The Falcons followed up their first-ever district and regional titles with a Class 1A state track & field championship on May 6 at IMG Academy. Saint Stephen’s ran to a second-place finish in the 1,600-meter relay – the final event of the two-day meet – to finish with 42 team points and tie Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy atop the standings, earning a share of the 1A crown. The Falcons won the team title despite not taking the top spot in any single event. SSES received second-place performances from Andrew Csubak in the 800, Letherio Jones Jr. in the 400, the 1,600-relay team and 3,200 relay. Csubak, who also ran both relays, added a bronze medal in the 1,600, and Henry Howell scored points with a fifth-place finish in the 800. The Falcons appeared to win their first gold medal in the 100 relay, cruising to the finish line in 43.46 seconds, but SSES was ultimately disqualified for an early handoff in the first exchange zone. Had Saint Stephen’s victory in that event stood, the Falcons would have been the outright champions — although the same could also be said about Westminster, which was also disqualified in the event for stepping out of its lane in the third exchange zone.
