Varsity Track and Field Shines at The New York Relays

 

Even the slightest bit. 

For Masters' varsity track and field athletes, this has become known as “doing the 2 percent.”

“This comes from research that tracks that when given the option between taking an escalator versus the stairs, typically 2 percent of people choose the stairs,” coach Ian Mook said. “Doing the 2 percent means choosing to do the hard thing, and in our sport that’s our path to success.”

The Panthers chose the hard route at The New York Relays on April 11-12 at Icahn Stadium on Randalls Island. Battling near-freezing temperatures, gusty winds and rain, the Masters athletes excelled and left their mark on the podium.

Henry Frasca ’27 was the headliner, placing first in the 800m with a time of 1:58.40. 

“The key to winning the 800 was to focus less on time and more on the race itself,” Frasca said. “Conditions were rough, so I knew this wouldn’t be for a personal record, but instead, hopefully, a win. I knew the field had similar times, so getting out strong would give me an advantage. I was actually pushed into first by some kid behind me, so my plan of sitting in second changed. After the first lap, I knew I had a great position and a gap was forming. In most of my 800m, I get passed around 500m, so I wasn’t going to let that happen again. So I started my kick and used everything to hold onto it till the end.”

It marked the first podium-topping performance for Frasca, who has become one of the state’s top runners as a sophomore.

“Despite Henry’s success during his ninth-grade year and this past winter season, he had actually never won a race until his double gold at NY Relays,” Mook said. “That’s one of the interesting things about track and field — there's always a bigger fish. You can be ranked as one of the fastest runners in state history in your event, and yet never have come in first in a race. We've always sought to put Henry in the most competitive races we can find, with the best competition possible, which has been critical to his growth. Seeing Henry execute a tactical race strategy in the 800m at NY Relays and secure the win brought us all so much joy to watch, as was his interview over the loudspeaker with the meet commentator. Because he’s run so well, he has earned the opportunity to race against even faster competition at future meets in the next weeks and months.”

The boys 4x400m relay — consisting of Frasca, David Morris ’27, Mason Rosenblatt ’27 and Nicholas Moutsatsos ’25 — also took home gold with a school-record time of 3:23.31. 

“We were confident going into this race since we have been training together all year,” Moutsatsos said. “So, our goal was just to run our individual legs and aim for a fast time collectively. We did not let the weather get to our heads, which gave us an advantage and more confidence.”

Moutsatsos added a second-place finish in the 100m (11.32 seconds). Rosenblatt (50.81) notched third place in the 400m, while Morris (51.35) recorded fifth. Rosenblatt and Morris are currently tied as the second fastest sophomores in the state in the 400m dash, both recording a personal best of 50.81 seconds this season.  

Helen Gimbel ’28 paced the girls with a fifth-place finish in the 2000m steeplechase (8:46.11). 

“Helen and I first talked about racing the steeplechase at NY Relays months ago — and seeing her compete and take home a medal was incredible,” Mook said. “Our amazing distance coaches, Ben Allen and Jack Salisbury, are getting her prepped for an even better performance at the New York Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) championships at the end of May.”

Complete results from the New York Relays can be found here.

Next up, the Panthers will head down to the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia from April 24-26. 

The boys 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams will both race on April 24. Christopher Possible ’26, Brian Wolfson ’25, Rosenblatt, Frasca, Morris and Moutsatsos are all slated to make the trip.

“Our goal going into Penn Relays is to win both of our heats and to get a fast time in the 4x400m,” Moutsatsos said. “We know we are capable of an excellent time, and we have specifically prepared for Penn Relays. So, we are excited to perform well on a massive stage.”

The girls 4x400m relay team — which features Danse Mobray ’26, Emma Barnes ’26, Anna Shub ’25, Nathalie Jansky ’26 and Sarah Christie ’25 — will race on Saturday. 

It figures to be a core athletic memory for all in attendance. 

“The Penn Relays are probably the most electric meet I've been to, and everyone is so excited to race,” Frasca said.