If there is a name in Greens Farms Academy sports history that could go down as being the Dragons’ first family of track and field, it is Freeman.
The eldest Freeman, MJ, helped write the school’s track and field record book on the boys side and Samantha shined bright for the girls team, finding herself in the record books via a number of relay teams during her career on Beachside Ave.
This season will be Mark Freeman’s last as a Dragon, but the youngest of the Freeman clan doesn’t plan on stopping his running career.
Like his brother before him, Mark Freeman has committed to running track in college, at Washington and Lee University in Virginia next year.
Freeman was one of 12 Dragon student-athletes feted on Wednesday, March 6, during the school’s annual Spring College Commitment ceremony held inside the Coyle Gym. Those 12 coupled with eight Dragons who committed during the National Letter of Intent signing period in the fall brings the school’s total to 20 different GFA athletes playing in college come fall.
“I’d say I chose Washington and Lee because of the head coach Coach (Brandon) Uhl,” Freeman said. “He is a down-to-earth man who knows his stuff and believes in me. He seemed like the only coach who was interested in me as a person, and I really appreciated that.”
While his older brother went on to compete at Dartmouth, Mark Freeman has sprinted his own path over his career, even breaking one of his brother’s 2017 records from in the 100-meter dash last spring.
“Mark Freeman took off where his sister Samantha and brother MJ left off, being a solid contributor to this program,” GFA track coach Glen Colello said. “As a second-year captain, he has not only led by example but also has taken young sprinters under his wing and helping them learn how to train and to race. I am looking forward to him having a stellar senior spring season and a great college career.”
Freeman also admitted that his visiting to Washington and Lee felt familiar.
“I liked the school because it reminded me of GFA,” he said. “It’s a small tight knit community that prides itself on being kind and welcoming to everyone. I also was fortunate enough to meet some of the members of the team and, on the track, they were all like-minded individuals who were focused on winning in addition to having fun.”