BE track fields strong boys' and girls' teams

Girls’ team excels in track and field events

The Bishop England boys’ and girls’ track teams fared well at the recent Coaches Classic, which was contested at Dutch Fork High School.

While the High School League State Championships are still more than a month away, the Bishops must continue to work hard if they are to be on the victory stand in May. The Bishop girls are seeking their first state title since 2017. The boys won the title in 2016.

“The season is progressing very well,” said Tony Colizzi, who coaches both the boys’ and girls’ teams. The boys’ team is having a very good season so far. They are very strong in distance events. To win state is going to take a team effort.”

“There are several teams out there that are very strong,” Colizzi added. “The boys will need to find some points outside of distance to help their cause.”

Those points could come from Jack McAvoy, who is ranked No. 2 in the state in Class AA with a vault of 13-0.

Other top members of the team include Aidan Richter, Sam Boykin, Logan Desciak, Colin Costello, Mark Richter, Daniel Infante and Jack McAvoy. But depth is very important and that’s why Dan Poch, Charlie Michel, Michael Owens, and Jack Rider need to contribute.

The boys’4x800-meter relay team of Richter, Desciak, Costello and Infante won the event at the Coaches’ Classic with a time of 8:09.11.

The girls should excel as well. Keep an eye on a couple of athletes who compete in the field events. Junior Emma Albano won the discus at the Coaches Classic with a heave of 122-6, while Grace Hotchkiss cleared 12-7 in the pole vault, which is the best in the state so far this spring.

“Emma is progressing very well,” Colizzi said. “The hard work she puts in is paying off. She has set school records in discus, shot and javelin so far this season and I expect her to break all of those again by the end of the season.”

Colizzi also has high praise for his pole vaulter.

“Grace has worked very hard at practice and has shown great improvement,” Colizzi said. “She is the top vaulter in the state and has set the school record this season. By the end of the season I believe she will clear 13 feet. All of the credit goes to Grace and her pole vault coach Tom Reagan. He has done a great job with her and many of our other vaulters.”

The Bishops girls shine in almost every event and could be represented in 11 events at the State Championships.

“The girls’ team may not be as strong as the boys in distance but they are a much more well-rounded team,” Colizzi said. “We have top distance runners, top throwers and top vaulters. They have a very good chance of winning state if it all comes together.”

The top female performers include Albano, Hotchkiss, Patricia George, Grace Hotchkiss, and Mary Wallace Rainero. All of them could qualify in multiple events. Other Bishops who provided depth are Katie Brooks, Kelsey Steiby, Annika Deveau, Grace Iaria, Shawna Swanson, Julia Hunter and Kayla Runey.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
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