Palmetto Christian Academy growing as an athletic program

Neill Kirkpatrick • June 20, 2024

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By Neill Kirkpatrick

Special to the HSSR

Mt. Pleasant – Palmetto Christian Academy wrapped up a good athletic year with a good spring as the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams reached the play-offs, the boy’s golf team made the state tournament, track and field finished in the top 10 and the baseball team despite being very young made great strides.

Athletic Director Dan Hoover told the HSSR last summer, “Our parents want a Christian education for their kids and covenant relationship to the school. We have built our athletic programs around those ideals.”

On the pitch the Eagles earned play-off spots for both the boy’s and girl’s teams. The boys’ team finished the year 4-5-1 with their season ending in the first round of the SCISA AAA tournament. They were led by junior SCISA All State selection Evans Baker.

Lady Eagles lost in heartbreaking fashion to Spartanburg Christian Academy, after finishing the match tied and remaining that way after an overtime period. They lost 8-7 in a shoot-out. They will say good-bye to four seniors Bella De Los Reyes, Autumn Benton, Anne Lancaster, and Ana Taylor.

The boy’s golf team finished 9^th at the SCISA state meet with a score of 758. Jack Semeraro led the way shotting 167 over the two-day tournament 167. He was followed by Joseph Terry at 192, Anna Claire Romine at 190, Miles Johnson at 209 and Simms O’Neil at 232.

The Eagles finished the year with two top ten finishes at the SCISA state meet as the boy’s team placed 7^th and the girl’s finished 9^th.

The boys were led by senior Hans Payne. He won a gold and a silver medal for the Eagles in the 1600 and 800, respectively. He won the 1600 by .01 in a new PR OF 4:32.47. In the 800 he also set a new PR of 2:04.76. He did all this after overcoming an early season injury,

The Eagles won gold and silver in the Pole Vault as juniors Sam Smith and Gavin Wease went one-two. Smith’s vault of 14-08 was new school and PR.

Eighth grader Alex Corley, who is ranked the top eighth grade Javelin thrower in the country, won gold with a throw of 149-05. It was a new school record.

The girls’ team was led by sophomore Josie Hurley. She won silver in the 1600 in a new PR of 5:47.69 and bronze in 800 with a new PR of 2:32.83.

Also medaling for the Lady Eagles was the 4x100 relay team as they finished third. Two eighth graders Margaret Askins and Anna Grace Works, freshmen Sydney Geiger, and seventh grader Lola Praise Perry made up the team.

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