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The men’s track and field team placed 9th out of 20 teams in the Tufts Snowflake Classic on Saturday, April 1, following an impressive amount of notable finishes. Kyle Roshankish ’24 and Jonah Rosenthal ’25 both finished ninth in their respective sprinting events. Roshankish ran a 22.75 seconds in the 200 meter while Rosenthal ran a personal best of 51.76 seconds in the 400 meter. The Cardinals also boasted an impressive victory in the throwing events, as James Giokaris ’24 finished as a runner-up in the javelin, with a personal best of 46 meters. Things are looking up for the Red and Black in their spring season.
Roshankish, one of the team’s sprinters, sat down with The Argus to talk about how the values of the team contribute to their success.
“We try to merge the individuality of track with the team culture,” Roshankish said. “So I think everyone who’s a DIII athlete is relatively competitive. So we’re always pushing each other and we’re pushing ourselves in the process, which is like steel sharpening steel.”
Despite placing well in the Tufts Snowflake Classic, not everything was rainbows and sunshine for the track team as two weeks later, they placed 15th out of 20 teams at the Silfren Invite on Friday, April 14. Although this loss was tough to bear, it was ultimately the team culture that motivated an attitude of picking yourself back up in the midst of tribulations.
“Even [if] half the team is having a bad day, we still have 30 people that can rally. Sometimes it only takes one person. And that’s something that I really, really appreciate,” Roshankish said.
The Cardinals’ record, unfortunately, does not reflect their capability and tenacity, but it can be seen in individual performances. Over the past weekend the Cardinals competed in the New England Division III Championships traveling to Springfield, Massachusetts on May 6, where they tied for 28th place. The Red and Black were still able to exhibit their skills and capabilities. Bruce Lenes ’26 and Alex Kermath ’26 both finished in the top 25 in their events. Lenes placed 16th out of 22 competitors with a time of 10:17 in the steeplechase, while Kermath placed 24th in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:10.
The most promising result for the Cardinals was the 4×800 meter relay team that finished 3rd out of a total of 18 teams with an amazing time of 7:57.29, with a team of Jasper Shapiro ’23, Nate Fogarty ’25, Ben Taffet ’26 and Rob D’Aquila ’26.
Despite how rewarding track often is, sometimes it can be hard to balance athletics, mental health, and a social life.
“Burnout is 100% real, and when you know you’re cramming for papers or whatever exams you have, then you also have to make sure that you’re available from 4:30 to 6:30,” Roshankish said. “To run your heart out and you’re exhausted afterwards and you’re like wow, I have like a stack of homework to complete after this.”
But because the team prioritizes their teammates’ health over anything, there are always resources that are provided to help avoid stressful situations.
“It’s more so like, if you need help with homework, we will help tutor or if you need someone to talk to or a study buddy, just to make sure that you’re being productive staying on top of your work, that’s the type of environment we like to create, rather than, just like ‘do this, do that,’” Roshankish said.
One of the other prominent things that is credited with the success of the men’s track and field team is the team bonding. While it is important to focus on the strenuous workouts, it is also important to focus on building the relationship as a team. This bonding team bonding often occurs in Usdan over shared meals.
“Having a time where we exert ourselves for two and a half hours and then we get sick stomachs with Usdan cheesy eggs together…nothing [else] gets you more closely acquainted with people than Usdan cheesy eggs,” Roshankish said. “Whatever it is, it brings people together.”
Looking ahead, the Cardinals have another championship to fight for at the Open New England Championships, which will take place the weekend of May 11. The Red and Black’s final competition will be the Last Chance Meet with Williams and MIT from May 17 to May 18.
As the season closes, Roshankish looks ahead to recruitment and the future.
“For anyone who’s interested in joining track, I think people always underestimate how capable they are,” Roshankish said. “If you are someone who loves spending time with other people and is motivated by other people and enjoys going through hardship and that feeling of satisfaction when you complete something difficult and your teammates are cheering you on…I feel like that’s the culture that we have at track.”
Oluchi Chukwuemeka can be reached at ochukwuemeka@wesleyan.edu.