Lion Sports Update (May 4)

The St. Mark’s varsity tennis team opened its SPC Championship run in emphatic fashion against 7th-seeded Houston Christian. Entering as the No. 2 seed, the Lions met expectations with a dominant performance, sweeping all three singles lines in straight sets without conceding a single game—a remarkable display of control and precision. That momentum carried into doubles, where both pairings secured straight-set victories to complete a comprehensive sweep.

The Lions advanced to a semifinal matchup against 3rd-seeded Kinkaid, relocated indoors to the Jewish Community Center in Houston due to weather. The change in venue did little to disrupt their focus. At Line 1 singles, Bryan Li set the tone with a commanding 6–0, 6–1 win, while the Line 1 doubles team of Aryaman Lahoti and Nathaniel Hochman followed with a composed 6–3, 6–1 victory. Line 2 doubles battled early but ultimately fell in straight sets. Freshman Caden Lim delivered the standout moment, rallying from a set down to win in a decisive 10-point tiebreak. With the team result secured, play at Line 3 singles—where freshman Lucas Gong held the lead—was halted. The match showcased the Lions’ composure, depth, and energy in one of their most spirited performances of the season.

That momentum carried the Lions into the SPC Championship final at Rice University, their first appearance in three years. Facing a strong St. John’s squad, the Lions encountered an early deficit, dropping Line 2 doubles and Line 3 singles. At Line 1 doubles, Hochman and Lahoti battled to a first-set tiebreak before falling 7–6, 6–2, a result that proved pivotal. Lim again showed resilience at Line 2 singles, taking the opening set before play was halted as St. John’s clinched the overall title. At Line 1 singles, Bryan Li delivered a standout performance, rallying from a 1–4 deficit to win the first set 7–5 and building a 5–2 lead in the second before the match was called.

Though the result favored St. John’s, the Lions’ return to the championship stage marks a significant step forward—defined by growth, resilience, and a strong foundation for what lies ahead.

The varsity track & field team closed its season with an outstanding performance at the SPC Championships. Entering the meet with confidence and a clear “dog mentality”—a team of Dobermans, not Beagles—the Lions delivered.

Day one was marked by repeated weather delays, with only a portion of events completed before conditions forced a pause. After a lengthy delay, the 4x800 relay was the lone event to finish, with the team of William Cho, Nicholas Cho, Charles Shea, and Jackson Bailey posting a season-best time—13 seconds faster—to place fifth. Leo Hughes also contributed, matching his personal best of 10’ in the pole vault to finish sixth.

Saturday brought improved conditions but a demanding schedule, with all remaining events condensed into a single day. The Lions responded with a series of strong performances.

In the morning field events, Dillon Kennedy led the way in discus with four personal records, finishing second with a throw of 135’—an 11-foot improvement and his first All-SPC medal. Omar Jenkins followed with a third-place finish and All-SPC honors. In the long jump, Max Bean, Braden Scott, and Anderson Love all scored, with Max finishing second (21’ 11.75”) to earn All-SPC recognition. Jenkins added another third-place finish in the shot put (45’ 9”), securing his second medal of the meet. Scott and Love later placed fifth and eighth in the triple jump, while Jackson and George Brown contributed points in the 3200m.

The afternoon session brought a fast-paced stretch of running events. The 4x100 relay team of Riggs Bean, Tripp Schoellkopf, Braden Scott, and Max Bean set the tone with a second-place finish, earning All-SPC honors. In the 110 hurdles, Bryce Jones-Quaidoo placed fifth, adding valuable points. The 100m produced one of the meet’s biggest surprises, as Riggs Bean won his heat convincingly and ultimately finished third overall to earn his first All-SPC medal, while Max Bean placed fifth.

In the 400m, Schoellkopf surged down the stretch to claim second and his second All-SPC medal. Jones-Quaidoo returned in the 300 hurdles to post a PR of 42.09 and earn his first All-SPC honor. Schoellkopf added another podium finish in the 200m, placing third.

Strategic lineup decisions paid off in the 1600m, where William Cho, Nicholas Cho, and Jackson Bailey finished third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, with William earning All-SPC recognition.

The meet concluded with the 4x400 relay, where Max Bean, Riggs Bean, Braden Scott, and Schoellkopf delivered a season-best performance of 3:27.81 to finish second and earn four more All-SPC medals.

The Lions finished third overall in the conference—a significant improvement from last year’s sixth-place finish—and more than doubled their team score, from 68 to 168 points. A strong close to the season and a clear step forward for the program.

All-SPC Honorees:
Max Bean — Long Jump (2nd), 4x100 Relay (2nd), 4x400 Relay (2nd)
Riggs Bean — 100m (3rd), 4x100 Relay (2nd), 4x400 Relay (2nd)
William Cho — 1600m (3rd)
Omar Jenkins — Shot Put (3rd), Discus (3rd)
Bryce Jones-Quaidoo — 300 Hurdles (3rd)
Dillon Kennedy — Discus (2nd)
Tripp Schoellkopf — 400m (2nd), 200m (3rd), 4x400 Relay (2nd), 4x100 Relay (2nd)
Braden Scott — 4x100 Relay (2nd), 4x400 Relay (2nd)

The varsity baseball team fell to eventual SPC runner-up Kinkaid, 5–4, on Thursday, bringing their championship run to a close. The Lions struck early, as Thomas Zielenski executed a perfectly placed safety squeeze to score Jackson Ostella, who had reached base via his 13th hit-by-pitch of the season and advanced to third on a steal. Zielenski continued his strong day at the plate with a two-RBI double to right-center, helping tie the game at three in the third inning. The sophomore led the offense with three RBIs and two hits, while senior Jake DeBoever added two hits of his own, including a deep fly ball that was held in by heavy winds. Additional hits came from Hudson Da Rosa, Nolan Driesse, and Peter Rubi, and Alex Dahlander contributed with two walks.

On the mound, senior Spenser New started and battled through 3.2 innings, allowing five runs (one earned) on eight hits. Senior Whit Turner entered with the bases loaded and immediately induced a groundout to escape the inning, then went on to throw 2.1 innings of scoreless, hitless baseball with two strikeouts. The remaining consolation games were canceled due to severe weather in Houston. The Lions were scheduled to face Greenhill next, but instead agreed to a final game back in Dallas to close the season, set for Monday, May 4 at 5 p.m. at St. Mark’s.

CREW

For varsity crew, the season culminated at the Central Youth Championships in Oklahoma City, a qualifying regatta for the Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Florida. Racing conditions, as expected, were unpredictable, and the event followed a time-trial format with the top six advancing to finals. Of 13 entries across eight categories, the Lions advanced 10 boats to finals—an impressive showing.

The Varsity 4x crew of Ian McGowan, Eli Kraus, Hewes Lance, and Walker Stevens dominated both the time trials and finals, winning by 2.16 seconds over Texas Rowing Center. McGowan and Kraus also claimed first in the Varsity 2x, finishing more than six seconds ahead of the field. The Varsity B 2x of Andrew Hofmann and Jack Shepro placed fourth, while the Second Varsity 4x finished fifth. In U17 competition, two 4x boats placed fourth and fifth, and Jack Wilson and Dax Lennox took fifth in the U17 2x. Eli Kraus added a silver medal in the Varsity 1x, his third medal of the weekend. The Novice 4x boats also impressed, finishing second and fifth—an encouraging sign for the program’s future. Qualifying crews will compete at Youth Nationals in Florida from June 10–14.

LACROSSE

Under playoff pressure, the varsity lacrosse team faced Episcopal School of Dallas with a berth in the THSLL Class AA State Semifinals on the line. The game opened as a physical, tightly contested defensive battle. St. Mark’s struck first, with freshman Warren Wier finishing off a feed from Michael Jimenez, followed shortly by a goal from Charlie Aisner to give the Lions a 2–0 lead.

Momentum shifted late in the first quarter, however, as ESD responded with three consecutive goals and extended its run into the second quarter. The Lions stayed composed, with Jimenez connecting again with Aisner to halt the surge, then finding Mac Saye for another key goal to keep the game within reach at halftime.

Trailing 10–4, the Lions continued to compete possession by possession in the second half, trading goals in the third quarter. In the final frame, St. Mark’s showed its character, outscoring ESD 4–3 and finishing with energy and resolve. The final score stood at 15–10 in favor of ESD.

The result does not define the season. The 2026 Lions finished 14–5, building a campaign rooted in resilience, toughness, and unity. Time and again, the team responded to adversity and competed until the final whistle—representing something far greater than the scoreboard.