SACO — After rewriting the school and Southwestern Maine Activities Association record books, senior Johnny Rosario of Thornton Academy has been named the Journal Tribune’s Most Valuable Player in boys track and field.

Rosario entered the SMAA and Thornton Academy record books with a 100-meter dash time of 10.97. He also set a school record with his 200-meter dash time of 22.35.

Rosario, who arrived at Thornton Academy this summer as a transfer student from Cambridge, Massachusetts, was unbeaten this season in the 100- and 200-meter dash.

“I knew looking back at what he’d done the previous year in Massachusetts that he was excellent,” said Thornton Academy head coach George Mendros. “At the first regular season meet my assistant timed him with a handheld and he goes, ‘that can’t be right, he had a time of 10.97’ and I said ‘you know what, I think that’s right.’ He must have won that race by at least five yards.”

Mendros added that during the relay that same day, in the third leg, Thornton Academy runner Jabari Washington injured his hamstring and was barely able to hand off the baton to Rosario.

“John took off with a huge deficit, and he still caught everybody. All of us knew right then that he was something special,” Mendros said.

Aside from his obvious athleticism — 6-foot-4 and about 190 pounds — Rosario was a delightful personality to have on a team, according to Mendros.

“He has a great personality, he gets along with everybody,” Mendros said. “During practice he’d be with some of the other kids on the team who may not be as gifted, chatting it up with them and everyone else. He interplayed with everybody.”

Given his athleticism, Rosario also excelled as a wide receiver for the Thornton Academy football team and was offered to play for the University of Maine Black Bears next season.