The following is a recap of sports achievements by athletes of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Venice:
Bishop Verot runners take state title
For the first time in history, the Bishop Verot Catholic High School boy’s cross country team won a FSHAA 2A State Championship on Nov. 15, 2024, at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee.
The Viking boys from Fort Myers dethroned the four-time defending state champions with the top five Verot runners combining their time of 1:22:07.50, to earn 65 points, 18.5 seconds faster than The Bolles School of Jacksonville, a state powerhouse in cross country.
The top Verot runner was Andrew Marino, a senior who took bronze with a time 15:59.5. Also making the podium was Zachary Zielke, another senior who finished in 5th place with a time of 16:03.5. Their fellow senior teammates also did great: Dennis Olsen, 10th place, Zachary Engle, 19th, and Rafael Casillas, 39th. The future of the Verot cross country team also did well with junior Thomas Eichten finishing 79th, and freshman Christian Ginart, placing 174th among 233 competitors.
On the girls side, the Bishop Verot team placed 25th overall out of 32 teams. Senior Mackenzie de Lisle, placed 5th, with a time of 18:37. Mackenzie was the individual regional champion and finished second in the same event in 2023. Other runners on the regional championship Verot team who qualified for the state competition were Caroline Muddell, Jocelyn Sweeney, Lea Scotti, Zoe McCurry, Lana Schmidt, and Gianna Gyurich.
Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School cross country senior runner Paul Svilokos from Sarasota qualified for the State Championship and finished 36th.
In the 1A cross country championships, the girls’ team at St. John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples finished 21st overall, while the team from Donahue Academy of Ave Maria Parish in Ave Maria finished 22nd out of 32 teams. The top Donahue runner was senior Isabelle Meyer who placed 25th overall, while the top Neumann runner was senior Emma Collins who finished 78th overall.
Cardinal Mooney swimmers excel at States
In the FSHAA 1A swimming state championships on Nov. 16 at FAST in Ocala, Cardinal Mooney High School swimmers made a splash, capping off a successful season filled with shattered school records, numerous personal best times, nine swimmers advancing to the state level, and remarkable team spirit, competing against the top athletes in the state.
The Mooney boys’ team finished 12th overall out of 46 teams, while the girls finished 31st out of 44 teams.
In the relay events, the Boys 200-Yard Medley Relay team brought home a podium spot, placing 8th (Jack Gilliam, Daniel Krajewski, Turner Mitten, and Michael Navarro-Lenza). The Girls 200-Yard Medley Relay team finished in 16th place (Sofia Krajewski, Iza Lesniewska, Kiley Renick, and Noelle Troiano). Both relay teams broke school records, etching their names into the CMHS history books.
Individually, Daniel Krajewski earned an impressive 6th-place podium finish in both the 200-Yard Individual Medley (IM) and the 100-Yard Breaststroke. Turner Mitten finished 9th in the 500-Yard Freestyle, and 22nd in the 200-Yard Freestyle.
Sofia Krajewski showcased her versatility and determination with impressive performances in her freshman year, earning 12th in the 100-Yard Backstroke and 14th place in the 200-Yard Freestyle. Other notable performances included Iza Lesniewska, who placed 22nd in both the 50-Yard Freestyle and 100-Yard Freestyle, and Michael Navarro-Lenza, who took 22nd in the 100-Yard Butterfly.
Congratulations to all these athletes for qualifying for the State Championships and their overall performance this season!
