Sam has dominated county independent schools this year having won the Small School State cross country title in the fall while being named All-MAC.

Overall the boys team finished third and the girls team finished fifth at the county meet. Sam comfortably won the 3200 meters by more than a minute with a personal record. Other Lions with personal records on the day include Tyler George ‘21 (55 meters and 300 meters), Katie Hester ‘20 (55m), Adela Adiaconitei ‘21 (300m), Hunter Qin ‘22 (300m), Berke Tuncer ‘22 (300m), Hanaah Junaideen ‘21 (500m), Aaron Lobsenz ‘22 (500m), Connor McCloy ‘22 (500m), Alex Blass ‘22 (800m) and Nick Tsintolas ‘20 (800m).

This past fall, after taking a year off for an injury, Sam led the cross country team to several top three finishes and claimed four individual titles, including winner of the Montgomery County Private School and Small School State championships.

Among his classmates, Sam is known for spreading joy and laughter as senior class president as much for his running prowess. For him, happiness is an innate part of the St. Andrew’s experience.

 

“When I came here to visit and shadow, the thing that struck me most was everyone was happy, smiling and laughing and having a good time. That was just really cool, something I had never seen at a school before,” he said. “I thought that it would be a great fit, and it was.”

 

It was Sam’s sunny outlook that got him into running, recalling how he “pretended to be really excited” about middle school cross country. With time, he discovered that he genuinely enjoyed running and earned a spot on the varsity team.

 

Whether it’s leading or competing, for Sam, who is also a founder of the mysterious-yet-extremely-popular Ghost Club, it’s all about “making the serious parts of life fun.”

 

“When I can make people come together and laugh at the absurdity of some stuff, that’s what makes me happy,” Sam said, noting Ghost Club as an example. “That helps when school can be a bit stressful – I can sit back and say, ‘It’s stressful, but I’m also the leader of a club that believes ghosts might be real.’”

This fall Sam will run cross country at Oberlin College, where he’ll study environmental science and policy.