Eva Cifuni Wins Two Track Titles, Leads Girls to Fifth

SJCS seventh-grader Eva Cifuni won two individual state titles in the Class 3A track and field championships Saturday at Richland Northeast High School in Columbia.

Cifuni took first in the 1,600- (5:12.21) and 3,200-meter (11:36.04) runs, leading the St. Joe's girls to a fifth-place finish out of 25 teams.

Freshman Odette Brown had a pair of third-place finishes, in the 800 (2:23.37) and the 1,600 (5:18.73). Eighth-grader Sutton Alexander took fifth in the 800 (2:24.49), and seventh-grader Payton Picciuto placed eighth in the 1,600 (5:25.69).
 

Also, the Knights' 4x800 relay team of Cifuni, Picciuto, Brown and Bea Hamilton placed third (9:52.61).

In the boys meet, the highlight was the 4x400 team of Lucas Salgado, William Gillespie, Matt Patterson and Sam Patterson taking third. Their time of 3:25.86 also easily eclipsed the school record (3:30.92) they had set at the state qualifier the previous week.

Salgado, Gillespie, Sam Patterson and Paul Norman placed fifth in the 4x100 (42.75), and Jonathan Kissel, Burke Moorman, Carter Dausen and Thomas Potter finished sixth in the 4x800 (8:39.06).

Individually, Moorman, a junior, came in seventh in the 800 (2:04.58), and Salgado, a senior, finished eighth in the 100 (11.01). 

With his time in the 100, Salgado once again set the school record. He established the record early this season and has since lowered it three times, most recently with 11.04 at the state qualifier.

The boys finished 17th out of 26 teams.

Click HERE for complete results on scrunners.com

STATE TRACK MEET PHOTO GALLERY 1

STATE TRACK MEET PHOTO GALLERY 2