Dual third-place team finishes were highlighted by a number of winning relays and individuals for the Bishop O’Connell Knights at the Virginia State Catholic School track-and-field high-school championship meets.
“The teams each scored more than 100 points and it was an exciting day for O’Connell,” Knights’ coach Jim Connor told ARLnow.
Leading the O’Connell boys were winning sprinters Cameron Bowser and Avery Mosley and the first place 4×100 relay at the high-school event at St. Paul VI Catholic.
Bowser won the 400 meters in a school-record time of 47.64 and was first in the 200 in 22.34.
Bowser was chosen as the meet’s Most Outstanding Male Runner, scoring 22.5 team points, the most by any athlete in running events.
Mosley won the 100 dash in 11.26 and was second in the 200. Both ran on the winning relay, finishing in 42.85.
Also second for the O’Connell boys was James Jackson (clearing six feet) in the high jump. Third were Johnny O’Donnell in the 800 and Kevin Colevas in the triple jump. Fourth was Kadan Siodlarz in the triple jump, and fifth was Lance Jayme in the 3,200.
O’Donnell’s time of 1:59.8 in the 800 was the fastest by an O’Connell runner in that race in the last 10 years.
Other significant placers were Jackson (seventh, triple jump), Andrew Fthenos (seventh, 100), Rai Detton (sixth, 110 hurdles and eighth, 300 hurdles), Matheus deSouza (eighth shot put, 14th discus), Peter Fleenor (ninth, 1600 and 11th, 800), Emmet Hand (ninth, 300 hurdles) and Jayse Brefczynski (seventh, 1600).
The boys 4×400 and 4×800 relays were third.
The lone win for the O’Connell girls came in the 4×100 relay in 49.92, which was a team record. The four relay runners were Imani Hooks, Audrey McKeen, Madi Sullivan and Lauren Smith.
Individually, Sullivan led the way with a second in the 200 and third in the 100.
Gabi Jordan was second in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump, Alyssa Kunigonis was second in the discus and fourth in the shot, Moira Kinsella was second in the 300 hurdles, and Rya Cobb third in the high jump.
Others were Smith (fifth, 100 and ninth 400), McKeen (sixth 100, seventh 200), Ciara Blivens (fifth, shot), Sadi Smith (sixth, 3,200, seventh, 1,600), Camila Soruco (eighth, 800) and Hooks (eighth, 200).
O’Connell’s 4×800 girls relay was second and the 4×400 third. Isa Rodriguez ran 2:27 on the last leg of the 4×800.
