O’Connell girls win Draper track and field championship

For the third straight season, a Bishop O’Connell High School track and field team won a championship at the annual Draper Invitational meet.

The O’Connell girls won the outdoor meet this spring, hosted by St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes of Alexandria, with the Knights scoring 76.5 points. Both the girls and boys teams won the title last spring, with the boys starting their streak with a title in 2022.

This spring, the O’Connell girls were led by two-time race winner Molly Weithman. She won the 1,600 (5:05.93) and 3,200 (10:39.02) races and was third in the 800 (2:23.66). As a result, Weithman was awarded the girls Athlete of the Meet award, which goes to the person who scores the most team points. She was good for 26 points.

Weithman’s time in the 3,200 broke her own school record and also set a new benchmark.

“It was a great day for the girls, with many people contributing. What Molly continues to do this (school) year is amazing,” said O’Connell coach Jim Connor.

Weithman set multiple school records in several races during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons, and won majors during this fall’s cross country campaign, including a state championship.

O’Connell’s 4×200 relay of Mariel Irish-Maldonado, Audrey McKeen, Erica Romualdez and Selah Parker was the team’s other winner.

Individually, Parker finished second in the long jump and seventh in the 200 meters. Eva Woodcock came fourth in the high jump, sixth in the triple jump and 13th in the long jump. Ciara Bliven was fourth in the discus and 10th in the shot put, Sadie Smith fifth in the 3,200 and 11th in the 1,600, McKeen seventh in the 100, Raya Cobb eighth in the high jump and Romuladez eighth in the 400 and Irish-Maldonado ninth in the 400.

In other relays, the 4×400 placed third, the 4×100 fifth and the 4×800 eighth.

On the boys’ side, O’Connell finished 10th, led by Jayse Brefczynski, who finished third in the 1,600, and shot putter Jay Thompson. Avery Mosley was seventh in the 100, Michael Swingle seventh in the 800, Caleb Neville ninth in the high jump and 10th were Austin Coleman in the discus and Douglas O’Donnell in the long jump.

O’Connell’s boys 4×800 and 4×400 relays placed third and the 4×200 fifth. Mosley, Swingle, Cam Bowser, Matthew Harnisch, Luke Collin, Kevin Colevas, Emmet Hand and Reid Klanderman ran relays in the three places.

Upcoming competitions for the O’Connell teams include the Catholic State Championships and the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.