Beyond the Finish Line: Life Lessons and Brotherhood in Outdoor Track
Juniors Manuel Lozano-Velez (left) and Warner Gephardt (right) race in the 3200m race at the North Shore Invitational on May 14. Photo: Lucas Paschke
By LUCAS PASCHKE and MANUEL LOZANO-VELEZ
This article’s authors are members of the boys track team.
The young team could pass for any group of rowdy teenagers, making their presence known on the city bus. On the outside, they’re a group of friends arguing over which team logo looks better. But on the inside lies something more. Take a walk down to Marine Park and you may just spot them, arms outstretched around each other as beads of sweat roll down their temples.
Dressed in navy blue singlets and shorts that are a little too high for comfort, the Midwood Boys Track Team races around the crowded streets of New York, through whatever weather is thrown at them or whatever race is coming up next. It’s a grinding sport, one where the challenge comes not just from the running itself, but from the mental pressure as well.
“Running is physical pain that you have to fight through with your mind,” said junior Sajid Amin. “It requires a lot of commitment and dedication, as well as consistency.”
“Having to keep on going even when you feel like you can’t take another step and having to push yourself makes this sport really difficult,” said freshman Finn Berger. “Even if you have no more strength left, your mind can enable you to push yourself and squeeze out a little more power and finish faster than you think you could’ve.”
“[Running with the team] taught me that you have to have the drive and the courage to be able to go out there and get it and keep grinding,” said senior Jordan Diaz.
“There are times when I just get lazy and do nothing,” said Waldo Dilone ‘23. “I always have to come back from that because laziness is reflected in your times.”
Discipline is a common theme that resonates through the team. “The best part of track is that hard work does really pay off,” said Mr. Marc Cohen, the team’s coach. “If you don’t put the work in, especially when it gets hard, you’re not going to see the results. You can’t hide that in our sport.”
A drive to constantly improve that nears obsession brings the boys back every day.
“I stayed with the team because I saw progress, enjoyed being with the boys, and liked the grind,” said Warner Gephardt ‘23. “I like the energy we have, the commitment, and the competition.”
These are lessons that transfer to life outside the track, where the runners say they see benefits in their academic and personal lives.
“Track brings me stability in life,” said Dilone. “Without it, I don’t really know what I would be. It also helps me be more responsible and less stressed with my school life.”
“A lot of people on sports teams tend to be smart because they have drive and initiative,” Dilone said. “If you look at the top students in Midwood, most of them are on sports teams or do extracurricular activities. They take responsibility and skills and apply it to their lives.”
That determination creates a brotherhood that even a global pandemic couldn’t break apart. It’s one that often takes the form of humor.
Berger told the story of being on a team bus ride with tired legs. “I was about to sit down,” he said, “when Daniel [Allone ‘22] yelled, ‘There’s a dookie on that seat!’ I just accepted defeat and proceeded to sit down. Now, my name is just ‘Dookie Seat.’ It feels good being known as Dookie Seat. People will know Dookie Seat until the end of time.”
Farai Walsh ‘23 loves getting haircuts, and ever since he got his first cut after joining the team, he has been known as Fresh Cut Farai, a name coined by teammate Dante Lightbourne ‘22. Poking fun at each other brings the team closer together, which is essential in sports like track.
“The guys are the reason why I keep on coming back every year,” said Amin. “We have that bond. We’re not just track friends–we can hang out outside of school and track. We talk about what’s going on in our lives and suffer together.”
“I love hanging out with the team,” said Diaz. “We’re all different guys and we all love different things, but we all come together because we simply love to run.”
“The team is great and everyone is fun to be around,” said Lightbourne. “I just love the atmosphere.”
Spring 2022 marked the first complete outdoor season for many runners on the team after Covid-19 restrictions severely limited practices and meets over the last two years. As masks and restrictions slowly lifted, the tight-knit nature of the team revived.
“The guys have evolved big time,” said Mr. Cohen. “They have really come together and are all in uniform. They look like a team, and they made a lot of big steps.”
As the season nears its end, so too comes the end of the Midwood running careers for the team’s graduating seniors. These student-athletes have cemented reputations that will carry on in the memories of those who journeyed with them.
“It’s so sad,” said Allone, who had been on the team since his freshman year. “I would trade anything to be able to run with the team again. I’m going to miss this.”
“I’m going to miss everyone here,” said Lightbourne. “I love the team from the bottom of my heart, and it’ll always have a special place inside of my heart.”
The Boys Track Team at North Shore High School in Long Island on May 14. Photo: North Shore H.S. Administration
One team veteran who has shined as a role model is senior Wesley Corona. His 2022 season came to an unfortunate end with an injury, but his image of what a student-athlete should be resonates with the team. Corona set a legacy of hard work, drive, and determination that pushed each runner forward through the challenges of student life.
“Wesley is a huge part of our team, an amazing runner, and a really great guy,” said Allone.
“It makes me sad whenever I think about how Wesley can’t run for the last race,” said Lightbourne.
On the count of three, the boys shook the bus on their way to a race with the words: “We love Wesley!”
“It was really tough when I got injured,” said Corona. “I really wanted to run one last good season with the boys.”
“Track is a hard sport,” he said. “It’s your teammates that give you the strength to keep going. I’m going to miss the boys and the satisfaction of running a good race.”
With the season nearly at its end, the team is already planning on making a strong return for the cross country season in the fall.
“If the team has a great summer, we could have a real chance at making the state championship,” said Mr. Cohen.
And with that, the team will say goodbye to old friends and hello to new ones as a new season of opportunity approaches. Challenges come and go, but what is left behind is permanent.
“I think we've all really grown closer as friends,” said sophomore Alexi Pravich. “We push each other and improve ourselves as a unit. Being close with teammates is one of the most important things about being on a team.”