The Saint Ignatius track and field team placed itself in a prime position for the finals of the 2017 Track & Field Championships.
Phil Zuccaro qualified for finals in two events as an individual and the 4x100 relay team qualified for Saturday's final, setting the stage for an exciting Saturday.
The action began in the later stages of the afternoon for the Wildcats. John Wetula ran the first race for the Wildcats at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at The Ohio State University in Columbus.
In impressive fashion, Wetula notched a personal best of 14.84 in the 110m hurdles to start out the day for the track and field squad. Wetula did not qualify for finals with his time, but the future is bright for the sophomore.
The Wildcats notched their first finals qualifier just minutes after Wetula's solid race. Zuccaro tabbed a third place time of 10.93 in the 100m dash, enough to secure a spot in the finals at 4:40 on Saturday. His time bested his Regional placing by .07.
The good news kept coming, as the 4x100 relay squad clinched a berth to Saturday's show. Anthony Pelligrino, Jack & Connor Kennedy, and Phil Zuccaro took seventh place with a time of 42.56, and a chance to score points for the Wildcats on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
The day's excitement concluded with the 200m dash, a thrilling finish for the blue and gold. The dynamic Zuccaro again qualified for Saturday's race, clocking in at 21.79. Zuccaro will complete his day of racing on Saturday in the 200m at 6:15 p.m.
Besides the three races mentioned above, CJ Ambrosio will take part in the 3200m run at 6:20. The senior stole first place at Regionals with a time of 9:03.27, an Amherst Regional record.
In the field portion of the Championships, Darian Kinnard will be the Wildcats' sole representative. The junior will participate in the shot put at noon and the discus throw at 3 p.m., hoping to pick up big points for the Wildcats.
Kinnard took second in both the shot put and the discus last weekend at the Amherst Regional, which is considered to be the strongest region for thoe two events in the state.
Follow along to the day's events on Twitter by following @SIHSSports and @IgnatiusXCTF.
Good luck to the Wildcats in Columbus today!