- JR boys Track crushes the competition at the Gator Invitational
Of the many incredible meets of this track season, one meet stands out above the rest: the Gator Invitational. In the competitive meet in April, many runners PR’ed and medaled. While the boys were confident, they knew they faced tough competition. However, they pulled through, and quickly led the boys 4×100, ending with a group PR of 43.62 seconds. The boys 800m runners were ready to keep up the momentum. Coming out the gate, Senior Harry Bertsch placed second after starting in the back, running a PR of 1:56 and boosting spirits. Runners sophomore Conrad Day, junior Mark Suardi, and sophomore Arjun Bhat, each followed, all earning a new PR, placing first, second and third respectively (Conrad even doing it with a ripped shoe). In the end, JR proved their team’s cohesion and dominance over the competition. In the end, they left the meet having deemed it as one of the best of the season.
- JR’s crew team upholds its culture of hard work
Last Month, the rowers went to Occoquan River in Northern Virginia, ready to do well in the Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Rowing Association (WMIRA) regional tournament. The JR boys team had never won in this regatta, so the rowers’ determination was astounding. They beat out tough schools like Gonzaga, Whitman, and St Albans to secure the team’s first regional gold. Leading for much of the race, the first and third boats managed to secure silver–the first for JR in ten years. The second boat, dominating the entire race, beat out Gonzaga and secured the first Gold Medal for JR at the WMIRA Championships in school history. Rowers didn’t just show up to this tournament, they brought their A game, even PR’ing across different boats. This tournament showed the team’s willingness to put good work to action and bring home wins.
- JR Baseball’s Walk Off over Landon
Going into the game, stakes were high. Not only is there a history of intensity, this rivalry runs deeper than most. Henry Martinez, current head coach of Landon, used to work for JR. As the game got off to a chippy start, with multiple Landon players ejected, both teams knew the importance of sticking it to the other team by securing a win. Following an entertaining seven innings, both teams were tied at three going into extra innings, a sudden death overtime that ended when one team had the lead at the end of an inning. Shutting out the Landon offense, JR took to the batter’s box knowing that one run would secure a win. When a sacrifice bunt put Captain Jackson Loomis on second, the team knew how close they were to a storybook win in the bottom of the eighth. In the next play, Loomis, in an attempt to steal third, found himself caught, with a risk of restarting the team’s progress. However, through sheer acrobatic ability, he managed to dodge what was a sure tagout, sliding into third with just enough time to be called safe. Following another Landon ejection, first baseman and Senior Rowan Hopson hit a sacrifice fly on the very next pitch, driving in Loomis, and winning the game on a walkoff. •