Sarajian Brothers Become of Age

From AYF Olympics 2012 Special Issue

BOSTON, Mass.—New Jersey didn’t have to go very far to put together a 4×100 relay team or an entire infield in softball.

The Sarajian brothers were there for the call—all four of them.

For the first time in AYF Olympic history, four brothers were entered in the same relay. Two members of one family would be true to tradition. Three would be somewhat unique. But four?

“It took a little waiting to reach the qualifying age but we were patient,” said Ara, the senior sibling. “We waited for Haig to turn 16.”

Once Haig became a senior member, it was a no-brainer for the crew.

Haig took the baton, handed it off to Ara, who gave it to Garo before Raffi finished the race. They happen to be the sons of Richard and Nora (Daghlian) Sarajian, whose dad is a member of the Olympic Governing Body.

“When we were home, we encouraged one another to compete,” remarked Ara. “Making this happen was really a cool thing. Our parents have been an inspiration to us.”

The 24-year-old was the last of three generations to graduate from Merrimack College, North Andover, in 2010 with a marketing degree and now works for the Washington Nationals as an accounts executive.

No sooner did this Olympics end that he was spearheading the Junior Games at Camp Haiastan from Sept. 28-29.

Raffi, 21, earned a silver medal in the shot-put. He’s a senior at Springfield College, majoring in sports sciences and playing rugby. He hopes to visit Armenia next summer on an internship.

Garo is a junior at Johns Hopkins University, majoring in mathematics and making the Dean’s List. He was head counselor at Camp Haiastan this past summer.

As for Haig, he’s a junior at Spring Valley High, an honor’s student in advanced placement classes, plays football and baseball, and is on the math team.

The day before, the Sarajians plugged up the entire infield in softball, made key defensive stops, hit the ball with authority, and led the “Arsens” to their third consecutive championship, winning each of their games by at least 15 runs.

Even with one at Johns Hopkins and another working for the Nationals, there’s no chance they’ll be playing for the “Ani” Chapter next year when the Olympics resume in Washington. Their roots are stabilized in Jersey.

And don’t be surprised if they earn a relay medal to show for it.

“Next year we want to place,” says Ara.

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Tom Vartabedian

Tom Vartabedian is a retired journalist with the Haverhill Gazette, where he spent 40 years as an award-winning writer and photographer. He has volunteered his services for the past 46 years as a columnist and correspondent with the Armenian Weekly, where his pet project was the publication of a special issue of the AYF Olympics each September.

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