Week #24 - Medals Galore: Indoor Track and Field Excels at VISAA States!

Dave Levy, Athletic Director
It was seven degrees outside last Saturday at 9:00 in the morning when Tandem's Varsity Indoor Track and Field team gathered to work out at UVA. Undeterred by the weather, the Badgers have continued to train hard - logging heavy miles, doing yoga with Sofia and flying at a very difficult to sustain threshold pace.
 
One of the most decorated athletes in Tandem Friends School history, Hayes took gold in the 3200 meters, winning the race by 16 seconds in a blazing time of 9:42. To describe Hayes as an elite distance runner does not even scratch the surface of what he has accomplished. This is Hayes' second state title this school year - he also won the VISAA State Cross Country Championship in the fall (and in 2024). Additionally, Hayes won the 3200 at the 2025 Outdoor Track and Field VISAA State Championships. This performance gives him his fourth individual state title at times that most college runners could only dream of.
He didn't do it alone. Hayes and Jack Blemker train together every single day, including a fifteen-mile run shortly before the snow storm. Jack had another excellent performance at VISAA Indoor States. Despite being boxed in for much of the race and eventually having to move to the outside lanes to pass runners he was lapping, his time of 10:06 earned him a silver medal and VISAA Honorable Mention! Congratulations, Jack!
 
Brendan, the third member of the Boys 3200 trio, came into the race seeded 14th. As Coach Casey put it "he had a HUGE last lap and passed two runners in the last 100 meters!" Brendan finished 11th overall, outplacing his seed by 3 places, and earned a huge PR - breaking the 11:00 mark for the first time! His time of 10:59 is just another notch on the most-improved belt he has earned this year!
 
On the girls side, Lucy ran a massive PR in the 3200, dropping twelve seconds off her previous best. Her time of 13:10 is a tribute to her work ethic this winter. Coach Casey described her race as "very competitive and strategic," and was sure to emphasize her big finish! She finished 9th overall, and is set up for an awesome outdoor season!
 
In the sprints, Nari's 55 meter time of 7.25 was among his best of the season! He was lightning quick out of the blocks, and he edged out athletes from Walshingham, Hampton Roads and Virginia Episcopal with his final lean at the finish line. Everybody is excited to see what he does next this spring!
 
Peter W earned a massive PR during his leg of the 4x400 meter relay, running 58 seconds (63 at Woodberry Forest). That positioned the squad to improve their collective time dramatically, despite the fact that both Brendan and Hayes were running the relay about thirty minutes after their epic 3200 performances! Brendan still ran a 400 PR (63 down from 65)! Peter D dropped his leg from a 63 to a 60! Those are blazing times on an indoor track, and our distance 4x400 finished 6th, edging out Blue Ridge right at the tape.
 
The Boys team finished 10th out of 20 teams, Lucy truly delivered with a big PR, and Tandem has made quite an impressive return to Indoor Track and Field! Congratulations to this exceptional group of Badgers, and to their Coaches Casey and Ned, who spent the entire day on the road yesterday - and much of the winter in the cold training alongside them! What a way to wrap up a magical season!
 
Badger Up and we'll see you in the spring!
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Tandem Friends School is a co-ed Quaker day school for grades 5-12 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
 
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