Bringing the Whole Team Up

GDS track & field teams demonstrated once again at the DC State Athletic Association (DCSAA) Championships that they are a force to be reckoned with. During an interview, our women’s 4x800-meter team of Ana Gunther ’19, Ella Gillespie ’21, Annie Rosenman ’21, and Amelia Myre ’25 were asked, “What is it about this program that allows you to be so successful?

Amelia answered, “Our team really focuses on bringing the whole team up.”

“Our athletes competed extremely well,” announced head coach Anthony Belber. “We had surprise victories in the women’s 4x800 and 4x400 as well as outstanding victories by Ziyah Holman ’20, who now holds the #3 times for both the 300-meter and 500-meter in the USA.”

When asked a similar question about how student athletes can set up so much success, Ziyah responded, “I was just talking to coach about this...it’s effort. Effort can take you a long way—a hard workout can definitely take you a long way, hard work in practice, but if you love the sport and you are passionate about it, it will carry you a long way.”

The GDS women’s team finished 4th and the men’s team tied for 8th out of 25 schools who sent athletes to the DCSAA Championships.

Perhaps one of the most thrilling, nail-biting, and impressive moments of the night was Ziyah’s anchor leg of the 4x400 relay. David Kim of the Washington Post wrote:

“When Ziyah Holman took the baton Tuesday as the final runner in the girls’ 4x400-meter relay, the Georgetown Day junior was more than 50 meters behind the leader. But it was a situation she was used to.

“She caught up to the runners just ahead of her in a few strides, then raced past her final competitor in the last 50 meters to win the event for the Hoppers at the D.C. State Athletic Association ­indoor track championships.

“‘That’s what people know me for,’ Holman said of her anchor leg. ‘I just go after who’s in front of me and then who’s in front of them.’”

In case you missed it, read about both teams’ outstanding performances at the Hoxton Invitational and Ziyah's dominance at the legendary Millrose Games »