Judge Memorial Catholic High School and Saint Joseph Catholic High School win track and field titles

Photo courtesy of Jenna Sliwinski

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Judge Memorial Catholic High School proudly displays their sixth 3A State Championship Track and Field trophy in seven years. The girls came together as a team to win the state title.

SALT LAKE CITY/OGDEN — The Judge Memorial Catholic High School girls’ track team won their sixth 3A State Championship Title in seven years at Brigham Young University May 16-17. At the same time, Saint Joseph Catholic High School girls’ dominated the 1A track and field events to win a State Championship Title.

Devin Kallas, from Juan Diego Catholic High School, won a shot put individual state championship event by throwing the shot put 55 feet 2 inches. This was a school record and enough to win an individual event.

Dan Quinn, Judge Memorial head track and field coach said, "Our girls took state without ever taking first place in any individual event or relay. "It is probably one of the most team-centered championships we have won where we did not have just one outstanding person.

Kiersten Berg for example, had a phenomenal sprint placing in the 100 meter, 200 meter, and 400 meter events. Hailey Knettles was solid in the mile, half-mile, two-mile, and medley relay.

Ellie McMillan had only one month’s worth of training because of a ski jumping accident in which she broke her collarbone. She placed in the hurdles.

Lauren Santi did a great job in the shot put. In the discus, Jenna Sliwinski was great. Sliwinski was entered in eight events and you can only compete in four. Even during the meet, she did not know which four she was going to do. It was about a half hour before shot put that I told her she had to throw based on the dynamics of the meet.

"Our girls like each other and they get along and that is what makes girls athletics work so well," said Quinn. "Our upper classmen really supported our lower classmen.

Saint Joseph’s distant runner Andrea Chavez won the 800 and 1,600 meter to lead her team to its first state title since 2004. Chavez, a freshman, just likes to run. Carissa Bauer and Tauna DeHaan finished first and second in the 400 meter, finishing in 1:00.50 and 1:01.07, respectively. Jennifer Beaudoin and Michelle Howe were All State in the 400 meter relay. Alex Shaw was All State in the 3,200 meter run and All Sate in the 1,600 meter relay.

"I have great assistant coaches in Javier Chavez, Lisa Reed, and Mark Blanchart, said Joe Loffredo, Saint Joseph head track and field coach. "I also tell the girls if you show up to practice, good things will happen. We have a young team and are looking forward to a good year next year. We need to pick up a couple of more sprinters. We gave a good all around team in the field events of shot put, long jump, discus, which really helped us this year. Laura Moll, Jackie Bafford, and Sarah Paur helped us get more points in the field events."

A lot of the girls play other sports such as soccer, cross country, basketball, and they are all good athletes. They stay in shape year round. But each sport uses different muscles so we start out each season with conditioning drills to get them in shape for track and field events.

Kallas won a shot put individual state championship event. He graduated from Juan Diego in the class of 2008 and is throwing for Ohio State University.

"I watched him throw and said he would make a great shot put thrower," said head track and field coach Dan John. "Kallas assured me he was only interested in baseball. When he was cut from the baseball team he came to me humbly and asked if he could be on the track team. I said yes, but my heart was not in it.

"His first throw was only 35 feet," said John. "But he practiced and improved weekly and even started reading articles. He threw 40 feet and got better and better. Then he threw the school record on his first throw. During the season, he turned it around and did an amazing job. I am proud to have a thrower from Juan Diego on a quality team such as Ohio State."