St. John's University Athletics
Passing the Torch
4/11/2020 8:54:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
Maya Stephens and Leah Anderson continue St. John’s history of success in sprint events
QUEENS, N.Y. (April 11, 2020) – Throughout the last decade, the St. John's track & field team has established itself as a powerhouse in sprint events. After Pariis Garcia captured back-to-back BIG EAST indoor and outdoor titles in the 400 meters from 2015-16, two of the most accomplished athletes in program history have helped keep the Redstorm's winning tradition alive, Maya Stephens and Leah Anderson.
After meeting each other for the first time as teammates in 2018, the two sprinters have maintained a close relationship as they continue to reach new heights in their individual careers.
In 2014, Maya Stephens came to Queens looking to elevate her talents to the next level. The tight-knit environment that had been instilled in the school's track & field team made the Toronto native, eager to begin what would later become one of the most successful careers in program history.
"I chose St. John's because of how close the team was," Stephens said. "Coming all the way from Canada, it was important for me to feel like I was part of a family still."
That same season, St. John's also brought in former Division I National Champion Aliann Pompey as the program's new sprinters coach. Pompey strived to help Stephens achieve success on the track as their relationship gradually developed.
"When she started her freshman year, my very first year at St. John's, we went through a learning process together," Pompey said. "We read each other well and relied on a decent bit of non-verbal communication. Maya is driven, and sometimes she needs direction finding her 'why.' Once she gets there, she's unstoppable."
Stephens struggled to find her footing during her first year with the Red Storm and was reluctant to participate in new events after coming to St. John's as a 100-meter specialist. However, Pompey helped show Stephens that her success could extend far beyond her scope.
"I remember the first time she broke 25 seconds in the outdoor 200m and she came running to me," Pompey said. "She and another teammate were celebrating, and I couldn't convince my face to smile. I told her that it was a mediocre performance for what she was able to do in the other events and that no one has achieved what she wanted to achieve running that slow. I thought it was something she should've done months earlier. I still remember the look on her face but after that day, a lot of her 'will nots and cannots' went out the window. It was like something switched on, clicked."
Following her freshman season, Stephens captured a silver medal in the 200 meters at the 2016 BIG EAST Indoor Championships and earned a spot on the ALL-BIG EAST Indoor and Outdoor Teams. Stephens continued that success into her junior year as she worked to establish herself as one of the top sprinters in the country. In 2017, she went on to capture four individual BIG EAST titles at the indoor and outdoor championships before closing out the year with an NCAA East Regional appearance.
Despite all of her success, Stephens wasn't satisfied.
"Coming back the following year was special for me because I realized that I was continuing the legacy that St. John's has in the 400m," Stephens said. "My close friend and former teammate, Pariis Garcia, had also won indoor and back-to-back titles prior to me, so being able to push the level of excellence forward was extremely rewarding."
Stephens grabbed a gold medal in the 200-meter dash at the 2018 BIG EAST Indoor Championships before capturing back-to-back conference titles in the 400 meters en route to being named the meet's Most Outstanding Co-Performer in Track Events. She went on to collect her seventh career BIG EAST title, picking up a first-place finish in the 400 meters at the outdoor championships.
As Stephens was in the midst of achieving the success that Pompey had foreseen, the duo worked to develop another promising athlete named Leah Anderson.
Anderson finished just behind her teammate in the 400 meters at the outdoor championships, becoming the only St. John's underclassman to reach the podium at the meet.
Like Stephens, Anderson came to St. John's looking to do one thing: win.
"Leah is a firecracker and it has been amazing watching her grow as an athlete and a person," Stephens said. "Even as a freshman, she showed no fear when it came to competition."
With the guidance of Stephens and Pompey in her corner, the Mount Vernon, N.Y., native capped off her freshman campaign with five BIG EAST medals.
Stephens stayed close with Anderson following her graduation as Pompey began to train Stephens for her professional career. With the 2019-20 season on the horizon, it was time for Anderson to take over.
"Leah has a number of people that she looks up to in the sport and her event," Pompey said. "She is better than all of them in my opinion. My counsel to her is every time the gun goes off, it is an opportunity to write a new story, a new end to the race."
Anderson came back and took second place in the 200 and 400 meters the following season at the 2019 BIG EAST Indoor Championships. Refusing to let her foot off the gas, the then-sophomore sprinter was unstoppable at the conference outdoor championships, claiming three gold medals in the 200 meters, 400 meters and the 4x400-meter relay. She also took home a bronze medal in the 4x100 relay and ended the year by making her first NCAA East Regional appearance.
Even with all of the weight that rode on her shoulders, Anderson didn't miss a beat.
"It's no surprise to me now that she has solidified herself in St. John's history," Stephens said. "Her grit and perseverance are an inspiration to me and everyone around her. I love being able to be a part of her journey."
Anderson went on a tear during the 2019-20 indoor season. On Feb. 14, she shattered two program records at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Anderson finished the 200 meters in first place with a time of 23.54, outrunning the mark of 23.80 that was set by Adriana Wright in 2017. The junior sprinter followed that performance by breaking another school record in the 400 meters, registering a time of 53.25.
"It was like a weight was lifted," Anderson said. "It felt like everything I've struggled through was worth it. All of the days that I thought to myself, 'I'm done with track,' winning big like that and breaking those records made it all worth it."
Anderson continued to shine at the 2020 BIG EAST Indoor Championships, racking up two BIG EAST titles in the 200 meters and 400 meters before helping St. John's capture its second-straight gold medal in the 4x400-meter relay. She was named the conference's Most Outstanding Women's Performer in track events and the meet's High Point Performer. Anderson capped off her indoor campaign by earning a gold medal in the 400 meters and the 4x400-meter relay at the ECAC Championships.
While Anderson is proud of her extensive success throughout the season, it's who she dedicated those accomplishments to that meant the most.
"The success I had this year meant a lot to me especially after the passing of my little brother," Anderson said of her brother, William, who passed away in the fall. "I wanted nothing more than to make him proud because he was one of my biggest fans. I worked my butt off for those titles."
As Anderson looks to further cement herself as one of the program's all-time greats, she has set her sights on what would be her biggest accomplishment yet: competing in the 2021 Olympic Games.
"No question about it, Leah can do it all," Pompey said. "I fully expect to see Leah at the Olympics. Hard work and pain don't deter her and everything she's doing now is getting her in that direction."
Regardless of what lies ahead for Anderson, there is no question that the shoes Stephens left behind were the perfect fit.
After meeting each other for the first time as teammates in 2018, the two sprinters have maintained a close relationship as they continue to reach new heights in their individual careers.
In 2014, Maya Stephens came to Queens looking to elevate her talents to the next level. The tight-knit environment that had been instilled in the school's track & field team made the Toronto native, eager to begin what would later become one of the most successful careers in program history.
"I chose St. John's because of how close the team was," Stephens said. "Coming all the way from Canada, it was important for me to feel like I was part of a family still."
That same season, St. John's also brought in former Division I National Champion Aliann Pompey as the program's new sprinters coach. Pompey strived to help Stephens achieve success on the track as their relationship gradually developed.
"When she started her freshman year, my very first year at St. John's, we went through a learning process together," Pompey said. "We read each other well and relied on a decent bit of non-verbal communication. Maya is driven, and sometimes she needs direction finding her 'why.' Once she gets there, she's unstoppable."
Stephens struggled to find her footing during her first year with the Red Storm and was reluctant to participate in new events after coming to St. John's as a 100-meter specialist. However, Pompey helped show Stephens that her success could extend far beyond her scope.
"I remember the first time she broke 25 seconds in the outdoor 200m and she came running to me," Pompey said. "She and another teammate were celebrating, and I couldn't convince my face to smile. I told her that it was a mediocre performance for what she was able to do in the other events and that no one has achieved what she wanted to achieve running that slow. I thought it was something she should've done months earlier. I still remember the look on her face but after that day, a lot of her 'will nots and cannots' went out the window. It was like something switched on, clicked."
Following her freshman season, Stephens captured a silver medal in the 200 meters at the 2016 BIG EAST Indoor Championships and earned a spot on the ALL-BIG EAST Indoor and Outdoor Teams. Stephens continued that success into her junior year as she worked to establish herself as one of the top sprinters in the country. In 2017, she went on to capture four individual BIG EAST titles at the indoor and outdoor championships before closing out the year with an NCAA East Regional appearance.
Despite all of her success, Stephens wasn't satisfied.
"Coming back the following year was special for me because I realized that I was continuing the legacy that St. John's has in the 400m," Stephens said. "My close friend and former teammate, Pariis Garcia, had also won indoor and back-to-back titles prior to me, so being able to push the level of excellence forward was extremely rewarding."
Stephens grabbed a gold medal in the 200-meter dash at the 2018 BIG EAST Indoor Championships before capturing back-to-back conference titles in the 400 meters en route to being named the meet's Most Outstanding Co-Performer in Track Events. She went on to collect her seventh career BIG EAST title, picking up a first-place finish in the 400 meters at the outdoor championships.
As Stephens was in the midst of achieving the success that Pompey had foreseen, the duo worked to develop another promising athlete named Leah Anderson.
Anderson finished just behind her teammate in the 400 meters at the outdoor championships, becoming the only St. John's underclassman to reach the podium at the meet.
Like Stephens, Anderson came to St. John's looking to do one thing: win.
"Leah is a firecracker and it has been amazing watching her grow as an athlete and a person," Stephens said. "Even as a freshman, she showed no fear when it came to competition."
With the guidance of Stephens and Pompey in her corner, the Mount Vernon, N.Y., native capped off her freshman campaign with five BIG EAST medals.
Stephens stayed close with Anderson following her graduation as Pompey began to train Stephens for her professional career. With the 2019-20 season on the horizon, it was time for Anderson to take over.
"Leah has a number of people that she looks up to in the sport and her event," Pompey said. "She is better than all of them in my opinion. My counsel to her is every time the gun goes off, it is an opportunity to write a new story, a new end to the race."
Anderson came back and took second place in the 200 and 400 meters the following season at the 2019 BIG EAST Indoor Championships. Refusing to let her foot off the gas, the then-sophomore sprinter was unstoppable at the conference outdoor championships, claiming three gold medals in the 200 meters, 400 meters and the 4x400-meter relay. She also took home a bronze medal in the 4x100 relay and ended the year by making her first NCAA East Regional appearance.
Even with all of the weight that rode on her shoulders, Anderson didn't miss a beat.
"It's no surprise to me now that she has solidified herself in St. John's history," Stephens said. "Her grit and perseverance are an inspiration to me and everyone around her. I love being able to be a part of her journey."
Anderson went on a tear during the 2019-20 indoor season. On Feb. 14, she shattered two program records at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Anderson finished the 200 meters in first place with a time of 23.54, outrunning the mark of 23.80 that was set by Adriana Wright in 2017. The junior sprinter followed that performance by breaking another school record in the 400 meters, registering a time of 53.25.
"It was like a weight was lifted," Anderson said. "It felt like everything I've struggled through was worth it. All of the days that I thought to myself, 'I'm done with track,' winning big like that and breaking those records made it all worth it."
Anderson continued to shine at the 2020 BIG EAST Indoor Championships, racking up two BIG EAST titles in the 200 meters and 400 meters before helping St. John's capture its second-straight gold medal in the 4x400-meter relay. She was named the conference's Most Outstanding Women's Performer in track events and the meet's High Point Performer. Anderson capped off her indoor campaign by earning a gold medal in the 400 meters and the 4x400-meter relay at the ECAC Championships.
While Anderson is proud of her extensive success throughout the season, it's who she dedicated those accomplishments to that meant the most.
"The success I had this year meant a lot to me especially after the passing of my little brother," Anderson said of her brother, William, who passed away in the fall. "I wanted nothing more than to make him proud because he was one of my biggest fans. I worked my butt off for those titles."
As Anderson looks to further cement herself as one of the program's all-time greats, she has set her sights on what would be her biggest accomplishment yet: competing in the 2021 Olympic Games.
"No question about it, Leah can do it all," Pompey said. "I fully expect to see Leah at the Olympics. Hard work and pain don't deter her and everything she's doing now is getting her in that direction."
Regardless of what lies ahead for Anderson, there is no question that the shoes Stephens left behind were the perfect fit.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and FieldAliann Pompey Named New Track & Field/Cross Country Head Coach
Wednesday, June 16
Track & Field ECAC Championships
Monday, March 23
Track & Field BIG EAST Indoor Championships
Monday, March 23
Track & Field David Hemery Valentine Invitational
Monday, March 23