Spring Sports Athletes Make All-State Teams
Spring Sports Athletes Make All-State Teams
![A female soccer player in a blue jersey dribbles the ball on a grassy field with bleachers and a fence in the background.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1781094784/sjcatholicschoolorg/jc75vwpytccrc0narxcb/RRS_10222.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1781094784/sjcatholicschoolorg/jc75vwpytccrc0narxcb/RRS_10222.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1781094784/sjcatholicschoolorg/jc75vwpytccrc0narxcb/RRS_10222.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1781094784/sjcatholicschoolorg/jc75vwpytccrc0narxcb/RRS_10222.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1781094784/sjcatholicschoolorg/jc75vwpytccrc0narxcb/RRS_10222.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1781094784/sjcatholicschoolorg/jc75vwpytccrc0narxcb/RRS_10222.jpg","width":2053}])
Five SJCS spring sports athletes were chosen for Class 3A All-State teams, and five others made All-State teams through their performances.
Seniors Lola Kelly and Caroline Mruz were selected to the South Carolina High School Soccer Coaches Association 3A All-State girls team, and Jonny Bunecke and Luka Kucinic were named to the boys team.
Junior Quinn Walsh was chosen for the SC Baseball Coaches Association 3A All-State team.
Junior Whit Wilkins made the SC Tennis Coaches Association 1A/2A/3A All-State team through his performance in the individual state tournament.
Earlier, senior Bea Hamilton, sophomore Odette Brown, freshman Sutton Alexander and 8th-grader Eva Cifuni made the SC Track and Cross Country Coaches Association 3A All-State team through their performance in the state meet.
These four, along with Corinne Okuley -- just five athletes -- finished sixth out of 28 teams at the state meet. Odette was state runner-up in the 800-meter run with a school-record time of 2:18.12. Eva was state runner-up in the 1,600. She set the school record in the event earlier in the season with a time of 5:01.97.
- Lola Kelly and Luka Kucinic were chosen to play for South Carolina in the Clash of the Carolinas, the nation's only interstate high school soccer all-star event. The 2026 event will be held at the CSA OrthoCarolina Sportsplex, home of Charlotte Soccer Academy, in Pineville, N.C., this Saturday, June 13, with the girls match at 10:00 AM and the boys match at noon.
- Also this Saturday, Jonny Bunecke and Rhys Roberts will play for the North boys in the North-South Soccer Classic at noon at Anderson University's Spero Financial Field at Melvin & Dollie Younts Stadium.
Those were among the following SJCS athletes earning spring sports honors:
BASEBALL
SCBCA All-State: Quinn Walsh
All-Region: Quinn Walsh, Sam Utecht, Jackson Campbell, John Campbell, Nolan Green
Team Awards
QAB Award: Christian Timko
Pitching Award: Nolan Green
BOYS GOLF
Team Awards
MVP: Bryce Chapman
Most Improved: Giorgos Demas
Rookie of the Year: Liam Davis
BOYS TENNIS
All-State: Whit Wilkins
Region Player of the Year: Whit Wilkins
Region Coach of the Year: Ken Arp
All-Region: Jeremiah Adams (singles), Hampton Norwood (singles), Byron Webb & Brodie Miller (doubles)
Team Awards
Knights Award: Whit Wilkins
Most Valuable Player: Hampton Norwood
Most Improved: Sam Kane
Coach's Award: Jeremiah Adams
GIRLS LACROSSE
SCHSLCA All-Upper State: First Team-Kristen Nelson; Second Team-Liza May Perry, Reese Rosenfeld, Julia Su
All-District: First Team-Kristen Nelson, Liza May Perry, Reese Rosenfeld, Julia Su; Second Team-Molly Monroe, Elasayd Okuley
Team Awards
Outstanding Hustle: Sofia Lemos
110%: Liza May Perry
Knight Award: Elasayd Okuley
Rookie of the Year: Julia Su
SOCCER
Boys
Clash of the Carolinas: Luka Kucinic
North-South All-Star Classic: Jonny Bunecke, Rhys Roberts
SCHSSCA All-State: Jonny Bunecke, Luka Kucinic
All-Region: Jonny Bunecke, Luka Kucinic
Team Awards
Coaches Award: James Smith
Team MVP: Jonny Bunecke
Offensive Player of the Year: Jonny Bunecke
Defensive Player of the Year: Luka Kucinic
Girls
Clash of the Carolinas: Lola Kelly
SCHSSCA All-State: Caroline Mruz, Lola Kelly
All-Region: Payton Armstrong, Taylor Hargett, Elin Johnson, Lola Kelly, Caroline Mruz
SOFTBALL
All-Region: Reese Martin, Jackie Garrett, Stella Nash
Team Awards
Emily Gushue Award: Nora Nash
Most Improved: Sophia Oehler
Best Defense: Reese Martin
Best Offense: Addie Murphy
Best All-Around: Stella Nash
Knight Award: Addi Gregory
TRACK
Boys
All Region: Sam Patterson (100, 200, 4x100), Eliot Power (4x100), Timothy Power (4x100), Mack Rambo (4x100).
Team Awards
Team MVP: Sam Patterson
Distance MVP: Jonathan Kissel
Senior Award: Eliot Power
Girls
SCTCCCA All-State: Eva Cifuni (1600, 3200, 4x800), Odette Brown (800, 4x800), Bea Hamilton (4x800), Sutton Alexander (4x800)
All-Region: Eva Cifuni (1600), Odette Brown (4x800), Bea Hamilton (4x800), Sutton Alexander (4x800), Corinne Okuley (4x800)
Team Awards
Team MVP: Eva Cifuni
Iron Heart Award: Sutton Alexander
Gold Standard Award: Odette Brown
Leadership Award: Bea Hamilton
Rookie of the Year: Corinne Okuley
![A large group of graduates in black gowns and caps are posed in rows on a wooden floor in front of a brick wall.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1779549935/sjcatholicschoolorg/lgdx9qnsmqmxjt8mbldv/Classof2026b.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1779549935/sjcatholicschoolorg/lgdx9qnsmqmxjt8mbldv/Classof2026b.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1779549935/sjcatholicschoolorg/lgdx9qnsmqmxjt8mbldv/Classof2026b.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1779549935/sjcatholicschoolorg/lgdx9qnsmqmxjt8mbldv/Classof2026b.jpg","width":978}])
![Three people wearing orange headbands and athletic attire, two holding balls, stand in a gymnasium with blue bleachers in the background.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1779299395/sjcatholicschoolorg/oykpyubwykwgbvupyyf5/IMG_2490a.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1779299395/sjcatholicschoolorg/oykpyubwykwgbvupyyf5/IMG_2490a.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1779299395/sjcatholicschoolorg/oykpyubwykwgbvupyyf5/IMG_2490a.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1779299395/sjcatholicschoolorg/oykpyubwykwgbvupyyf5/IMG_2490a.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1779299395/sjcatholicschoolorg/oykpyubwykwgbvupyyf5/IMG_2490a.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1779299395/sjcatholicschoolorg/oykpyubwykwgbvupyyf5/IMG_2490a.jpg","width":2200}])