Borough Champions: A Dive Into the Boys Outdoor Track Success Story and Why We at Stuyvesant Choose to be Winners

Success is a gift that is earned, not given. The Stuyvesant boys’ outdoor track team, the Greyducks, was crowned Manhattan Borough Champions on May 5 at Icahn Stadium for the first time in five years. It was an impressive feat that demanded the focus and determination from all members of the team, made possible by the grueling hours of practice every day after school. The title of “Borough Champions” came only with daily hard work and sacrifice, producing the strongest Greyducks team in recent history. 

The Borough Championships and the Sophfrosh Meet

The outdoor track season culminated in Boroughs at Icahn Stadium on May 5. The team’s success came only after a series of struggles for members, including sophomore sprinter Hadrien Langlois who suffered a hamstring injury while running the 100-meter finals. This was a massive blow to both the team’s morale and performance, as Langlois, one of the strongest sprinters on the team, was unable to finish the race to earn points for Stuyvesant. Despite this, the team persisted and continued to compete ferociously. Junior sprinter Xavier Tyler and junior hurdler Max Shimbo led the sprint team, while junior thrower Tay Cheong, sophomore high jumper Justin Ruan, and freshman triple jumper Allen Lin led the field events. Senior Derek Li, sophomores Austin Li and Jawad Siddique, and freshman Yash Balkaran also had impressive performances in the 4x400-meter relay. The distance team, led by captains Jamie Anderson, Rayan Capanu, and Dawson Carlisle, had three 4x800-meter teams place in the top 25 in the city, establishing this year’s roster as one of the strongest in recent history at Stuyvesant. Together, the team secured first place at the Manhattan Borough Championships. “I was surprised and I was filled with euphoria. We deserved it, though,” sophomore sprinter and high jumper Jaedon Yassin said. 

Following their victory at Boroughs, the team’s underclassmen looked to continue their streak at the FroshSoph City Championships on June 2. As the name suggests, only freshmen and sophomores were allowed to compete. Similar to their experience at Boroughs, the team faced a rocky start. The freshman relay team running the 4x400-meter was unfortunately disqualified despite being 25 seconds ahead. Nevertheless, the team persevered and managed to win third place in the competition. 

Training Regiments and Coaches

All track members train every day after tenth period under the guidance of Coach Sandra Brandan and assistant coaches Stephen McClellan and Tony Kunin. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the throwers and sprinters meet on the fifth floor to use the weight room, where they complete a pre-planned workout. Throwers don’t follow as strict of a regiment, focusing on quick, sharp movements in addition to strength training for a variety of different muscle groups. Long-distance runners utilize the long walkway along the Hudson River to improve their endurance. 

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, sprinters, throwers, and long-distance runners all make a trip to East River Park in Manhattan. On these workout days, they make use of the open space to practice whatever event they are participating in. For instance, throwers utilize this open space to practice their form and simulate actual competition-like events. 

The Team’s Progression

Even though these different athletes have contrasting training routines, one thing is for certain—it isn’t easy. Dedicating every weekday to go and train after school is already impressive in itself, with each training session taking multiple hours on top of their rigorous workload from school. The culture at Stuyvesant is one of excellence. Many feel the pressure from the high academic standards that the school is known for, and these athletes hold equally high expectations for themselves when it comes to physical practice and training. They strive for athletic excellence just as they strive for academic excellence. Sophomore shot put thrower Gerasimos Hatzigeorgiou  recalls a moment when he felt he wasn’t meeting the standards he had set for himself in training: “I was practicing my shot put throw in McCarren Park [Brooklyn]. I wasn’t making any progress, and it was really starting to get to me. I ended up staying a few more hours than usual, and only left when I had beaten the standards I had set for myself that day. No one was there to feel bad for me if I lost, so I knew I needed to put the work in.”

Sophomore long distance runner Ethan Lijin,  who had struggled early in the season, recounts his mentality going into the final meet at Icahn Stadium. He had sustained an ankle stress fracture injury in the earlier part of the season, but was determined to make a comeback and work harder than ever. “I knew I had worked extremely hard this season after my injury. I wanted to win so badly, and I put in even more work than I had previously. I couldn’t just accept that all my efforts would be in vain. For me, it was either giving up now after putting in all this work already, or forging forward through the toughest times in order to achieve victory. I chose the latter,” Lijin said. He ran a 2:14 in the 800-meter event and ended up winning his heat. He had a rocky start to the race but had a massive comeback in which he overcame the leading runner by less than a head.

These athletes demonstrated that a warrior mentality is something that cannot be taught, and that separates the good from the great. Working while no one was watching and pushing through the blood, sweat, and tears are what allowed these athletes to excel and help bring back the trophy to Stuyvesant.  

Sophomore sprinter and high jumper Jaedon Yassin  also did not see success during the start of the season. He was still trying to find his place on the team as a new athlete. Coach Sandra Brandan recognized his talent, however, and urged him to try high jumping, which Jaedon found he excelled in. He shifted his focus to not only include sprinting in his training, but also jumping. He worked hard every day after practice, and his efforts paid off. In the FroshSoph City Championships meet, he was in the top six of all sophomores in the high jump event.

When asked about his opinion on the team, Anderson, the fastest junior in the mile in Stuyvesant history, said, “This season saw the emergence of a lot of new talent, and I am excited for the future of this team.”

Individual vs. Team

Coach Sandra Brandan gave a moving speech to the team after they were crowned Borough Champions. She acknowledged that in all her previous years at Stuyvesant, she had never seen a more successful team than this year’s. She admitted that she had learned a lot, and her view on what it meant to be a successful team had changed because of this year. Previously, she had always focused on finding a few standout individuals to essentially help carry the rest of the team. However, this year she recognized that it was more important to focus on the entire team, not just a few star players. It was more important to find what people were good at, and help them hone their skills. The efforts of the whole team were more important than simply the efforts of individual stars. This, she acknowledges, is what led to the Greyducks’ success this year.

What This Means for Us

There is something you should know about winning before you go and chase it; a lesson to be learned from these athletes, and it is something that the best of the best are familiar with. Winning is not loyal to you. It doesn’t care about you. It doesn’t care how sore you are. It doesn’t care about how much sleep you get. Winning doesn’t even care about how hard you work at times. Sometimes someone doesn’t outwork you, yet they still win. Sometimes it isn’t fair and there is no justice. Winning requires all of you, and then some. So why do we chase this thing called winning? It’s because the only thing that is 100 percent certain if we do not chase winning is losing. 

At Stuyvesant, we refuse to be losers.