The conclusion of this indoor track season marks the end of a long era for senior Gene Perry. After 11 seasons of running over his four years at Masters, Perry is taking the twelfth season off to take a break from the stress of running. Next fall, he will be running for Haverford College as a freshman, which he is preparing for by resting this season and becoming a boarder for his final year at Masters to become used to life in a dorm. The collegiate level of running will motivate him and give him the drive to succeed.

Although running has proven to be one of his passions, it is a sport that requires a lot of focus and consistency that can be very stressful for an athlete. “At a younger age, running was something I did for the pure joy of being in body and moving, but in high school, I lost that joy. I plan to discover the love of the sport I once had during my season off.” Perry said. Setting multiple school records, Perry is ending his high school career on a high note as one of the best runners Masters has ever had. He passes on that legacy to freshman Sabian Grier.

Grier, a freshman, is a competitive triathlete outside of school and ran alongside Perry during this past season in winter track. Grier has improved greatly throughout the winter, which can partly be attributed to Perry’s mentorship and the coaching of Million Wolde, an Olympic gold medalist in the 5 kilometer race. “Gene has been very encouraging throughout this past season, and has focused more on helping with my goals and pushing the process instead of just helping me train. Coach Million has been the critical side that has shown me how to always want to be more successful,” Grier said.

At the last meet of the season, Grier ran a 4:58 mile, placing second in his heat, an incredible step for him. He also excelled in the 600m at the meet, a faster and higher intensity middle distance race. With a fast mile time and strong motivation at such a young age, Sabian has potential to chase after Perry’s school records. The legacy of being Master’s fastest male distance runner is passed onto Grier, as Perry moves onto college and Grier continues to improve.