The crowd goes silent on April 15 as senior Malcolm Andrews takes to his blocks. With 200 meters between Andrews and the finish line, he aims to break the school record. Hearts beat faster as the starter shoots the gun, anxious for Andrews’ attempt. Suddenly, the crowd erupts as in just 20.99 seconds, Andrews beats his competition and the 21-year-old school record.
As the sport of track and field advances across the world, McLean High School’s track athletes continue to break records, competing against rising standards. In this school year alone, athletes such as seniors Andrews and Stephen Shields became school record holders, with others like junior Jaidyn Buday on the come-up.
With such a rich history, it is no wonder that McLean High School is a hotspot for track stars. In 2000, Ayanna Alexander graduated after achieving five school records: triple jump, 300-meter hurdles, 400-meter dash and the 4×100-meter relay. Just 12 years later, Alexander ended up competing in the 2012 Olympics for Trinidad and Tobago, displaying her immense talent.
McLean athletes like Alexander seem to have natural talent and sprout out of nowhere, but recently, as of 2020, McLean track and field has seemed to have a resurgence. This new era was brought to light when the girls’ team won their first-ever indoor Liberty District title in 2022 and the boys won their first one since 2005.
This talent, although seemingly emerging out of the blue, can be attributed to Coaches Kyle Jemison, Matthew Christianson and Andrae Russel McGowan, who lead McLean track athletes to new personal records, aiming for the stars with every race.
“I want to keep [the athlete] focused on what they can control,” Christianson said. “My job, as a coach, is to worry about other things they can’t control, like putting them in the right conditions to race well, or shoot for a school record.”
“I really like to break it down and just take it one step at a time because it helps reduce [my] anxiety,” Buday said. “I always tell myself, ‘come on Jaidyn, you got this! I know you can do it, your training has got you here, I’m so proud of you and no matter what happens, just go and do your best!’”
Motivation in record-breaking athletes varies, explaining different racing tactics. Distance runners such as Buday have a long race, with some lasting up to ten minutes in the 3200-meter run. On the other hand, sprinters such as Andrews have short, 20-second races and drive themselves in other ways.
“My motivation is really the fact that I hate losing and I always have since I was younger,” Andrews said. “My favorite part of track is racing, so it’s always something to look forward to.”
These incredible athletes push themselves mentally and physically every day, on and off the track. No matter the distance, they know that their teammates and coaches have their back. Since Head Coach Jemison started coaching McLean High School track and field and cross country, there has been a great uprise in athlete performance.
“I remember […] watching Jaidyn Buday race,” Christianson said. “She was a little nervous because it was her first indoor meet of the year, but she was excited to be running on the track again instead of running cross country, and I was excited to see what she could do because she hadn’t run a two-mile race like that in a long time. She raced really well, but my favorite memory of that was after the race. She came up to me and was all excited and said ‘that race was so fun!’”
As track athletes grow in their skills, coaches create stronger bonds with their team. Every meet, new memories are created, highlighting how track is not only about the records, but also about community.
“Seeing athletes really enjoy what they’re doing is what brings me a lot of joy,” Christianson said.
As the 2026 spring track and field season comes to an end, McLean athletes give it their all in every event. Buday, Shields, Malcolm and many others have already established themselves among McLean’s elite track stars, suggesting that more names are soon to be added to the hallway record board.
For McLean’s current athletes, the records hanging on the walls serve as both history and motivation. Representing years of dedication, generations of new Highlanders become inspired to leave their own legacy behind.
