Lion Sports Update (March 25)

Golf
The St. Mark’s golf team enjoyed another successful week prior to spring break. The freshman foursome of Daniel Duarte, Vasilis Tsevoukas, Pierce Tevis, and Charles Lang, along with sophomore Jake Pinnell, placed third in the lower division of the Chisholm Trail tournament at Hawks Creek on March 11. In the upper division, junior Peter Clark shot an impressive 74, and senior Duff McKay a 66 (one of the lowest single-round scores in St. Mark’s tournament history and worthy of first-place individual honors for the second event in a row), to go along with solid outings from sophomore Rafe O’Rear, junior Wyatt Gair, and senior Jonathan Lobel. The four best scores combined for a 296, which tied the team for first place overall in the tournament. This week, the Lions travel to Fort Worth for a tournament at Meadowbrook.

Track & Field

The varsity track & field team competed in three meets before and during spring break. On Saturday, March 14, the team competed in the FBA Rogers Relays. It was a strong day for the Lions, who were especially productive in the short sprints, relays, and the 300m hurdles. Braden Scott ran a PR in the 100m with a time of 11.47. Tripp Schoellkopf finished first in the 400m with a PR of 50.66, while Anderson Love also ran a PR in the event with a time of 55.52. Charles Shea and Ailesh Sadruddin both set PRs in the 800m with times of 2:11.99 and 2:14.29, respectively. Jackson Bailey won the 1600m with a season-best time of 4:41.65. He was followed by brothers William and Nicholas Cho, who both set PRs with times of 4:45.94 and 4:50.86, respectively. George Brown and Graham Selzer both ran PRs in the 3200m with times of 10:30.10 and 11:38.64, respectively. The 4x100 relay ran its fastest time of the season, finishing third with a time of 43.71. The 4x400 relay won first place with a season-best time of 3:32.53. Eric Zhang set a PR in the shot put with a throw of 39’ 4.75”, and Max Bean set a PR in the long jump with a mark of 21’ 0”, earning first place.

Over the break, a small group of Lions attended the John Paul II Spring Break Meet, braving very hot conditions and gaining valuable experience. The highlight of the day was Austin Wagner’s PR throw in the shot put at 35’ 5”, nearly a two-foot improvement.

The Texas Distance Festival (TDF) produced a bevy of outstanding marks for the Lions. Jackson Bailey (10:00.27) and George Brown (10:23.70) both excelled in the 3200m. William Cho (4:37.40), Jackson Bailey (4:38.30), and Nicholas Cho (4:41.94) led the way in the 1600m. The Cho brothers, Nicholas (2:09.25) and William (2:10.60), led the way in the 800m. This week, the Lions host the prestigious Bradley V. Urschel Invitational at Hunt Stadium on Friday and Saturday, with over 30 high schools and 15 middle schools in attendance. With a great forecast, it should be a beautiful setting for an outstanding track & field meet.

Baseball
The varsity baseball team was defeated by Nolan Catholic, 2–3, on Saturday, March 14, on the final play of the game. The game was tied at two in the bottom of the seventh when Nolan Catholic singled in the walk-off run. Pitching was strong on both sides, as Nolan Catholic pitchers struck out nine, while St. Mark’s pitchers recorded seven strikeouts. St. Mark’s took the lead in the top of the third when Alex Dahlander singled to score one run, giving the Lions a 2–1 lead. Dylan Barnes threw a complete game for the Lions. The southpaw went six and one-third innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits, striking out seven and walking three. Hudson Da Rosa and Jackson Ostella each collected two hits, and St. Mark’s turned three double plays in the game.

On Saturday, March 16, the Lions battled Pantego Christian closely until a costly fifth inning, falling 4–11. Spenser New started the game for St. Mark’s and allowed seven hits and 10 runs (seven earned) over five and one-third innings, striking out four and walking two. Marshall Sudbury and Nicholas Petrikas each drove in one run, while Thomas Zielenski went 2-for-4 at the plate to lead the team in hits.

Lacrosse

The varsity lacrosse team took its spring break trip to Arizona (Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Payson) and delivered a pair of performances that showcased both resilience and firepower. In a thriller against Notre Dame Preparatory High School, the Lions battled back from a three-goal deficit that stretched deep into the fourth quarter. Junior Jax Blalock aided the comeback, burying a clutch high-bounce equalizer to force overtime. Moments later, after a defensive stand and timeout under heavy full-field pressure, close defenseman Oliver Loehr delivered a moment to remember, uncorking a 50-yard strike into an empty net to seal a dramatic 9–8 victory.

The following morning at Camp Tontozona, the Lions wasted no time asserting themselves. With crisp ball movement and relentless pace, they overwhelmed Corona del Sol High School, 18–3. Junior David Dickson led a balanced attack with a hat trick, while Blaine Henley and Ford Robinson added to the surge. Senior Rocco Renda set the tone with a dominant five-goal performance.

The Lions now turn their focus to a challenging week ahead, traveling to face Southlake on Wednesday, followed by matchups in Houston against EHS on Friday and St. John’s on Saturday.