team’s varsity roster by the year’s end.

though the fourth-place finish disappointed the team, Turek finds the improvement of his runners to be even more important.

“The unique thing about St. Mark’s and the unique thing about the SPC is that it all comes down to the SPC championship, and how you do there reflects on how you perceive the season,” Turek said. “This is okay, but really not fair because we had a lot of boys and they all improved.”

Similarly, senior captain Cal Rush-

“We would have liked to have done better, but we did pretty darn good, and we’re going to get even better next year.”

– head coach John Turek

ton,who was a captain along with fellow seniors Mateo Diaz, Sam Shane and Andre Arsenault, feels a sense of pride about his team.

“There is a lot to be proud of about the team,” Rushton said. “So many of my teammates achieved [personal records] that seemed unattainable at the beginning of the season.”

Also of note was the team’s depth.

While the Arroyo twins and Weprin formed an impressive trio, the team had a total of nine runners with 5k times under 18 minutes, which Turek says is the most depth he has seen in his twenty-five years at the school.

From the early mornings at running camp

during the summer, to the difficult practices day in and day out, the 2017 cross country team worked hard and perservered from the start to the finish of the season, and that dedication was exhibited in their continued improvement over the course of the season.

Nobody embodied this attitude of resilience more than Pablo, who did all he could to overcome an incredible pain in an attempt to help his team.

Even though the team’s hard work resulted in a fourth place finish at SPC, Turek knows there is a lot to build on for the young team as they look to 2018.

“We would have liked to have done better, but we did pretty darn good,” Turek said.

“And we’re gonna get even better next year, and that makes it all worthwhile,” • Story Colin Campbell Photos Adnan Khan ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018 3

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Season record: VICTORY Freshman Tristan Doan (17), senior Clay Morris (9) and junior Albert Luo (6) celebrate ater winning a point against Casady.

ELEVATING The Casady defense looks on as senior middle blocker Fausto Rheyer leaps and slams down a kill for the Lions in their Sept.

15 match against the Cyclones. The team lost the match 3-0.

RISING UP A

s soon as the varsity volleyball team formed at the beginning of the fall, the players found something they all shared: a love for the game.

“I think maybe our greatest strength was our competitive drive,” senior captain Edward Ro said. “We all love to play volleyball and we all wanted to get out there and practice every day from four to six.”

That being said, Ro recognizes that each player’s passion for the game made it difficult for the team to unify.

“Because we had such a big passion for the sport, sometimes we got heated and had trouble seeing eye-to-eye,” Ro said. “Agreeing on what we wanted to do and how we could make the season go well was harder to do.”

The team finished with a 9-6 regular season record, earning the third seed in the North Zone for the SPC Tournament. However, an injury to starting middle blocker Tristan Doan right before the SPC Tournament threw a wrench in the team’s championship plans.

Initially, the team was nervous about the loss of such a key component. But soon, when star senior Toussaint Pegues replaced

• Story Aaron Thorne Photos Ryan Norman 4 ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018

Despite a key injury before the SPC tournament, volleyball battled throughout the tournament and came away with a hard fought third place finish.

Doan as middle blocker, the team regained their confidence, to the point where they contemplated whether they would’ve been more successful if Pegues had been playing middle blocker all season.

“Toussaint did a really great job defensively and offensively for us for the tournament,” Ro said. “So it really got us wondering, if maybe we started doing that at the beginning of the season, how the season would’ve played out.”

After defeating St. Stephen’s 3-1 in the opening round, the squad moved on to play rival Greenhill – the one seed and the tournament favorite – in the semifinals. After showing lots of heart and barely dropping the third game 26-28, the Lions fell to the Hornets 0-3.

After being eliminated from the finals, the team played their final game of the season against Trinity Valley and shut them out 3-0, winning third place in SPC with a dominating win in its final matchup.

Ro considered the season a success because the volleyball team created a solid foundation for the program to build on in future years.

“I think the guys have a really good

chance at winning for multiple years to come in a row,” he said. “Our future looks really bright with a lot of young guys coming up to play, and part of that was us helping them along the way this season.”

According to the players, 10th year head coach Darren Teicher played a crucial role in the season’s success.

“The players may be the ones touching the ball and scoring the points, but it’s the coaches that bring us up when we’re down both in terms of points on the scoreboard as well as emotionally,” Ro said. “They also humbled us and kept us straight-headed when we’re winning by a lot or maybe when we were a little too excited. In practice, the coaches know how to develop both our weaknesses and our strengths, and they make sure we prepare every day for games.”

Despite the obstacles making the volleyball team’s journey more difficult than usual, Ro knows that the team had the one thing every team needs to succeed: heart.

“Maybe one area that held us back was that physically we weren’t the biggest or the strongest, or maybe we didn’t jump the highest,” he said. “But we wanted to be there.

We all have a passion for volleyball.”

NEW ERA After posting a disappointing 1-8 record in 2016, the Lions bounced back in a big way this season.

Season record:

A

5-3

fter two hard-fought halves of football, the Lions are tied 14-14 heading into overtime in the season opener against Greenhill.

The Lions have played well and are in a position to win this game – a fact not lost on a team that got used to getting blown out during its 1-8 season a year ago.

This game will set the tone for the season. None of the players want to go 1-8 again. They know this game is a must-win.

The Lions get the ball first and score quickly on a Colin Neuhoff touchdown run. Sophomore kicker Colin Campbell knocks through the extra point, extending the lead to seven and putting the pressure on Greenhill’s offense to answer.

The Hornets score a touchdown almost immediately, quieting the Lions crowd. It’s all in the hands of the kicker, and it seems like a formality that a second overtime will be needed.

Or so everyone thinks.

The kick sails wide left, and the Lions capture the 21-20 victory on opening night.

“There really is no other feeling like it,” Senior Captain Seun Omonije said. “Everyone on the team just ran towards the defense on the field and we were hugging each other. To see your classmates and friends supporting you and the joy that surrounds the entire community is just amazing.”

The “New Era,” as Omonije coined it, had just begun.

But for the Lions players and coaching staff alike, the result meant more than just the tally in the win column.

After the disappointing 1-8 record in 2016, Omonije and fellow captains William Hall and Zach Gilstrap got together and were determined to change the culture around the team.

The team started by instituting the MOC, or Mornings Of Champions. The MOC happened every Monday in the spring and consisted of working out as a team before school, which really helped create a sense of togetherness and pushed everyone to give everything they had during every lifting session.

And it certainly paid off, as the Lions went on to record their first home win of the season – a convincing 26-0 shutout over Casady – in their second game. The Lions went on to win counter games over Houston Christian – a dominating 41-0 shutout – and St. John’s, in addition to a 21-6 win in the homecoming game against Ft. Worth County Day, finishing with a record of 5-3 on the season.

Throughout the season, the team relied on several players on both sides of the ball who had to step up and fill holes due to injury – most notably senior Reaves White, who stepped up and excelled as a slot receiver when Omonije went down with a concussion.

This “next man up” mentality and a re-invigorated student section were some of the keys to the success the Lions enjoyed this season. “[The season] had a championship feel,” Epperson said.

“Our fan base was phenomenal. That really goes a long way to the guys on the field.”

And for Omonije, he feels the much-improved 2017 campaign puts Lion football back on the map.

“The New Era is alive and well,” Omonije said. “St. Mark’s football is back.”

JUMP BALL Rising up over the cornerback, senior receiver Matthew Fornaro hauls in a touchdown in the second quarter of a 26-0 win over Casady Sept. 15. Fornaro had 113 yards receiving in the game.

QUICK OUT Finding an open receiver, junior quarterback Colin Neuhoff fires a quick pass against Casady. Neuhoff ended the game with 175 yards passing and two touchdowns.

Team leaders: • Passing: Colin Neuhoff 1,244 yards and 15 touchdowns • Rushing: Colin Neuhoff 358 yards and 3 touchdowns • Receiving: Matthew Fornaro 385 yards and 8 touchdowns

AROUND THE CORNER Following his blocks, junior running back Jonathan Taylor looks for running room against the Cyclones. Taylor set the tone for the Lions’ rushing attack in the game, leading the team with 124 yards rushing and 7.29 yards per carry.

• Story Nick Malvezzi Photos Lee Schlosser ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018 5

PINNED Under the leadership of new head coach Reyno Arredondo, the wrestling team brought home a fifth place finish at SPC.

GRIT Pushing off with his legs, juinor Chad Kim drives his opponent to the mat with a viscious takedown.

T

he shrill whistle pierces the energized, practically buzzing air in the St. John’s School Gymnasium.

Within a fraction of a second, the wet slap of a Fort Worth Country Day wrestler’s sweat-soaked cheek hitting the mat responds to the starting whistle.

And less than nine seconds later, the referee slaps the mat, blows his whistle and raises senior Tucker Ribman’s hand into the air.

With a pin in less than nine seconds, Ribman advanced to the SPC championship round in the 138 lb weight class.

And a week later, by making it to the quarter finals of the 83rd National Prep Wrestling Championships, he earned All-American status.

But it wasn’t SPC finish: the tournament wins or national recognition that built the backbone of the school’s 2017-2018 varsity wrestling squad.

It was a culture of hard work, dedication, and intensity.

A culture of champions.

“The team motto this year was average is the enemy,” Ribman said. “That’s a goal of the team this year. Don’t be satisfied with just being average. You need to really strive to be great in everything you do, whether that’s on the mat, in the classroom, or at home, be great at what you do.”

That team motto, that demands for greatness, earned the team a top 5 finish at the SPC Championship, with senior Calvin Hosler tacking on a second-place finish in his weight class and freshman Jackson Fair taking 3rd.

The team’s success this year can be attributed both to leadership from its captains (Ribman, Hosler and freshman Cooper Rib-

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man) and to the team’s new head coach, Reyno Arredondo ’87. “[Arredondo] was easy to work with, so that made the transition easy,” Tucker said.

“You could get as much out of practice as you wanted to get out of practice.”

As the seniors prepare to leave the school and pass over the reins of the wrestling team, they look to the strong group of underclassmen to step up and lead the team.

REVERSAL Fresh“[Junior] Chad Kim man Jackson Fair spins out of his can make a difference next year,” Tucker said. opponent’s grasp and gains the “He was right on the cusp this year for making upper hand. state.”

“And more than just him, I keep telling all the younger guys that they’re not too young to win some big tournaments and win some big matches.”

“Many of our wrestlers were freshmen, so helping them prepare for the varsity level meant a lot to me.”

– captain Calvin Hosler

As Tucker and Hosler leave the squad, they hope to leave behind a legacy of hard work and dedication. They issue a challenge to the community to fill the wrestling room, to get more student-athletes on the team. “ I think everyone needs to give wrestling a try,” Tucker said. “There’s a stigma at St. Mark’s that wrestling is a super hard sport. Wrestling is a sport for everyone. You can be good at it as long as you work hard.”

• Story Davis Bailey Photos Owen Berger, Ryan Norman 6 ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018

BACKFLIP Senior Tucker Ribman flips over his opponent onto his back at SPC, hoping to land a pin and finish the match. Ribman would go on to win his division at 138 lbs.

EN GARDE SWORDSMANSHIP Sophomore Christopher Wang’s sensors light up as his opponent earns a point during a match at the fencing tournament here Oct. 7.

I

t’s not even a sport.

All they do is wave swords around.

Can they even call it practice?

Fencing is the annually overlooked and neglected sport whose name is often tossed around among students as a joke. The occasional glances from students walking across Spencer Gym can easily create the misconception that nothing is going on during training.

Inside the program however, every single fencer knows fencing is the same as any other sport: the blade is their ball, the strip is their court and the jacket is their jersey.

“The outcome of each bout depends solely on your performance, so it’s like each player carries the whole weight of school representation,” senior captain Abdullah Akbar said. “Nonetheless, I feel like for the most part there is a sense of team bonding that makes us cheer for one another when we see a fellow fencer on the strip, something that is common on every St. Mark’s sports team.”

Akbar says that, to him, the biggest reward of being on the fencing team is the camaraderie created with his teammates.

“Fencing is a fun athletic endeavor in which I could get good exercise and also where I could fuel my competitive nature by going one-on-one against my friends,” Akbar said. “Surprisingly, however, it’s also been a good social experience in which I’ve been able to connect with students from every high school grade, many of which I would never have talked to otherwise.”

For the first time in 19 years, the fencing team practiced without long-time training partner Hockaday. Coaches Hossam Mahmoud and Rhonda Trietsch saw this as an opportunity to improve the focus on the team.

“The biggest change from last year to

this year is that we don’t fence with Hockaday anymore,” Mahmoud said. “Because of this, we are able to pay more attention to our students.”

The annually-held tournament, The St.

Mark’s Open, held Oct. 7, was a huge success and team-bonding experience for the squad.

Some outstanding finishes in the tournament included sophomore Eric Lai finishing first in the senior mixed sabre event and Akbar finishing ninth in the senior mixed epee event.

Coaches Mahmoud and Trietsch hope to see departing seniors like Akbar take lessons learned from fencing and apply them to their daily lives.

“I hope that after four years of fencing at St. mark’s, our students learn to be self-reliant,” Trietsch said.

Mahmoud specifically believes fencing helps develop a sense of individualism and adaptation.

Often overlooked for more mainstream sports, the fencing team put on a show, even without the opportunity for SPC competition.

“Sports in general, fencing especially, will help you find yourself,” Mahmoud said.

“It will teach you how you can make better and faster decisions because, as I said, when you go to the strip to fence, you are on your own. You are going to make your own decisions and have to adapt. It will help you all of your life by making better, faster decisions for yourself.”

Akbar sees a bright future for the upand-coming wave of fencers and the future of the program, but ultimately, he believes it is up to the seniors to lead by example.

“There are some good kids in fencing,” Akbar said. “Kids who have the potential to become competitive if the coaches can focus on them and not have to worry about troublemakers. The tone the seniors set is super-important; if they don’t show up most of the time, team morale will go way down and you’ll see people take the sport less seriously.”

SPARRING Slashing at his opponent, sophomore Tianming Xie [above right] works on his form in practice ahead of the St. Mark’s Open tournament, which the team hosted Oct. 7.

• Story Christopher Wang Photos Lee Schlosser ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018 7

LEADING THE PACKS H

ours spent hunting for lacrosse balls after practice, spent setting up and taking down the volleyball nets, spent before school grinding on the erg machine.

Holding the mantle of varsity captain takes far more than

just the 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. time slot and the occasional pregame speech. The 2017-2018 varsity captains — students tasked with leading the school’s 15 varisty sports — weigh in on what it means to have that “C” by their names.

AMAZING GAVE ME ‘ ITTOWAS ‘ ITANREALLY LEAD THE ‘NEW OPPORTUNITY ERA’ AND BRING US TOGETHER TO HELP THE TEAM WIN.

– FOOTBALL CAPTAIN SEUN OMONIJE

TO HAVE A VOICE AND TO BE A LEADER TO EVERYONE ON THE TEAM. – BASKETBALL CAPTAIN SAM SUSSMAN

‘

WORKING WITH THE OTHER SENIORS TO CREATE BONDS BETWEEN EVERY PLAYER ALWAYS KEPT ME EXCITED TO WATCH THE SEASON UNFOLD. – TENNIS CAPTAIN JACK PAROLISI

ME IT WAS ‘TOREALLY SPECIAL

TO SEE OUR GUYS COME TOGETHER AND DEVELOP FROM GOLFERS PLAYING INDIVIDUAL TOURNAMENTS TO REAL TEAM COMPETITORS. – GOLF CAPTAIN RETT DAUGBJERG

‘ TOFORBETHEA CAPTAIN TRACK

TEAM THIS YEAR HAS BEEN EXTREMELY MEANINGFUL BECAUSE OF THE OPPORTUNITY IT GIVES ME TO DIRECTLY IMPACT THE LIVES OF UNDERCLASSMEN. – TRACK AND FIELD CAPTAIN ZACH GILSTRAP

2017-2018 SPORTS BY THE NUMBERS: THE 2017-2018 CAPTAINS, BY SPORT: Upper School students varsity captains varsity sports committed senior athletes top 3 finishes in SPC All-American athlete

383 54 15 8 6 1

Cross country Volleyball Football Fencing Wrestling Swimming Soccer Basketball Water polo Crew Track and field Baseball Tennis Lacrosse Golf

André Arsenault, Cal Rushton, Mateo Díaz, Sam Shane Owen Berger, Edward Ro, Clay Morris Zach Gilstrap, William Hall, Seun Omonije Abdullah Akbar, Jake HP, Kevin Feng, Andrew Li, Allan Zhang Tucker Ribman, Cooper Ribman, Calvin Hosler Edward Ro, Kannan Sharma, Niteesh Vemuri, Ethan Pittson, Alan Jiang, Ben Hurst, Robert Newman Cal Rushton, Seth Weprin Sam Sussman, Garrett Mize, Jimmy Rodríguez Chase Honaker, Robert Newman, Joe Lofgren, Mark Weisberg Riley Sanders, Eduardo Ludwig Bernardo André Arsenault, Zach Gilstrap, Clay Morris, Seun Omonije Reece Rabin, Jimmy Rodríguez, Canyon Kyle, Zach Landry Davis Bailey, Kobe Roseman, Harris Wilson, Jack Parolisi Will Wood, Garrett Mize, Sam Schroeder, John Gunnin Rett Daugbjerg, Mike Mahowald ASSEMBLED The Upper School’s varsity captains congregate under the championship banners they hope to add to.

FOUR POINTS...

O

nly four points.

That’s all that separated senior swimming captain Edward Ro, his fellow senior captains and their team from excellence.

Unparalleled excellence.

Excellence in the form of double-digits.

After finishing second in a competitive, hard-fought swimming SPC championship in Conroe, Texas that’s all Ro could think about: not being able to lead his team to a landmark tenth straight SPC title.

However, in the midst of his anger, sorrow and frustration, Ro began to realize how much the brotherhood of his team meant to him, and how this one loss would not tarnish the achievements of past teams.

“In the moment, I was thinking about the tradition of winning that had come to an end and how we let down the guys who came before us who worked hard to keep up the reputation,” Ro said, “but later I realized that one loss does not destroy the years of excellence that we have created.”

Ro hopes the heartbreak will motivate the younger members of the team to work harder and elevate their performance in order to bounce back in the following years.

“I told the team that the lessons that we’ve learned this season is much more important than this loss, and that this is one of the many lessons that we’ve learned throughout this season,” Ro said. “One of the brightest points of this season was that the younger swimmers are very disciplined and dedicated, so I know that they will turn this loss into a valuable learning experience and use it to fuel their fire for future years.”

Coach Mihai Oprea shares Ro’s feelings, and he believes even the seniors will learn from the experience and carry it with them into the future.

“I hope it motivated the returning swimmers, provided a life lesson for our seniors and awakened the hunger for returning to the top next year,” Oprea said. “I was sorry to see the pain of disappointment which affect-

After a decade of SPC dominance, the swim team’s reign over the conference came to an end this season, as the team finished just four points behind St. John’s in the SPC meet.

FINAL PUSH Five Lions swimmers take the last few strokes before touching the wall during the team’s time trials Nov. 28.

BREASTROKE Sophomore Sean Zhao takes a breath as he pushes down his lane.

SPC finish:

2

nd

Team leaders: • 200 Freestlye Relay: Ethan Pittson, Mark Weisberg, Robert Newman, David Li • 200 Medly Relay: Mark Weisberg, Edward Ro, Ethan Pittson, Ben Hurst • 400 Freestyle Relay: Robert Newman, David Li, Edward Ro, Ben Hurst • Largest margin of victory: 129-38 vs. Cistercian.

ed most of our swimmers. That really hurt me and my coaching staff.”

However, Oprea is proud of the improvement he’s seen throughout his team as the season went by as well as the way they came together in rough times.

“It was a good season for us,” Oprea said. “We had great accomplishments among the 58 members of the team. For

• Story Christopher Wang, Zach Gilstrap Photos Lee Schlosser 10 ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018

us the highlights of the season are always the team chemistry and the support for each other throughout the toughest times.

In addition, the progress of each swimmer and the amazing individual accomplishments are great highlights.”

Ultimately, Ro is thankful for everything the coaching staff of the team has taught him, and he appreciates all the work they put in trying to better both the

team and the character of each team member.

“As a captain, I’ve been able to see behind-the-scenes what goes on long before we get in the pool and long after we get out,” Ro said. “The lessons Coach Oprea has taught us throughout the years has made the greatest impact on my high school career. I’ve become not only a better swimmer, but a better person as well.”

M

SM 10

THE ST. MARK’S 10

THE 10 MOST INFLUENTIAL FIGURES IN ST. MARK’S SPORTS THIS YEAR. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• COLLEGE COMMITS WHO THEY ARE Zach Landry, Reece Rabin, Tucker Ribman, Nick Malvezzi, John Gunnin, Garrett Mize, Seun Omonije and Houston Engleman(not pictured) WHAT THEY DID Committed to play college sports everywhere from Harvard to Haverford and Division I to Division III. HE SAID IT “The most rewarding part of my commitment is knowing I have more time to play

football. All of the outside things that come with going [Division I] is nice, but at the end of the day I have at least four more years to play the game I love.”

—Yale football commit Seun Omonije

“The most rewarding part of committing is the relief of knowing that I’m going to a school that I want to go to.

The balance of academics and athletics at [Washington & Lee] is perfect for me.”

—Washington & Lee lacrosse commit Garrett Mize

THE FASTEST MEN ON CAMPUS WHO THEY ARE The three fastest runners on the cross country team this year and the top distance runners on the track and field team.

WHAT THEY DID This year, the trio ran the top three 5K times in school history, with Pablo, Andres and Weprin earning times of 16:11, 16:01 and 15:56, respectively.

HE SAID IT “I think I really helped the team develop a strong work ethic. That’s reflected in the kids who stayed the whole year and became increasingly focused on running and the kids who didn’t make any changes to their attitude and left. Our fourth place ranking in SPC was bad. It was just a motivation to train hard over the winter.” —Andres Arroyo

SUPERFANMEN

WHO THEY ARE The real fans, the hypebeasts, the three who keep the student sections loud and rowdy all year long.

WHAT THEY DID Increased attendance at games to numbers that weighed down the student section to nearbreaking-point levels.

MEMORABLE Orchestrated the “strictly business” theme for the basketball

game agaisnt ESD, one of the most widely-participated-in theme nights of all time.

HE SAID IT “Comparing the football and basketball Friday night student sections to those from a year ago, I felt that not only were our numbers bigger, but also that we did a great job of getting everyone engaged through fun chants and the passion that we brought for every single game.”

—Sam Sussman ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018 11

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SAM SCHROEDER JIMMY RODRIGUEZ TUCKE

SM 10

••••••••••••••••••••••••••

TOUSSAINT PEGUES

WHO HE IS A senior volleyball outside hitter.

WHO HE IS WHO HE IS WHO HE IS A senior lacrosse captain and midfielder. A senior baseball captain and infielder. A senior wre WHAT HE DID Served as one of the Lions’ primary scoring threats and led the team to a berth in the final four of the Texas High School Lacrosse League Division 1 State Tournament.

MEMORABLE Scored an equalizing goal in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime against ESD April 6.

HE SAID IT “Both on the field and off the field, I have been working to make the team the best we can be. For practices and games, the other captains and I have set a high standard for the team. This is necessary for success.”

WHAT HE DID Dominated for the Lions as both an opposite “This year’s team is different than the hitter and a middle blocker. past four years I have been a part of MEMORABLE the St. Mark’s lacrosse program. In past Stepped up and switched positions to years, the team has had a couple players middle blocker during the SPC Tournament that do the heavy lifting. This year, we after freshman Tristan Doan went down are capable players, and we work really with an injury. well together. No one person is selfish HE SAID IT and we all have bought into head Coach “I was one of the best players, so I contribut- Hayward Lee’s system. I imagine that ed to the team in that way. It was fortunate this style of team chemistry will continthat I was able to carry everyone else and be ue for years to follow.” a driving force for the rest of the group.”

“Every year, we have lost to ESD by a “We didn’t get last, which was quite fortugood margin. This year was different. We nate. I also liked the parts where we beat the played them to an overtime game and other teams. Those were fun.” lost 9-8, almost taking down the number one team in the state. Even though “[The team has] a lot of good players to help the team took the loss pretty hard, we them, so I’m sure they’ll be able to learn proved to ourselves that we can beat and improve. And who knows? They might any team in the state if we show up to even win SPC in a couple years.” play.”

12 ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018

WHAT HE DID Led the team in almost every offensive statistic, finishing with a .500 batting average, one home run and 10 RBI. MEMORABLE Went 3-6 with two RBI in the two SPC tournament games and was intentionally walked twice in an opening round matchup against St. Andrew’s.

HE SAID IT “Every time I go up to the plate, I feel really confident. I always go up with the mentality that no one can get me out, that I’m going to get a hit. Defensively, I’ve also had some success at third base. Most of all, though, I’ve tried to be a good captain for the team. We have a solid team this year, and the other captains and I have tried to get the absolute best out of every player on the team.”

WHAT HE DID Went undefe fore finishing national tour MEMORABLE Was named his finish at

HE SAID IT “There was d on the team, looked forwa

“If you want tling, you’ll h of the season I didn’t alwa the outside w and it made today.”

“I first won st I had been th before, and I “I think the team really grew over the of the best e course of the season. We struggled a Something in little bit early on, but we kept working that year wa really hard in practice and in games the tournam and by the end, I felt like we were a heavy favo playing really good baseball. I couldn’t the finals it w have asked for a better group of guys up winning b to spend my last baseball season at St. seconds. It w Mark’s with.” with just one super pump “I try not to overthink it, and I don’t go paid off.” up there trying to hit a home run. My main goal is just to hit the ball hard. If “From the m you go up there trying to hit it as hard room my sev as you possibly can, you end up tens- I wanted to b ing your muscles and actually slowing being able to your swing down.” incredible.”

ER RIBMAN

estling captain.

eated in state matches beg fourth at the Prep Slams rnament in Atlanta, GA.

COLIN NEUHOFF

HARRIS WILSON YOUNG BALLERS

WHO HE IS A junior football quarterback.

WHO HE IS A senior tennis captain.

WHAT HE DID Led the football team in both passing and rushing yards, finishing the season with 18 total touchdowns and was named team MVP.

WHAT HE DID Led the tennis team to an undefeated counter season and to a third place finish in SPC.

an All American thanks to MEMORABLE Prep Slams.

Re-entered the game to throw a touchdown against ESD after sufferdefinitely a brotherhood ing a grade five spleen laceration on , and it was something I the previous drive. ard to every day.”

HE SAID IT “I would describe my impact this to really be good at wreshave to stay active outside year as bringing consistency. I had a fantastic team around me, and it was n so you don’t fall behind. my job to get everyone to their full ays absolutely love doing work, but it made me better potential. That meant knowing the me into the wrestler I am play, being smart with the ball and being in control of the drive. As long as I stayed consistent, my teammates could continue to flourish.” tate my junior year and he runner-up the year “In the Greenhill game, we were drivI’d say that that was one ing down the field on the last possesexperiences I ever had. nteresting that happened sion of regular time. The game was tied at 14 and it was a third and eight. I as I broke my hand before ment, and I went from being dropped back for a pass and got presorite to not so much, and in sure from behind me, and it looked was a dog fight and I ended like a broken play that would effectively end the drive and give Greenhill by one point in the final was really difficult winning the ball with two minutes left. But e hand. I remember being I found a hole in the chaos and ran into a group of defenders. The play ped that all my hard work still didn’t seem to have much hope.

I kept my feet running and next thing I knew, I had five teammates behind minute I stepped into the me pushing the pile forward. We went venth grade year, I knew nearly 20 yards before we went down, be an All American, and o do it my senior year was and I don’t think my teammates and I had ever been so pumped up.”

HE SAID IT “Playing tennis for St. Mark’s has been an amazing experience, from the guys I’ve gotten to bond with to the close matches we’ve pulled out to the grueling physical workouts we’ve done, every second has been incredible, and I’m so glad I’ve gotten to spend it with such a cohesive, supportive group of guys.”

“High school tennis is just special in its own way because it combines the individal nature of tennis with the team dynamic that makes other team sports so fulfilling. Even though I’m sad to graduate and leave the team behind, I can’t wait to see what the guys do next year, and I don’t regret a second of the time I’ve invested in St. Mark’s tennis.”

WHO THEY ARE Sophomore Andrew Laczkowski and Freshman Harrison Ingram, members of the varsity basketball team.

WHAT THEY DID Despite being younger than nearly everyone they would end up facing , Laczkowski and Ingram made their mark on the 2017-2018 basketball season, preparing to leave a basketball legacy that will last longer than their careers.

HE SAID IT “I feel like as a freshman I made a huge impact because I knew that I had a huge target on my back. I allowed the returning seniors to take control even though I knew I might be better than them.” —freshman Harrison Ingram “This year, the school was super into the basketball team. The relationship went both ways. When we played well, the students showed up to games. When the students showed up, we played better. I feel like, as opposed to last year, the team’s overall success made the school more excited. As I was walking down the halls, I would have people come up to me and say how they were excited for Friday nights. This excitement could be felt around the school, and I’m glad the team helped cause it.” —sophomore Andrew Laczkowski

“My favorite moment from the season this year was unquestionably when we beat Greenhill in the counter season. Even though I didn’t play well, we as a team rallied and took down the reigning five-time SPC champions which was especially enjoyable because we had lost to “To St. Marks, our team basically Greenhil every time the previbrought together the whole school.” ous three years and finally got a —freshman Harrison Ingram chance to win that matchup.”

ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018 13

AND ONE Senior captain Sam Sussman wrestles the ball to the basekt against Australian players from the Churchie School.

FULL COURT PRESS

PULL UP Rising up for a three pointer, senior captain Garrett Mize arcs a shot over the defender’s outstretched hand in a home game against Athens High School Jan 5.

The team then won the game in a close nail-biter, 81-76.

After one of the most successful regular seasons in school history, the basketball team — led by a mixture of upperclassmen and talented underclassmen — came up just short of an SPC title, finishing in third place.

Season record:

24-6 3

E

arly in the first half of the Lions’ first game of the season, the opposing Harvest Christian point guard slides a bounce pass into the lane, intending to find his teammate cutting to the hoop.

But sophomore forward Andrew Laczcowski reads it perfectly and steps between the pass and its target. Laczcowski intercepts it and takes off.

After taking a few dribbles and crossing half court, Laczcowski realizes there is no one between him and the basket.

Entering the lane, he takes off, flies towards the basket and slams home a one-handed dunk.

As Harvest Christian calls timeout, the Lions’ bench and student section erupt.

“I was sitting on the bench at the moment, and Andrew [Laczcowski] rose up for a dunk, and you see the entire bench jump up,” senior captain Sam

Sussman said. “I don’t think we had a dunk all last year, and we saw that and then you just saw all the energy.”

According to Sussman, this electric moment in the team’s opening game set the tone for the rest of the season.

“It represented our season and the level of passion that we all had this year,” Sussman said.

“Just the level of excitement that was brought I think that kind of represents our year.”

The team went on to win the game in dominant fashion, blowing out Harvest Christian 83-17. This early season success continued into the year during the Lions run in the Fantasy of Lights Tournament in Wichita Falls Nov. 24 and 25.

The team won the tournament – again in dominant fashion – going 4-0 on the weekend, and Laczcowski was named tournament MVP. Additionally,

• Story Will Forbes Photos Riley Sanders 14 ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018

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SPC finish

Sussman and fellow senior Reece Rabin were named to the all tournament team.

The momentum carried on into the counter season, as the team won its first two counter games, including a huge rivalry win over ESD. “Winning that game, I mean, it’s an incredible feeling just because everyone’s so into it and everyone wants to win so badly,” Sussman said. “You see the whole crowd, dressed in suits and just the level of support they’re bringing is unmatched and unparalleled in any other game.”

Despite losing a close game to Greenhill, the Lions finished with a 6-1 record in counter season, which was good enough to earn them the number one seed in the north zone for the SPC Tournament thanks to a tie breaker.

The team won its opening

round game in the tournament to reach the semifinals, but ran into a tough Houston Christian team.

Losing the game 71-54, the team was eliminated from championship contention.

“After the game I went over to my mom, and I just started crying,” Sussman said. “I’ve played basketball, and I have travelled the country for years, and that was it. This was my last season.”

Sussman said the heartbreak of coming so close, but never being able to win a championship is what made that loss so emotional.

“I really wanted to end up on top, and so when that clock hits zero, you have to act tough, but the emotions just kind of overwhelm you,” Sussman said.

“You’re trying to stay strong because you want to set a good example, but at the same time it just hurts.”

YOUTH MOVEMENT

Despite leaning on a large group of inexperienced underclassmen, coach Cory Martin’s soccer team rallied to finish fourth in SPC.

THE CHASE Fighting to get past a Greenhill defender, senior Kabeer Singh battles for the ball during the team’s game against the Hornets Feb. 17. The team lost the game 1-2 to finish with a fourth place result in the SPC tournament.

Season record:

9-8-3

T

h e clock continues to tick past 59:00.

Locked in a 0-0 tie against Fort Worth Country Day, varsity soccer head coach Cory Martin now has to watch and see if his team can make a turnaround.

His halftime speech is in the past. He doesn’t want to see another game like Tuesday’s 6-2 loss against Parish.

Just then, senior Arjun Singh breaks past the Country Day left back—the one he’s been hounding all night—handles a pass that had speared through the Falcons’ back line and sticks it straight to the back of the net.

Back to midfield for a kickoff. Another goal. Another kickoff. Another goal, less than eight minutes after the first one.

As the final whistle sounds, the scoreboard reads 4-0 in favor of the Lions, and as Martin looks onto the field, he finally sees what he has been looking for all season: not just 11 players, but a team.

The team Martin was faced with at the beginning of the season was bound to be one of the youngest he had ever coached. The team the year before had had nearly a dozen seniors, and this year, he would only be left with five.

“We started with so many question marks and so many young players,” Martin said. “Could they step up and play at the varsity level? And then I look and see where we finished.”

At the SPC tournament, the team took home a fourth place finish after a last-minute loss to Episcopal School of Houston in the semifinals. Junior captain Seth Weprin

ON THE ATTACK Junior striker Mateo Guevara dribbles around the outside of a defender in the midst of a 4-1 loss to Casady Dec. 1.

believes the team, though they struggled in the tournament, will be able to build off their strengths come next season.

“We fought really hard in the St. John’s game,” Weprin said. “After that, in the EHS game, which was the semifinal, we looked really good until they scored a goal. And it’s always disappointing when you break down after they score a goal, but I don’t know what we could have done differently.”

Martin attributes some of the team’s struggles in the SPC tournament—as with the rest of the season—to the way they approached games, something he hopes to change in the 2018-2019 season.

“Only if we continue to progress on that learning curve and not flatten out can we get better.”

– head coach Cory Martin

“I think one of our themes for the year was, we’d tend to start the game and see what and how the other team was doing, a little bit reactive,” Martin said. “I’d love to see us become more proactive. My goal for next year is, let’s be the team that sets the goal, sets the pace. Tell the other team, ‘Here’s what we’re going to do. See if you can stop us.’”

Despite some of the difficulties the team faced, Weprin points to the ways in which the team grew and youngers players consistently stepped up in big games as bright spots the team can build on next year.

“I’m most proud of the fact that we were able to come together,” Weprin said, “espe-

cially because we were losing by four goals at the beginning of the season, and we pulled through and were able to come in fourth in SPC. I never thought that would have been possible. But people came together, fought hard, like the freshmen really stepped up, and we really looked like a team.”

As the season went on, the team saw more and more contributions from freshmen, which became an important part of the team’s success later in the year. Martin looks forward to next year because the team will be older and more experienced, but he’s also worried about players becoming complacent with the expectation that “next year will be our year.”

“We went to the tournament with seven freshmen, so the thinking is, ‘Well, if we’re here now, in two years we’re going to have a great team,’” Martin said. “The problem is if those individual players don’t continue—and not all of them get to play year-round—if they’re not pushing the envelope and continuing to get better, we just remain status quo, and everyone else is getting better.”

Rather, Martin believes the unpredictability of school soccer means everyone, from players on the middle school teams to juniors, will have to push themselves to prepare to take home a title in 2019.

“You never know who’s coming back or what’s happening,” Martin said. “Is someone going to move? Is somebody going to play academy? Is somebody injured? Only if we continue to progress on that learning curve and not flatten out can we get better.”

• Story Parker Davis Photos Riley Sanders ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018 15

DRIVE FOR FIVE

After four straight Texas state champioinships, spanning the years when Tim Simenc ’15 captained the team to the tenure of Andrew Lin ’17, the water polo team came up just short of its ultimate goal after the end of a long season: a fifth consecutive state title.

D

oor number one.

The Lions water polo team plays their first opponent in the state tournament. Led by junior captains Mark Weisberg, Robert Newman, Joe Lofgren and Chase Honaker, the Lions expect to win this match and end up victorious, winning 9-1.

Door two.

The team now faces Jersey Village, a team they haven’t played the entire season. They’ve heard talk of some stiff competition, but nonetheless, the Lions are triumphant, almost doubling the goal total of the other team.

Door three.

The Flower Mound Jaguars stand beState Finish: hind this door. The Lions’ biggest rival, the Jaguars have been a formidable opponent to the team in the past and show no signs of being any different. And at the end of the match, the Jaguars are victorious.

They never reach the fourth door.

Every year, the water polo team holds the metaphor of the four doors to the championship, but this year, after a legacy of success, after four straight state championships, they fell prey to the team behind the third door.

According to Weisberg, this loss can be attributed to a number of factors, including how young the team was this season.

“We knew what team we were going to work with from the fall,” Weisberg said. “We’re really young. Especially with being junior captains, we didn’t know how to work with that as much as a senior captain would.”

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“The team will not be the same because people will grow up, but we already have those connections.”

– junior captain Mark Weisberg

Before the state tournament, the water polo team held a streak of four consecutive state titles. Weisberg believes that despite the teams past successes, streaks like those can’t last forever.

“There was a certain inevitability to it,” Weisberg said, “but it’s not like our entire program is done and ruined. I’m not looking forward to a steady decline, and if there’s anything I can do about that I will definitely get on it, but streaks like that don’t last forever.”

Throughout the season, Newman believes the team grew closer not only as a group of athletes, but as a family, in and out of the water.

“It was great to see everyone become teammates and really get to know each other through struggling through joint hardships,” Newman said. “The season was really interesting because the team was

• Story Zach Gilstrap Photos Owen Berger 16 ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018

BLOCKS Leaping out of the water, junior Billy Stalder (above left) and sophomore Lee Schlosser (above right) condition during a practice.

really young this year, so it was good to see how we gelled together throughout the season.”

As captains, both Weisberg and Newman believe they’ve developed more as leaders and mentors throughout the Spring. To Weisberg, he grew more through learning greatly from both the peaks and the valleys of the season.

“I can’t speak for everyone else on the team because everyone deals with these types of things differently,” Weisberg said, “but next year I’m going to be a senior, and it’s great because I’ve already gone through a lot of the mistakes you can make as a captain. I’ve been too hard, I’ve been too soft. I’ve gotten on Coach’s bad side, and I’ve tried to suck up to him too much. So now going into next year, I can do better for my team and also individually.”

And as Weisberg looks on to the next year and the upcoming season, he’s optimistic and hopeful – he’s excited for the team’s chance to journey through those next four doors.

“This Friday [May 11] we have our banquet,” Weisberg said, “and normally we’re really upset see seniors go, but we don’t have any seniors this year to speak at the banquet. Are we supposed to say goodbye? The team will not be the same because people will grow up, but we already have those connections between each other. We have a redo.”

THE RACE During a practice, players work on conditioning, mostly made up of sprints. Each game begins with the teams competing to get to the middle of the pool and the ball first, so sprints are crucial to having a strong start.

NATIONALS BOUND Thanks to a second place finish at the Central Youth Championship, the varsity quad qualified for the Youth National Championships in Rancho Cordova, Calif.

FINAL PUSH Pulling their oars back for another stroke, seniors Riley Sanders, Eduardo Ludwig-Bernardo and sophomores Billy Lockhart and Christian Duessel compete in a varsity quad event at the Heart of Texas Regatta March 3-4.

F

or this year’s crew squad, the season can be summed up in one word: nationals.

Heading in to the regional event in Oklahoma City, the varsity quad, led by senior captains Eduardo Ludwig-Bernardo and Riley Sanders, was seeded fourth.

The state championship regatta saw the varsity quad finish in third – three seconds faster than rival ESD – and gain significantly on the times of the first two boats.

“We were like two seconds, three seconds off the first two boats,” Ludwig-Bernardo said. “It was just a really tight race, and we went really hard on that day.”

Ludwig-Bernardo’s quad shaved nearly 10 seconds off their time from the previous regatta, which was a huge victory for the team. In addition, Ludwig-Bernardo only found out they were racing in the final just seconds before the race took place.

“The final got moved from the afternoon to that morning, and they told us right as we were lining up for the start that it was going to be a final,” Ludwig-Bernardo said. “Just switching gears from qualifier to final was pretty intense.”

The third-place finish in Austin clinched the trip to Oklahoma City, where the Lions were one of four boats competing for two berths to nationals. Heading in to the weekend, Ludwig-Bernardo was confident but wary of the fourth boat that they had yet to face in any competition.

When talking about their chances for nationals, Ludwig-Bernardo said, “It just depends how good that boat is.”

And while the other boat was impressive, they weren’t impressive enough to

keep the Lions out of a trip to California. The varsity quad finished second, good enough to send them to nationals.

According to Ludwig-Bernardo, the success in Oklahoma City was a result of a strong year-round campaign and a payoff for all the effort and hard work throughout the season. Unlike most sports, the crew team practices year-round, and sees the spring as the culmination of their efforts.

“Increased offseason practice has helped a ton,” Ludwig-Bernardo said. “We started doing organized morning practices three times a week, and those were pretty tough, but it shows in our performances compared to other years. Also, kids focus on crew all seasons – winter season, fall season and spring season. That’s the only sport they’ll do.”

When asked if it is hard to keep the team motivated during such a long season, as well

as the months at the beginning of the year without an official regatta, Ludwig-Bernardo said, “probably the hardest thing we face is keeping kids coming to the practices. A lot of people burn out and they can’t keep up.”

Ludwig-Bernardo also attributes much of the success of the varsity quad to its shared chemistry.

“We’re pretty tight,” Ludwig-Bernardo said. “We work hard together, we’ve got to keep each other motivated. You get a connection of teammates if you’re with these three other people all year-round every single day.”

While there was no SPC Championship for the quad to win, qualifying for nationals means the season was a huge success in Ludwig-Bernardo’s eyes. The varsity quad will continue to train ahead of their trip to Sacramento, with the regatta set to take place June 8-10.

THE GRIND Senior Eduardo Ludwig-Bernardo (above left) and junior Raymond Jurcak (above right) compete in a doubles event at the Heart of Texas Regatta.

• Story Nick Malvezzi Photos Riley Sanders ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018 17

IN THEIR LANE

Two years after a heartbreaking loss to St. John’s in the final race of the 2016 SPC Championship, the track team was looking to take back the championship.

C

ompleting their 14th meet of the 2018 spring season, the track and field team finished off a successful season with a third place finish at the SPC championship, which took place on campus May 4-5.

At this meet, 16 of 43 team members earned personal records in their respective events. In addition to these personal records, two relay teams recorded their fastest times of the season. Seniors Clay Morris, Seun Omonije and Daniel Garcia were the team’s top performers with 15, 14 and 14 points, respectively.

Omonije, who was a team captain along with Zach Gilstrap, Andre Arsenault and Morris, feels the strong bonds between his teammates made the season special.

“This seaSPC Finish: son was special because of how hard the team worked and how close we all were as a unit,” Omonije said. “From the seniors to the freshmen, it felt like a family, and I always enjoyed seeing everyone’s face, whether it was during competition or just regular daily practice.”

Similarly, sophomore Anthony Andrews enjoyed the social and communal aspect of the strenuous sport.

“Track meets are definitely fun, and there is a lot of team bonding in between intervals,” Andrews said. “Since we aren’t always doing something during practice, you get to talk a lot to the guys on the team and meet new friends.”

From throwing discus to running distance, Lions track athletes enjoyed success in each of the different areas of the sport.

In distance running, sophomores Pablo Arroyo and Tyler Nussbaumer and junior Seth Weprin led the way. In the throwing events, senior Zach Gilstrap was dominant all season. Senior Fausto Reyher was a force in the hurdle events, while juniors John Harbison, Dominic Fronc and Colton Barber improved all season as pole vaulters. Seniors Clay Morris and Daniel Garcia set several school records as jumpers.

Freshman Kit Colson, junior Matthew Coleman, Omonije and Garcia registered a time of 1:31.40 in the 4x200 relay, the third best time in St. Mark’s history.

Colson shares a similar view to Andrews and Omonije about what made the team successful this year.

“Our team this year was a great family, not only for freshmen with a large impact on

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the team but also for those who could not contribute as much,” Colson said.

“This was because of great leadership from the Junior and Senior Classes as well as good communication between grades.”

Colson also feels that his role as a freshman was beneficial for a multitude of reasons.

“It’s apparent that I contributed my best individually as a freshman, but I think that these efforts did not show the most important aspect I brought to the team,” Colson said. “Being a freshman, there was only so much I could do running against people two to three years older than me. Age aside, the best thing I did was push the upperclassmen to their limits. Pressuring sprinters like Seun, Clay and Matthew to run their best brought many more points to the team than just my individual effort did.”

The team capped of its season by winning the North Zone and finishing third at SPC. When asked about the reasons behind the track team’s performance in 2018, sophomore Kasen Roberson immediately knew his answer.

“The new era mentality, hard work in practice and talent all across the UP AND OVER Junior John Harbison gives one last push against his pole in an attempt to make it over board.” the bar during the SPC Championship May 5.

STEP BY STEP Rounding a turn, junior Seth Weprin pushes through the pain during a race. At SPC, Weprin finished eighth in the 1600 meter with a time of 4:35.30.

• Story Colin Campbell Photos Will Rocchio, ReMarker Archive 18 ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018

HIT AND RUN With the most recent SPC title two years in the rearview, the baseball team sets its sights on bringing some hardware back to 10600 Preston Rd.

W

ith two outs on the board in the first inning, junior Cole Arnett whips a low two-seam fastball into the bottom third of the strike zone. The ball hurtles towards the St. Andrew’s three-hole hitter, and with a sharp ping of aluminum, zips over Arnett’s head, midway into centerfield.

Junior Connor Pierce, backpedaling with his glove open over his forehead, deftly moves right under the path of the ball as it returns from orbit. And with a crisp smack of his leather baseball glove, Pierce pockets the ball and sends the Lions back to the dugout.

And with a leadoff single from SPC Finish: sophomore Mason Rareshide, the Lions’ cleats start to wear down the freshly painted white basepaths. Senior Jimmy Rodriguez knocks in Rareshide with a double smacked right over the third baseman’s glove. And with that, the Lions’ highest-scoring inning of the season begins.

With doubles from junior Collin Neuhoff and senior Reece Rabin, the team moves ahead 10-0 in the first inning of the SPC Championship opening round. Finishing the game 11-1, the Lions become the first — and only — North Zone team to win a game at the conference tournament this year.

“I could tell before the game that a lot of people were a little nervous because they had never been in a high-stakes game like that before,” Rodriguez said, “but we came out swinging and scored 10 runs in the first inning alone in that game. After that inning, St. Andrew’s was kind of dead for the rest of the game. They never got back into it.”

Even though the team would go on to lose to Kinkaid in the next round, the rally the team made in the tournament opener — at home on Arthur Ruff Field — capped off a season full of progress and improvement. Despite opening the season with a 0-3 record, the team, under the leadership of four senior captains Canyon Kyle, Jimmy Rodriguez, Reece Rabin and Zach Landry, recovered to finish the season with a 9-9 record.

“As a team after the start of the season, we really just wanted to get to a point where we could say that we were playing good baseball,” Rodriguez said. “We started off the season not playing very well, but by the end, I really thought we had improved in every category, and we were a good team.”

Drilling to minimize the key defensive errors that initially plagued the infield and logging countless hours in the team’s new batting cages, the Lions were able to improve both their quality of play and the team’s chemistry and morale.

“Unfortunately, a couple of timely errors by our team and hits by the other team made our team come up short in the SPC tournament,” Rodriguez said, “but I still think it was a successful season, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys to end my St. Mark’s career with.”

And despite the second round loss at the SPC tournament, Rodriguez and the other seniors finished proud of the transformation the team underwent.

“Everyone on the team really played for one another by the end of the season,” he said. “We were a really close-knit group, and the relationships I’ve made this season will last for a very long time.”

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TWO-SEAM As the runner makes a break for second base, junior pitcher Cole Arnett rears back as he prepares to hurl a fastball toward home plate. Arnett was second on the team with a 1.16 ERA.

Team leaders: • Strikeouts (pitching): Reece Rabin - 63 • Batting Average: Jimmy Rodriguez - .500 • Runs Batted In (RBI): Zach Landry - 19

BASE HIT Starting his run to first base, sophomore Mason Rareshide watches the path of the baseball. Rareshide had a batting average of .327 this season, third best on the team.

• Story Davis Bailey Photos Adnan Khan ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018 19

GAME, SET, MATCH After finishing SPC on the third step of the podium in 2017, all that was left for 2018 was to bring home an SPC Championship trophy.

F

reshman Mark Motlow takes a deep breath.

He feels the fuzz of the ball in his hand, grips his racket and prepares to serve.

His teammates are on the fence cheering him on. Their matches are done, and the Lions are tied 2-2 against Casady. Playing three singles, the team’s final match of the year comes down to Motlow’s individual result.

He rears back and fires a serve at his opponent, winning the match for himself and his team. Motlow breathes a sigh of relief as his teammates rush onto the court to celebrate—almost like they have won the SPC title.

Almost.

BACKHAND Pushing his right foot into the court, freshman Mark Motlow sends the ball back toward his opponent during a match against the ESD March 1. The match was an exhibition to prepare for a counter in April.

Coming into the season, the tennis team had one goal: a championship.

To make that happen they knew there was one team they had to beat: Greenhill. Before this season, Greenhill had won four straight SPC tennis titles and had taken the number one seed in the North Zone every season.

Despite having talented teams, the Lions were never able to get above the number two seed for the SPC tournament.

This year, however, they knew would be different. With a team full of experienced returning players, the addition of Motlow to the lineup propelled the Lions to a 3-2 victory in their regular season matchup against Greenhill.

Captain Harris Wilson credits wins by Motlow and two singles player Davis Bailey – another senior captain – as the factor that led to that win.

“We won at both two and three singles both times that we played them,” Wilson said. “The big stepping up from both Davis and Mark

QUICK PLAY Senior captain Davis Bailey moves up to push the ball back over the net to his opponent during a match against ESD.

• Story Will Forbes Photos Owen Berger 20 ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018

was instrumental in beating them because every match counts.”

The Lions rode this momentum into an undefeated 7-0 record during counter season and were finally number one in the north.

The road to a championship seemed clear, and the team won their opening round matchup easily.

The stage was set for a rematch against Greenhill with a trip to the championship on the line, a match the Lions were confident they would win until weather delays rescheduled the match from Friday afternoon to Saturday morning.

The adjusted match time meant that the Lions would be without junior Adnan Khan – one half of the one doubles team that was integral to the first win against Greenhill.

The team ended up dropping a tight match 2-3, the pivotal match being Khan’s one doubles slot.

“That was the sole match that Season record: changed was one doubles,” Wilson said. “It was frustrating, and it wasn’t a frustration as much at our guys as it was a frustration at things we can’t control. It was really just a collective frustration at the way things fell for us, not as much frustration at Adnan for not being there.”

According to Wilson the loss stung more because of the history of coming up just short against Greenhill.

“We really wanted to have it be the year to say that we were the team to dethrone Greenhill,” Wilson said. “We finally dethroned them in the [counter season], but got beaten because of what felt like a technicality. It was definitely very, very tough, especially for the seniors.”

Despite the heartbreaking end of their playoff hopes, the Lions rallied to defeat Casady in a tough third-place match with Motlow winning the deciding match.

“That was one of the best matches we as a team have played all season, not in terms of quality of play, but in terms of heart,” Wilson said. “We ended with the same positive energy that we started with.”

10-3

TOP SHELF

After finding themselves second in SPC and out after the THSLL State quarterfinals last year, the Lions looked to take back a championship.

13-7 nd 2 Season record:

SPC Finish :

TO THE GOAL Dodging his defender, sophomore attacker Colin Campbell looks to score a goal during a 15-4 win against Greenhill.

G

oing into overtime, the score was tied at nine apiece. Forty-eight minutes weren’t enough to decide the victor, so they needed a few more.

Sudden death. First to put the ball in the back of the net walks away with the win.

The Eagles—the favorites—against the Lions.

The attackmen watch on their side of the midfield line, watching as ESD puts pressure on the Lions defense. Watching as the ESD attackman lets a shot rip and finds the back of the net.

Standing as a wave of camoflauge pours over the fence and out onto the field, singing “Sweet Caroline” at the top of their lungs.

Though the Lions lost that game, senior

captain Sam Schroeder believed it came with a silver lining.

“We really showed some hard fighting, and we showed that we could compete against anyone in the state,” Schroeder said.

“It gave us a lot of confidence.”

The Lions came into the season at a disadvantage, with SPC rules preventing them from beginning practice until February, while other teams in the Texas High School

• Story Parker Davis Photos Lee Schlosser

Lacrosse league—the organization that governs the team’s play at the state level—aren’t subjected to the same regulations.

“We’re playing in a league that we play against teams from all over the state,” Schroeder said. “They can practice year-round, so we really had to get on our horse really fast.

We had to basically climb a lot more of the mountain than other teams in a really short amount of time.”

Despite early losses to Jesuit and Westlake, two of the tougher teams on the schedule, Schroeder saw the team change its season for the better during the spring break trip to North Carolina.

“Those two games were a huge turning point for us,” Schroeder said, “because that was when our offense started to click and our defense started to click. That was when everything began to come together.”

As the team began to make a charge, losing that game to ESD by only one goal before beating Allen 15-11 and taking home an easy win against Plano West.

Coming into SPC play, the team knew they had only one true opponent: ESD. After beating the South’s St. Andrew’s and St. John’s by scores of 18-2 and 16-4, respective-

ON THE ATTACK Crossing midfield, senior Blake Daugherty starts the attack for the Lions during their win over Greenhill.

ly, the team moved on to the SPC championship game against the Eagles.

The team lost to the Eagles 10-2, leaving with their third straight second-place SPC finish, which, according to Schroeder, wasn’t due to a lack of talent.

“We just did not come out to play,” Schroeder said, “and I was really disappointed about that. But something coach Lee always says is, ‘Toughness is going from failure to failure with no loss of commitment or enthusiasm,’ and that’s how we tried to handle that game. We left that behind and just went on with our season.”

Even after that game, the team still had one more chance to bring home some hardware: the THSLL State Championships, which took place May 12-13, featuring a final four of the Lions, Jesuit, the Woodlands and ESD. “We started off pretty rough” Schroeder said,' but Coach Lee, here’s what Coach Lee says. He says, ‘It’s just a race to the top.’ It doesn’t matter if a team starts in November or February. As long as you work hard you can get there, and I feel like we’ve really done a good job of that so far.”

ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018 21

UNDER PAR

H

After losing several low-scoring seniors after last season, the golf team came into 2018 seeking progress and experience.

onestly I wouldn’t change a thing.

Even after a disappointing 11th place finish at the Southwest Preparatory Conference tournament, senior golf captain Rett Daugbjerg wouldn’t change a thing looking back at his final season playing golf for the blue and gold.

Despite a poor performance on the first day of SPC, Daugbjerg was proud of the way his team came together at the tournament and thinks the team is in a good spot for next season.

“Obviously on a personal note I would want to play better in my last St. Mark’s tournament ever,” Daugbjerg said, “but I don’t think there was anything from a team standpoint I would change at all. We had some great wins and tough losses throughout the year, but that’s just being part of a team. We had a great balance of upper and underclassmen, and I think our progression throughout the year put us in a good spot for next year.”

Daugbjerg believes the SPC tournament held the team’s highest and lowest moments of the season.

“We played pretty consistently all SPC Finish: year until day one of SPC where we played worse than we had all year,” Daugbjerg said. “But after the first day the team really came together and we bounced back very well and played about twenty strokes better than we did on day one. I was proud of our second day showing — to come back from such a crummy first day and play twenty strokes better is a statement in and of itself.”

Over the course of the season, Daugbjerg saw the team improve both physically and mentally.

“It’s been a lot of fun to watch the entire team grow this season,” Daugbjerg said. “Both the mental and physical side to everyone’s golf game has developed throughout the year and put them in a great place for next year.”

Daugbjerg attributes much of the team’s success to the underclassmen on the team.

“It’s been incredible to watch the young guys play throughout the year,” Daugbjerg said. “The younger guys have really stepped up and made it easy on Mike [Mahowald], Hill [Washburne], and I. Everyone on the team has improved all year through team practices, matches and tournaments. The underclassmen have gotten a lot better throughout the season, and I’m excited to see what they do next year.”

According to Daugbjerg, the three younger players who especially stepped up during the season to give the team a boost were sophomores Romil Mathur and Camp Collins as well as junior James Rogers.

“It was especially fun to watch James Rogers, Romil Mathur and Camp Collins improve all year and step up for the SPC tournament,” Daugbjerg said. “The team is in capable hands next year for sure, and I wish them all the best.”

Above it all, Daugbjerg wishes for the team to go out and have fun next year in the midst of such a competitive environment.

“First and foremost I want them to have fun playing the game and being together,” Daugbjerg said. “Golf can be mentally challenging, and I want them to just enjoy themselves when they play.”

Ultimately, Daugbjerg believes next year’s team will be able to set themselves up for success.

11

th

• Story Christopher Wang Photos Rohit Vemuri 22 ENDZONE — MAY 17, 2018

CHIP IN Beginning his backswing, senior Ben Clayman prepares for a short iron shot as he nears the green during a practice round.

“I obviously want them to be as competitive as possible throughout the various matches and tournaments throughout the year,” Daugbjerg said, “but I think they will set those goals themselves. At the end of the day everyone wants to win, and I think next year’s guys will take care of whatever goals they make for themselves.”

The Players

The total scores for the Lions golfers at SPC Hill Washburne

178 174 172 163 158 Romil Mathur

James Rogers, Mike Mahowald

Camp Collins

Rett Daugbjerg

Source: SPC

END OF THE ROAD

by Zach Gilstrap

M

Seniors Zach Gilstrap and Sam Sussman reflect on the lessons they learned playing and rooting for the Lions.

y mud-clogged Nike cleats tangled in the thick grass, sending me to an abrupt fall. The wind howled through the holes of my black and white helmet, scratched and scuffed from weeks of being on the receiving end of deafening tackles.

That was the reality for me at that time — as an 11-year-old lineman on my little league football team, I was one of the biggest players while also being one of the worst and, admittedly, weakest. I had no coordination, no desire, no drive for the game of football.

And despite the motivation from the coaches and our families, the rest of the kids on the team — including me — thought of practice as a roadblock in the middle of their day and wanted greatly to go back home. While being a part of this football program exposed me to football, it wasn’t until I came to St. Mark’s that I started to love the game.

On the first day of Coach Mank’s seventh grade football tryouts, I was still that timid but large lineman, outwardly laughing with friends on the sidelines while on the inside suffering from an arresting sense of nervousZach Gilstrap ness — to put it simply, I was terrified to Football step on that field. captain But when we started parsing through preliminary plays, slamming the old blocking sleds and building our team dynamic, something — of which I can’t really explain to this day — felt different. Working with this new team of brothers, I shredded my timidity, I tapped into my passion for the game and I overcame clumsiness — barring the occasional trip or two.

In essence, I embarked on a new journey as a football player, one of confidence and self-assurance. This camaraderie lasted and grew even stronger all the way up to my senior year, a year full of my greatest sports memories.

This discovery of confidence is what stands out most when looking back on my career as a St. Mark’s athlete. The culture surrounding sports at this school is inspiring in so many ways, most specifically in how the community encourages its athletes to try everything.

Coming into St. Mark’s, I had only ever played three sports in my life: football, basketball and tee ball (I only played one game of tee ball; that’s an entirely different story). But after my seventh grade year, I expanded my horizons and tried out wrestling and track and field. I had great times with wrestling, but it has been track and field, specifically shot put and discus, where I discovered a new side of my athletic interests.

There’s no better feeling than first hearing your rounded throwing shoes landing in the ring in unison and then seeing the discus hurtle through the air with a clean, smooth path. However mundane that may sound, from a thrower’s perspective, that feeling is equivalent to eating a slice of apple pie: it’s sweet and fulfilling, and afterwards you want so much more of it.

My time with track and field brings me back to the idea of confidence. I would have never thought of trying something so complex as discus if it weren’t for the exploratory athletic community that exists at St. Mark’s, and through working with Coach Phillips and Coach Turek for years, I’ve learned even more through lessons in character and citizenship. I owe the world to those men and all of the other coaches that have impacted me throughout my life.

From finding a place on the football team in seventh grade to spending hours in a concrete throwing ring, my experience playing sports at St. Mark’s has been one of great discovery and sublime fulfillment. I’ve gained confidence in sports I once thought I had no passion for, in sports I didn’t even know existed and in myself. And for that, I have nothing but the highest praise for this place and what it’s done for me athletically.

And if I could say anything to that timid, 11-year-old lineman in seventh grade, I would say: “you’re in for the ride of a lifetime. Oh, and please, cut down the embarrassing trips.”

by Sam Sussman irball, airball, airball.

The chants poured down from the ESD student section my junior year after I left a hook shot just slightly short. Of the rim.

From being called the Michelin Man to hearing endless banter about how “swagless” my one ankle brace is, I’ve heard just about everything from student sections.

Love them or hate them, student sections are what make high school sports special.

••• This year, I’ve gotten to both play in front of a student section and lead one, and it was truly unforgettable.

As a player, you try your hardest not to focus on what fans are saying, but in reality, the endless harassment gets in your head.

On the other hand, there are few things in this world Sam more exciting and invigoratSussman Basketball ing than hearing the collective captain “ooh” of the student section after an ankle-breaking crossover or a chase down block. When, for that one play, you are able to garner their approval and get everyone to stand on their feet cheering you on, it makes you feel almost invincible.

Also, student sections are always there for you when you are feeling down. In that same junior year game against ESD, after only hearing the word airball for three quarters, I was feeling dejected. The game wasn’t going our way, and I was flustered.

Out of nowhere I heard from the student section, “I love you Sam!” followed by the chanting of my name, and I turned to see some of my friends with the biggest smiles on their faces. In a game where I was defeated, they managed to bring a smile to my face.

As a player, student sections are incredible to witness, especially when they start singing Christmas carols while the other team is shooting free throws, but it is even more fun to orchestrate and lead a student section.

Being a super fan man, I’ve gotten to start my fair share of chants this year, and I’ve learned that the hardest part about chanting is finding the perfect chant where you get in the other team’s head, while still “cheering not jeering.”

Whether that means yelling “great defense” when the other team drops an easy pass for a turnover or repeatedly screaming the names of players on the other team, this challenge is what keeps me on my toes as a fan of the game and a leader of the student section.

Friday nights for me became defined by how loud our student sections could get at football games. My fellow super fan men and I knew it was our job to set the tone at each and every game, whether that meant wearing ridiculous costumes to themed games or by thinking of new chants for every game.

My favorite chant of the year has to be getting the student section to sing the SpongeBob theme song to kick off every football game this year.

As my time in high school comes to a close, one thing I will never forget are the memories made either in or in front of student sections. Student sections make high school sports special because they always have your back even when you are down by 20, but they can also play an instrumental role in any game by respectfully cheering against the other team, increasing the nerves until eventually someone messes up and maybe a game-tying extra point sails wide left.

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