Athletes from each of the Diocese of Venice Catholic high schools did well at the recent Florida High School Athletic Association Track & Field State Championship on May 11 -12, 2022, at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
The top local athletes were:
Graduating Senior Leah Martin-Gonzales, of St. John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples, who repeated her Class 1A state titles in the long jump and the 100 hurdles, also finishing 6th in the 300 hurdles, and 14th as part of the 4×100 team.
Bishop Verot Catholic High School Senior Wyatt Whalen also won a State title in the Class 2A shot put and took 3rd in the discus.- Another Neumann Senior, Josh Galupa, took 2nd in the Class 1A 110 hurdles, and 4th in the 300 hurdles, 5th in the high jump and 7th in the long jump.
- Still another Neumann Senior, Connor Savenas, took 3rd in the discus.
In addition to these athletes, St. John Neumann, Bishop Verot, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School and Donahue Catholic Academy of Ave Maria Parish each had representatives qualify for the state championships.
Neumann’s Leah Martin-Gonzales earned her second consecutive state title in two disciplines, with the long jump of 5.45 meters (17 feet 10 ¾ inches) and the 100 hurdles time of 14.26.
Verot’s Wyatt Whalen took the shot-put title with a throw of 16.32 m (53 feet 6 ½ inches), and third is discus with a toss of 46.36 m (152 feet 1 inch).
Other results in the State Championships were:
- Verot – boys (8th overall); girls (37th overall); girls 3200 relay (4th); Boys 3200 relay (4th); Raven Gadson, triple jump (8th); Christian Fevier, triple jump (12th); Cooper Banks, 800 (8th); Grayson Tubbs, 800 (14th); Geraldine Herrera, 200 (14th); Mackenzie de Lisle, 3200 (8th)
- Mooney – girls (32nd overall); boys (46thth overall); girls 1600 relay (6th); Madeline Carson, discus (6th); McKayla Cantrell, discus (12th) and shot put (18th); Cooper Flerlage, discus (8th);
- Neumann – boys (9th overall); girls (12th overall); girls 400 relay (14th); girls 3200 relay (18th);
- Donahue – Leo Borjon, 1600 (10th)
Athletes finishing 8th or better each reached the awards podium. Congratulations to all!! Well done!
