By Rob Forleo
Special to the Voice
In the span of one week, the school celebrated two championships that highlighted both immediate impact and long-term development. Indoor track sprinter Justus Richardson captured the LL state title in the 55m dash, while wrestler Geovani Caceres-Garcia earned the 150-pound SCC championship. The victories came in very different ways, yet each reflected preparation, confidence, and belief.
For Richardson, success depended on precision in a race measured in fractions of a second.
“The 55m happens so fast that there’s really no time to overthink anything,” he said. From the moment I get into the blocks, I focus on staying calm and trusting my training. I tell myself to react to the gun, stay low, and drive hard through my first few steps. The start is everything in a race that short, so I’m locked in on being explosive and powerful. As I transition upright, I focus on keeping my form tight, my arms moving fast, and staying relaxed while still being aggressive. I don’t think about who’s next to me. I just focus on executing my race. At that point, it’s about trusting the work I put in all season and running all the way through the finish line.”
When the time of 6.47 appeared, the result took a moment to register.
“When I saw 6.47 on the board and realized I was a state champion, I was honestly in disbelief at first,” he said. “It didn’t feel real. I felt a rush of excitement and gratitude at the same time. All the hard workouts, the sacrifices, and the extra work over the summer flashed through my mind. But more than anything, I felt thankful. I give all the glory to God because none of this would be possible without the opportunity. In that moment, I wasn’t just thinking about myself. I was thinking about my coaches, my teammates, and my family who supported me every step of the way. It meant everything to see the work pay off.”
Richardson only recently joined track and pointed to lessons learned from another sport.
“I just started running track recently, and from the beginning I decided I was going to take it seriously. For the past three years, I’ve also been playing basketball, and that helped shape me into the athlete I am today. Basketball taught me discipline, conditioning, and how to compete under pressure. I want to thank my basketball coaches for encouraging me to try track because they always told me I was fast and believed I could do something special in this sport,” he said.
Track coach Jimmy Williams recognized both the adjustment and the mindset.
“He’s a hard worker. I love how he made the transition from basketball to track. In his first year ever running indoor track he broke two individual school records and one relay record. He’s a gifted athlete and he leads by example,” and noting the difference in the final, “He had a clear mind going into finals. He believed in himself and that was different,” he said.
Caceres-Garcia’s championship reflected persistence within a growing program. Entering the finals, he kept his focus steady.
“Going into my finals match at SCCs, my mind was focused and ready. I told myself that I deserved to be here and it was simply another match,” he said. “I’ve wrestled countless matches in the training room and out on the mat. The finals of the SCC tournament was no different.” The result carried extra meaning because, “Bringing home the 150-pound SCC title meant a lot for me and my team. A few years ago we didn’t have a team. Me and my friend Mark Aiken helped found the team into what it is today. The title meant a lot to me.”
Wrestling coaches James Cook and Gabe Martinez praised his growth and leadership.
“We have had the pleasure of seeing Geo grow into a more developed wrestler and a leader that the younger wrestlers look up to. His work ethic is second to none on our team and he has grown into a great role model for the younger wrestlers to aspire to. Academics, strength, and grit. Geo has it all.”
They talked about a formula they use to get their philosophy across.
“We often talk about ‘the recipe’ of how to be a good wrestler and where wrestling expectations meet reality. Geo is a tangible example of this team, our wrestling program, and how our ‘recipe’ works, especially at a high-stakes tournament.”
Together, the week’s results tell a larger story. Richardson reached the top of the podium in his first year competing in indoor track, while Caceres-Garcia became a conference champion in a sport still in its early years at the school as a founding member of the program. Different paths led to the same outcome, showing what commitment can produce.