St. John is looking to follow Robinson’s path to the state meet this season
The Worthington Christian boys track and field team begins the year without a secret weapon. This season, everything is out in the open, according to coach Mark Mousa.
In 2025, graduate Cam Robinson battled lingering injuries from football season and was kept under wraps until the Central Buckeye League championship. Robinson went on to place third in the Division II state championship in the long jump by traveling 22 feet, 6 ¼ inches. The boys team’s lone state qualifier broke a 19-year-old school record, eclipsing the previous mark of 22-4 ½ set by Justin Yates in 2006.
“He was a competitor,” said Mousa, whose team tied for 36th with six points at the state meet. “Cam absolutely could have helped us in our running events, and he could have high jumped if he wanted to, but we knew we could get the max out of him by focusing on the long jump.
“Long jump is one of those events where you have to become comfortable in your steps. By the time we got down to the state meet, he was confident.”
What is impressive about Robinson’s finish, according to Mousa, was that it came at the Division II level. Had Worthington Christian been competing in Division III, as it was in 2024, Robinson would have won the state championship by 6.25 inches.
Senior Ian St. John, a sprinter and high jumper for the Warriors, said he learned about what it takes to be successful by watching Robinson’s preparations.
“It inspired me,” St. John said. “When he started jumping, he worked super hard. He would sweat the little things.”
St. John, who won the high jump (5-10), and Robinson, who was first in the long jump (21-10)were the Warriors’ only two district champions last year. Worthington Christian finished fifth (62) at the district meet behind champion Mount Gilead (125).
Only the top four finishers at the district meet move on to the regional meet. The 3,200-meter relay of juniors Caleb Fields and Elijah Styer and graduates Dylan Wooten and C.J. Miller (8 minutes, 30.44 seconds) and junior Musa Boakai (51.25) in the 400 both placed third in their respective events while graduate Luke Hermiz (128-11) placed fourth in the discus. Fields and Styer decided not to return to track this season.
Fractions of a second separated the Warriors in a handful of events at the regional meet. Graduate Aaron Van Dop (110 high hurdles, 16.66), the 800 relay of senior Jacob Mercer, St. John, Boakai, and Holt (1:35.14), and Dylan Wooten (1,600, 4:48.86) all took fifth.
Mousa believes his team learned how unforgiving the sport can be, especially at the Division II level. Now the coach is looking forward to seeing how well his team can compete against equally sized schools in the newly created Division IV level this season.
“Our boys saw what it’s going to take to move ahead, what it’s going to take to be successful,” Mousa said. “It comes down to focusing on the details: nailing every handoff and making sure your starts are impeccable.
“We’re a year smarter, wiser, and older. They’re ready to compete on a more equal footing.”
In the middle distance and distance events, the Warriors will be led by senior Joel Bauman, juniors Oliver Blank, and freshman Gavin Wooten.
“Joel had a good cross country season and made some great strides,” Mousa said. “He embraces those longer distances. We’re going to have to depend on some young guys, but I think the 3,200 relay could be our strongest event.”
Senior Mason Korodi and juniors Boakai and Sam Kuch return to the sprint corps. Mousa hinted that St. John, who has committed to run at the University of Findlay, might also do the 300 hurdles. The coach has also been encouraged by the development of sophomore Kavion Reynolds and freshman Maddox Ball.
The field events took a blow with the graduation of Robinson and Hermiz, who placed seventh (41-4.75) in the shot put at the district meet. St. John in the high jump and Reynolds in the long jump have emerged as leaders in the field events.
St. John remembers the uncertainty he felt going into last year, but he said it’s no secret what his team needs to do to develop and fill in the holes left by the graduation of Robinson and other key athletes. Now it’s his team’s turn to surprise everyone.
“When I was a sophomore, the senior class of 2024 was pretty strong,” he said. “I didn’t know how it would go and who could do what. As we went through the season, I saw a lot of kids step up, and we put together some good relay teams. I remember pushing each other in practice and always encouraging each other at meets.”