The Saint Ignatius track and field squad entered the 2017 OHSAA State Track & Field Championships bright-eyed and ready and departed with high hopes for next year.
The Wildcats, anchored by juniors Phil Zuccaro and Darian Kinnard, tied for ninth place with 20 points on Saturday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The Wildcats did not defend the 2016 state title, but set the foundation for a bright future.
With a large part of the squad, including five of the team's seven state qualifiers, returning in 2018, the Wildcats have plenty to look forward to and strive for in the offseason.
Perhaps the highlight of the state meet was Darian Kinnard's second place finish in the shot put.
The future Kentucky Wildcat qualified for States with a second place Regional finish at Amherst last weekend. Kinnard then faced some of the best in the state in his flight. Kinnard faced pressure at the start, fouling on his first throw. A tough toss backed Kinnard on his third throw. If Kinnard did not record a quality toss, he would not qualify for finals.
To the delight of his assembled Wildcat fan club, including dedicated Assistant Coaches Ryan Franzinger '02 and Tom Flandera '62, Kinnard threw an incredible toss of 57'11", placing him first in his flight and qualifying for finals.
Kinnard did not manage to hurl it any farther in his three throws in the finals, but his toss of 57'11" stood as the second-best overall throw, granting him second place in the state.
Hot conditions and a delay led to a tough showing for Kinnard in the discus. However, Kinnard still has plenty to be proud of, and lots to look forward to for next year.
To start the day off in the finals, Phil Zuccaro came in ninth in the 100m dash with a mark of 10.96. Zuccaro raced against some of the best competition the state had to offer in that race.
Zuccaro then took part in the 4x100 relay with Jack Kennedy, Connor Kennedy, and Anthony Pelligrino. The quartet notched 7th in the finals, clocking in at 42.55. Of the four, only Pelligrino will be lost due to graduation.
The 200m dash also featured a Saint Ignatius representative. Guess who? Zuccaro snatched fifth in the race with a mark of 21.8 for the blue and gold.
The evening concluded with CJ Ambrosio running in the 3200m run. The senior ended his Saint Ignatius career in style. The Duke-bound took third with a time of 9:07.49, completing his time at Wildcat High with an exclamation point. Ambrosio's class and competitive spirit will certainly be missed. The Blue Devils are getting a heck of a runner.
Once again, congratulations to the track and field squad on a great year. Next year will be a lot of fun.