Dimitri: A Greek Cross Country Odyssey
October 2, 2021 at 4:41 a.m.
Dimitri: A Greek Cross Country Odyssey
By Jeff Raymond-
A junior on the Grace cross country and track teams, Margaritidis (MAR-ga-ri-TEE-dis) has been on a long journey from his birth in Greece, to life in rural Indiana, to standing on a national awards stand for his athletic success.
"Dimitri is an incredible example of someone with individual goals and passions, but who also does everything possible to help teammates reach their potential," said head cross country coach Jacob Poyner. "He digs deep, competes hard, and then goes crazy when his teammates do the same thing. The comradery is contagious when you spend time around him."
Margaritidis was born in Athens, Greece, and always loved playing sports, although his initial interests—taekwondo and ping pong—were miles away from competitive running.
"My dad passed away when I was seven and I turned to sports to stay busy," he said. "I wanted to be around people and not just by myself."
He started focusing exclusively on ping pong by age nine, practicing every afternoon and playing in tournaments around the country. Margaritidis reached the No. 9 ranking in Greece for his age group and had the opportunity to practice against Olympic-level players.
When Margaritidis was 12, another major event drastically altered the course of his life. His mother, Mary, had spent part of her youth in the United States and attended school near Anderson, Ind. A former high school friend reconnected and over a period of a couple of years, a new relationship was formed. Mary made the decision to move to the States, get remarried and settle in Frankton. Despite knowing very little English, young Dimitri was thrust into a new environment and new culture.
"I didn't want to move," said Margaritidis. "I left all my friends behind and my older sister. My mom tried to teach me English, but I still had to take special classes and repeat sixth grade until I could handle a regular classroom. The winter weather was also tough, but I was fascinated by all the snow."
Margaritidis caught on quickly in the classroom, qualifying for honors courses by the time he entered high school. His involvement in sports also went through a transition. There were no outlets for his competitive interest in ping pong, so he eventually decided to join the track team, participating in the 400 meters, the high jump and the long jump.
"I was a young kid when the Olympics were in Athens," said Margaritidis of the 2004 event. "I remember watching and then trying to do things like jump over the couch in our house."
By the end of junior high, Margaritidis had found some success in distance running and finished among the top 10 in his conference. He joined a club that ran in the Junior Olympics cross country championships in Myrtle Beach, S.C. At Frankton High School he went on to earn multiple All-Conference and All-County honors in cross country and track.
"I didn't know what I wanted to do as a senior, but I had a friend apply to Grace," he explained. "I came for a visit and knew right away that this was the place I wanted to be."
Margaritidis joined a large and talented incoming recruiting class when he arrived at Grace in the fall of 2019, knowing he was far from the top runner.
"I think I had the slowest cross country time of any of the recruits that year," he said. "I worked hard the summer before I arrived at Grace because I didn't want to be the slowest guy on the team."
He ran a respectable cross country time of 27:02 for 8,000 meters his freshman season and he went on to help the 4x800 relay qualify for NAIA nationals during indoor track. Unfortunately, illness forced him to miss the national meet, and then COVID caused the cancelation of the outdoor track season. He was also supporting his mother during this time as she went through treatments for breast cancer. (She is currently cancer free and doing well.)
In the fall of 2020, Margaritidis improved his cross country time to 26:55 and was the third finisher for the Lancers at the Crossroads League Championships. His training and health all came together during his sophomore track season as he anchored the distance medley relay to a league championship and to All-American honors with a sixth-place showing at the NAIA Indoor Championships. During the outdoor season he won the NCCAA 1,500 title and then placed fourth in the 1,500 at the NAIA Championships, earning his first individual All-American award.
"I've grown and matured a lot in the past few years," he admitted. "My teammates, coaches and professors have challenged me and helped me grow spiritually. On the track, I certainly didn't think I would be a 4:13 miler."
After seeing a glimpse of his own potential, Margaritidis has some big goals for the next couple of years. He would like to challenge for NAIA titles in the distance medley relay and run under 3:50 in the 1,500 meters. With dual citizenship, he also has eyes on a possible bid to the U23 World Championships next summer, representing his home country of Greece. Looking ahead, the NCCAA Scholar-Athlete and member of the Grace Student Athlete Council (SAC) hopes to pursue a Master's degree in sports administration and coach on the college level.
"I have no doubts at all that Dimitri's goals are very attainable over the next few seasons," commented Poyner. "He's a very special young man in many ways — his path to the USA, his heart for others, his desire to compete and grow and his passion to pursue excellence on all levels. I believe he will be a fantastic difference-maker wherever the Lord guides him after graduation. He's certainly one here at Grace."
A junior on the Grace cross country and track teams, Margaritidis (MAR-ga-ri-TEE-dis) has been on a long journey from his birth in Greece, to life in rural Indiana, to standing on a national awards stand for his athletic success.
"Dimitri is an incredible example of someone with individual goals and passions, but who also does everything possible to help teammates reach their potential," said head cross country coach Jacob Poyner. "He digs deep, competes hard, and then goes crazy when his teammates do the same thing. The comradery is contagious when you spend time around him."
Margaritidis was born in Athens, Greece, and always loved playing sports, although his initial interests—taekwondo and ping pong—were miles away from competitive running.
"My dad passed away when I was seven and I turned to sports to stay busy," he said. "I wanted to be around people and not just by myself."
He started focusing exclusively on ping pong by age nine, practicing every afternoon and playing in tournaments around the country. Margaritidis reached the No. 9 ranking in Greece for his age group and had the opportunity to practice against Olympic-level players.
When Margaritidis was 12, another major event drastically altered the course of his life. His mother, Mary, had spent part of her youth in the United States and attended school near Anderson, Ind. A former high school friend reconnected and over a period of a couple of years, a new relationship was formed. Mary made the decision to move to the States, get remarried and settle in Frankton. Despite knowing very little English, young Dimitri was thrust into a new environment and new culture.
"I didn't want to move," said Margaritidis. "I left all my friends behind and my older sister. My mom tried to teach me English, but I still had to take special classes and repeat sixth grade until I could handle a regular classroom. The winter weather was also tough, but I was fascinated by all the snow."
Margaritidis caught on quickly in the classroom, qualifying for honors courses by the time he entered high school. His involvement in sports also went through a transition. There were no outlets for his competitive interest in ping pong, so he eventually decided to join the track team, participating in the 400 meters, the high jump and the long jump.
"I was a young kid when the Olympics were in Athens," said Margaritidis of the 2004 event. "I remember watching and then trying to do things like jump over the couch in our house."
By the end of junior high, Margaritidis had found some success in distance running and finished among the top 10 in his conference. He joined a club that ran in the Junior Olympics cross country championships in Myrtle Beach, S.C. At Frankton High School he went on to earn multiple All-Conference and All-County honors in cross country and track.
"I didn't know what I wanted to do as a senior, but I had a friend apply to Grace," he explained. "I came for a visit and knew right away that this was the place I wanted to be."
Margaritidis joined a large and talented incoming recruiting class when he arrived at Grace in the fall of 2019, knowing he was far from the top runner.
"I think I had the slowest cross country time of any of the recruits that year," he said. "I worked hard the summer before I arrived at Grace because I didn't want to be the slowest guy on the team."
He ran a respectable cross country time of 27:02 for 8,000 meters his freshman season and he went on to help the 4x800 relay qualify for NAIA nationals during indoor track. Unfortunately, illness forced him to miss the national meet, and then COVID caused the cancelation of the outdoor track season. He was also supporting his mother during this time as she went through treatments for breast cancer. (She is currently cancer free and doing well.)
In the fall of 2020, Margaritidis improved his cross country time to 26:55 and was the third finisher for the Lancers at the Crossroads League Championships. His training and health all came together during his sophomore track season as he anchored the distance medley relay to a league championship and to All-American honors with a sixth-place showing at the NAIA Indoor Championships. During the outdoor season he won the NCCAA 1,500 title and then placed fourth in the 1,500 at the NAIA Championships, earning his first individual All-American award.
"I've grown and matured a lot in the past few years," he admitted. "My teammates, coaches and professors have challenged me and helped me grow spiritually. On the track, I certainly didn't think I would be a 4:13 miler."
After seeing a glimpse of his own potential, Margaritidis has some big goals for the next couple of years. He would like to challenge for NAIA titles in the distance medley relay and run under 3:50 in the 1,500 meters. With dual citizenship, he also has eyes on a possible bid to the U23 World Championships next summer, representing his home country of Greece. Looking ahead, the NCCAA Scholar-Athlete and member of the Grace Student Athlete Council (SAC) hopes to pursue a Master's degree in sports administration and coach on the college level.
"I have no doubts at all that Dimitri's goals are very attainable over the next few seasons," commented Poyner. "He's a very special young man in many ways — his path to the USA, his heart for others, his desire to compete and grow and his passion to pursue excellence on all levels. I believe he will be a fantastic difference-maker wherever the Lord guides him after graduation. He's certainly one here at Grace."
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092