On Sunday (19th of April), Graded’s boys’ and girls’ varsity track and field teams returned from Santiago, Chile, where they were competing at the 5th annual SAAC track and field. Both of Graded’s teams included middle and high school athletes, who collectively secured a historic maiden championship.
Unlike other sports at SAAC, track and field uses a point system, where the top 8 athletes in each category earn points based on their placing, which cumulate into a collective team score. Events were split by middle and high school, but both categories would aggregate to the team score of that gender. For example, if a middle school boy got 1st place in a race, that would add 8 points to Graded’s varsity boys team total. Graded boys beat second place (FDR) by 32 points, while Graded girls beat second place (also FDR) by 98 points.
Besides team points, however, Graded also shone individually, bringing home a staggering amount of medals, including multiple “all-Graded podiums”, asserting their dominance over the other schools. This led to athletes Helena Chaves, Eva Cohen, Anna Havlin, Dalí Jaspers, Nicolas Rossi, and Isaiah Allen all being named to the all-star tournament team. Besides medals, though, many athletes brought home new personal bests, many of them unrecognizable from the start of the season.
When asked about how he felt after the tournament, team captain Isaiah Allen stated, “It’s honestly a great feeling. I watched so many of these athletes grow in such a short time that we had. Everyone put in so much work and effort, and it really showed when everyone did great in their events, whether it was a PR or medaling in their event”.
As well as medals, Graded athletes specifically showed incredible sportsmanship. 2 years ago, SAAC introduced the Spirit of SAAC award, bestowed upon students who demonstrate extraordinary sportsmanship throughout the competition. This year, the award was given to Amaia Tuñon and Julieta Rossi, who went out of their way to branch out, get to know, and help other athletes.
Unfortunately, this positive attitude was not reciprocated by some of the other schools, particularly by one school. This rival school had some difficulty following SAAC’s clear guidelines during events, particularly during the 4x400m relay. During the last lap, there was an “accidental” physical altercation between Graded and the school’s runners, effectively disqualifying both schools from the race. However, thankfully, Graded athlete Anna Havlin was recording the race, and with the video evidence, an appeal was presented to the officials, which led to the disqualification being revoked and both schools being given a yellow card each. Even so, the rivalry between the schools continued throughout the competition, causing some tension at the awards ceremony when this school finished second to Graded on both the boys’ and girls’ teams.
Within the team, however, the atmosphere was extremely different. Team captain Sarah Lee stated, “I’m honestly really proud. Bringing home the championship with this team means everything. Everyone pushed themselves and supported each other. It’s also emotional knowing this is my last SAAC for Track and Field, but I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end it”.
Ultimately, while the trophies will now find their home in the Graded display cases, the impact of this historic double gold extends far beyond the medals. This championship sets a new standard for the program, proving that with a blend of individual discipline and collective spirit, Graded can dominate on the international stage. As the seniors prepare to pass the baton to the next generation, the momentum from Santiago suggests that this historic win is not just a one-time feat, but the start of a new era for Graded Track and Field.
