BE track moves to Class AAAA, girls target 15th state title

The Bishop England High School girls’ track and field team competed in its first meet of the season on Feb. 22 at the James Island Distance and Throws Festival.

 

The scrimmage gave the Bishops a chance to focus on the future and not look back.

 

The Bishops came oh so close to scoring a three-peat at last May’s Class AA state championship but lost out in the last event of the meet, the 4x400 meter relay.

 

The BE girls finished 1.5 seconds behind Gray Collegiate Academy, and that gave the Columbia-area school a 75-72 victory and the Class AA state crown.

 

“It took a while to get over the three-point loss.” Bishop England veteran coach Tony Colizzi said. “I have been on both sides: losing by three points and winning by a half point. They make for exciting meets, but it is definitely more fun to be on the winning side of a close state championship.”

 

This year, the Bishops will compete at the Class AAAA level and seek their 15th state title in the program’s impressive history.

 

Colizzi lost some key performers from last year’s squad, but talent remains.

 

The Bishops had six athletes earn all-state honors, including four who return in 2025. Nora Brahim earned all-state honors in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs; Grace Buss in the 4x800-meter relay and the 3,200; Katie Griffin in the pole vault; and Caroline Wilson in the 4x800 relay.

 

“We definitely return a strong core from the state meet,” Colizzi said. “We will definitely lean on the talents of Brahim, Buss, Griffin, Caroline Wilson, along with Addy Wood and Lolla Long this season.”

 

The Bishops have a young team but have depth and potential. 

 

Grier Murphy and Ava Albano will be leaders on the sprint side, and Brahim and Buss will lead the distance crew.

 

Katie Cheverie and Siena D’Agostino, a pair of underclassmen, have been impressive in practice and ran well at the James Island meet.

 

BE BOYS TRACK PREVIEW 

The Bishop boys also have talent returning after a ninth-place finish at last May’s state championship.

 

“The boys’ team has worked hard in the first month of the season,” Colizzi said. “We return some strong runners who should score points at the state meet.”

 

Marc Brahim was all-state in both the 1,600 and 3,200 runs. Patrick Asher earned all-state in the discus.

 

“Marc Brahim has been working extremely hard in the off-season and putting in a lot of miles,” Colizzi said. “He will definitely be one athlete that the team will lean on for points at the state meet.

 

“Patrick Asher looks to improve on his throws this season,” Colizzi added. “He performed well in the discus last year at state and is putting in the work now to better that mark.”

 

Colizzi is optimistic this spring despite the jump from Class AA to AAAA.

 

“The key to this season will be finding areas to score points at the state meet,” the coach said. “Moving up to (Class) AAAA makes the state meet a little more difficult. Track and field is about scoring as many points in as many events as possible. As a small school, it is tough for us to fill all the events, so we will have to be strong in the events that we can field athletes.”