The St. Thomas More Knights posted one of their best results at the 46th annual B.C. high school track and field championships.
The Knights finished tied with Christian Brothers rival Vancouver College in sixth place in the overall aggregate, while placing fifth in the boys' team standings.
STM's vaunted boys' sprint relay team, including Sebastian Aduglaski, Mikey Carney, Malcolm Lee and alternate Jalen Jana, earned the school's fifth 4x100-metre title in in seven years following a huge anchor leg from Giovanni Trasolini that nipped College at the tape by 5 one-hundreths of a second.
"It was a sick kick," remarked Carney after the win.
"It was probably our main goal coming into the B.C.s, said Adugalski, who ran the leadoff leg.
"I just wanted to win really bad," Trasolini added.
That win came just moments after the STM girls shaved twotenths of a second off their 4x100m qualifying time to finish with the bronze medal in a personal-best time of 50.40 to claim the school's first medal at the B.C. meet.
"We just wanted to PB, but when that chance came, we're so proud of each other," said Paige Llewellyn.
Adugalski claimed an individual silver medal for STM, placing runner-up in the 400m hurdles after a long rain delay following thunder and lightning over Swangard Stadium in the afternoon hours on Saturday.
"It affected me mentally mostly," Adugalski said of his 57.59 time. "I was warmed up and I was ready to run. ... I got a PB in the final, so hopefully I can get a gold medal next year.
But the Knights' track team left a lot of potential points on the table.
Trasolini placed fifth in the 200m and eighth in the 100m, respectively, while also finishing eighth in the 4x400m.
Lee and Adugalski both earned fifth-place finishes in the respective 100m and 110m hurdles races before finishing up the meet in the 1,600m relay.
But for the one STM senior in the final relay race of the meet the eighth-place result was bittersweet.
"I'm a little disappointed with the final race," said Carney. "But I'm very satsified in my high school career from Grade 8 to 12. It's more than what I expected it to be. ... But it's a tough way to go out.
"But all the hard work paid off in the 4x100 that's for sure. That's what I'm remembering - two gold medals. I'm happy with that."
STM also earned team aggregate points from Ryan Rickaby, who finished seventh in the boys' 1,500m race walk on Friday.
Rachel Shuttleworth got the STM girls' in the points with a sixth-place finish in the 200m sprint. Shuttleworth just missed qualifying in the 100m, placing 10th in a time of 12.91.
The Knights had a number of other near-qualifying misses.
Jana was ninth in the boys' 100m, while Nico Repole was 10th in the boys' shot put and 14th in the discus.
Bryant Lee threw more than 41 metres in the boys' javelin to finish 10th overall.
Kamila Wojiechowski was just short of the 10-m mark in the girls' shot put, placing 10th with a 9.59m heave. "We're just blessed with great athletes and we don't miss a beat from our alternates," said STM track coach Dave Mattiazzo.
