On Friday and Saturday, March 20-21, Jesuit hosted its 51st annual Sheaner Relays. In this well-known meet, dominant schools from around the country brought their talent to Jesuit in one of the most competitive meets all season.
According to head coach, Doug Robinson, the plan going into the meet was to have “a successful meet and that Jesuit would be represented in a great way.” Coach Robinson added that he wanted for it to be “a great experience for athletes, coaches, and spectators.”
Junior standout and captain Connor “Stillskin” Garvey commented that he wanted his team to “show out and prove that we are a force to be reckoned with.” Garvey added that he “hoped to get better from it, as we were facing some of the best teams in the state.”
The Rangers proved to do just that, all across the board, and took home many solid finishes. In the Men’s 110 Meter Hurdles, Matt Helm ’15, the first Ranger to place, impressively finished 13th. Helm later competed in the Men’s 300 Meter Hurdle, taking 16th place, in a very tough race.
In the high jump, Jesuit was represented by Shawn “Wetgame” Regan ’16, who finished 5th place overall. Regan dominated the prelims, earning him a chance to compete in the finals. Also in the field, Nmensoma Nwafor ’15 and Adam Bartlett ’15 dominated the shot put, with Nwafor taking home 4th, and Bartlett 5th.
Junior Oliver Wilson commented “I was really happy to see Jesuit dominate in the field especially after seeing how hard the coaches worked to prepare the event.” The coaches certainly were happy because the event turned out to be one of the best yet.
In the discus throw, Bartlett and Nwafor proved once again that they can hang with some of the best, with Nwafor taking 8th and Bartlett 9th. The success of these two reflects also on all the hard work that their coach, Charles Hinton III, has put in, making sure they are competing at a high level.
As usual, the long distance was a big success for the Rangers. In the 1600, John Garvey ’16 set the best time for a Ranger all year with a 4:28 finish, bringing him in 16th place, in an 82-man race. In the 3200, sophomore Connor O’Neill impressed many, coming in 10th place.
One disappointing part of the Sheaner Relays, however, was the Men’s Distance Medley. A stellar team of Connor Garvey, Connor O’Neill, Ethan Brownlee ’16, and Aaron Blackmon ’15 had a comfortable lead. After Garvey handed the baton to Blackmon, Blackmon pulled his hamstring and the team was disqualified.
Coach Robinson, when asked if the team exceeded his expectations, responded that “there is always room for improvement, but considering the level of competition, it was great to perform and take some top finishes.”