JACKSONVILLE - Twin sisters Kendall and Courtney Sage, multiple event track athletes for St. Johns Country Day School, got a handful of top four finishes and one district title to lead the Spartans’ girls track squad to a third place finish at the district 4-1A track and field championships held at Bishop Snyder High School on April 12. St. Johns’ boys team took sixth with hurdler Connor Hale and distance runners Ben Kailes and Matthew Stratton all taking top four finishes.

Athletes return to Bishop Snyder on April 25 for the region 1-1A track and field championships with top four finishers heading to the state championships May 5-6 at Bradenton’s IMG Academy.

In the 300 meter hurdles, Courtney Sage, a freshman, had the top qualifier top in the preliminaries of 47.37 and improved that to 46.99 in the finals to finish behind Kendall Johnson of Providence who won in 46.13. Johnson clocked a 48.77 in her preliminary heat. Johnson also won the 100 meter hurdles in 15.68 with Sage third in 17.11. Sage was fifth in last year’s 100 meters hurdles district final and fourth in the 300 hurdles with Johnson second. Sage finished third in the region meet last year in the 300 hurdles. Sage was ninth at the state meet in 49.20.

In the 100 meter dash, Kendall Sage won by a quarter second in 13.07 over Oceana Brown of the Florida School of Deaf and Blind who ran 13.26. Sage had the top qualifying time of 13.12 and improved that in the final to her winning 13.07. Kendall Sage also advanced in the long jump with a 15’-2.25 jump for fourth behind Semaj McGhee of Bishop Snyder who won at 16’-5”.

In the boys hurdles, St. Johns’ junior Connor Hale placed third in the 110 high hurdles in 17.15 behind Will Mallory of Providence who won in 15.57. Hale also advanced to regions with a fourth in the 300 hurdles in 45.49; also won by Mallory. Hale improved in the 110 hurdles from his eighth place finish in 20.42 last year and 10th in the 300 hurdles in 50.08.

In the boys 400, St. Johns sophomore Jett Isley finished second in 52.16 to advance with Tyre Singleton of Florida School of Deaf and Blind winning in a sprint in 52.12. Third place was also close with Bishop Snyder’s Malik Fordham in at 52.23. Isley was ninth at last year’s district meet in the 200.

In the distance events, St. Johns got a second in the 800 from sixth grader Juliet Moody who was in at 2:35.39 behind Isabella Dunn of Providence’s winning split of 2:32.32.

In the girls 1600, freshman Helena Kummings finished third in 5:59.51 behind Isabella Goodwin of St. Joseph who won in 5:28.08.

St. Johns seventh grader Mackenzie Glenn continued her strong running with a second to Goodwin in the 3200 with Glenn running 12:11.35 to Goodwin’s 12:06.62. Glenn ran 12:25.43 in last year’s district final for third with Kummings fourth at 12:25.47. Glenn also advanced to the state meet with a fourth in the region 3200.

For the Spartan boys distance runners, sophomore Ben Kailes and seventh grader Matthew Stratton ran shoulder to shoulder for third and fourth, respectively, in the 3200 with Kailes clocking in at 10:39.81 and Stratton in at 10:39.95. Kailes also finished third in the 1600 in 4:40.91. Kailes ran a 5:17.10 1600 in last year’s districts for 19th place and 11:09.20 for eighth in the 3200.

In the relays, St. Johns girls 4 x 800; Helena Kummings, Kate McCormack, Sim Wulbern and Mackenzie Glenn, took second to Providence in 10:26.01. The boys 4 x 400 relay; Logan Higby, Bishoy Abdelmalik, Patrick Lindholm and Dillon Murray took fourth in 3:38.59 with the girls squad; Kendall Sage, Courtney Sage, Sims Wulbern and Helena Kummings, taking second to Providence.

St. Johns had one field event region qualifier with discus thrower Hannah Foster taking fourth with an 84’-8” toss. In last year’s region meet, St. Johns weights coach Rocky Bantag produced the region champion; Emily Patterson in the discus. Patterson is graduated.

In the high jump, St. Johns sixth grader Emma Schultz narrowly finished fifth on misses in her first district track championship. Schultz’ sister Maddie Schultz was a state meet track athlete; high jump region champ-sixth at state, third in region long jump-12th at state, fifth in region triple jump, and soccer star at St. Johns now at the U.S. Air Force Academy playing soccer.