Top sports moments of 2022

1. Legends leaving

 

Bishop England has had some legendary coaches in its long and proud history, and two have announced their retirement plans.

 

Ed Khouri, the dean of boys’ soccer coaches in the Lowcountry, announced Dec. 21 that he was retiring. He logged 513 career victories and led the Bishops to 17 state titles.

 

Longtime athletic director and girls’ basketball coach Paul Runey announced that the 2023-24 academic year would be his last. He has more than 750 career wins and has led the Bishops to six state titles.

 

These retirement plans come on the heels of another legendary coach retiring last year when Dave Snyder stepped down as the girls’ soccer coach after logging 309 wins and 10 state titles.

 

2. 1,000-point club

 

Philip Simmons completed its fifth season in basketball when the 2021-22 campaign came to an end, and three players reached the 1,000-point mark for their careers. They included Miles Haight, Kylee Kellermann and Kennedy Rivers. 

 

3. Untamed Iron Horses

 

Philip Simmons High won its second straight Carlisle Cup in only five years of existence. The Iron Horses were once again crowned the Class AA winner of the Carlisle Cup, an award that is given to the top athletic programs in each of the five classifications. The Iron Horses won three state championships: girls’ track and field, boys’ tennis and girls’ tennis. The Iron Horses finished as state runner-up in girls’ cross country and boys’ track. 

 

4. Navarro turns pro

 

Charleston resident and former Ashley Hall student-athlete Emma Navarro turned pro in late June after two solid seasons at the University of Virginia where she was crowned NCAA champ in 2021. Navarro’s first pro tourney was an ITF event in Mount Pleasant at the LTP complex.

 

5. BE lacrosse

 

The Bishop England girls lacrosse team continued to be the best program in the state and one of the best in the country. Coach Jeff Weiner’s squad completed another perfect season with an 18-0 record and its sixth straight state title. The Bishops will begin the 2023 season with an 82-game winning streak.

 

6. Watson is solid gold

 

Philip Simmons track standout Naj Watson became only the 15th girl in state history to win four gold medals. She swept the sprint events, winning the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes, while running the second leg of the winning 4x100-meter relay. 

 

7. Cantey’s health

 

Bishop England football coach John Cantey announced over the summer his health was the best in more than a decade after undergoing surgery to have his colon removed. He suffered from ulcerative colitis.

 

8. Gilbert drafted

 

Former Bishop England pitcher Geoffrey Gilbert was taken by the New York Yankees in June’s MLB Draft. Gilbert, who pitched for Clemson at the college level, was the 400th player taken and went in the 13th round. 

 

9. Rogers shines at U.S. Open

 

Shelby Rogers had another solid effort at the U.S. Open, which was held in New York to conclude the summer season. Rogers, who has a reputation as a giant-killer, pushed World No. 5 Ons Jabeur to the brink in a third-round match that lasted two hours and 17 minutes before the Tunisian survived to post a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory. 

 

10. BE cross country

 

Bishop England shone in the state cross country championships, held in November. The BE girls won the state title while the boys team finished second.