The commitment and perseverance of the athletes at JP Stevens have helped the track team achieve great results in their most recent season. The teams traveled great distances throughout the preseason to practice to get ready for their upcoming meets, despite the bitter cold.

The Boys Varsity 4×800 team, made up of seniors Kevin Dai, Pritam Palani, Sohum Walavalkar, and Shlok Mehta, saw the results of their labor at the GMC Relays, where they won first place and were crowned GMC Champions. Sophomores Sahil Nambiar, Abhishek Narkhede, Tanay Kalluri, and Shashank Satish were in the Boys Novice 4×800 team, which finished second in the Novice Race. Seniors Kevin Dai, Pritam Palani, Kaushik Annamraju, and Shlok Mehta were also on the Boys 4×400 team, which finished sixth. Additionally, senior captain Hima Sivalasetti clocked in a top 25 mile time in the state after running a mile in 4:39 at the Essex County season opener in December. Although not the result they were hoping for, the team took this as an opportunity to learn and improve for the next competition.

The team’s efforts do not stop there. They will be participating in the GMC Individuals and Sectionals in the following weeks. Their primary objectives for the remainder of the season are to qualify their 4×800 relay team for the New Jersey Meet of Champions as well as their distance medley relay teams for the Boston New Balance Nationals in March.

Girls’ track has also had one of the finest seasons ever thus far with many cross-country runners returning for the winter track season. Runners and captains have grown to know one another during training and even off the field, such as in their Paw-liday charity effort. The girls have so far participated in three races: GMCs at the Bubble, the winter break meet at the NY Armory, and their season opener at Ocean Breeze. They intend to participate in more future competitions and get ready for their upcoming spring season.

The school, faculty, and supporters are all anticipating their next performances as the athletes continue to work hard to accomplish their objectives. The track teams at JP are undoubtedly competitive, and their success this year is a result of their hard work and perseverance.