Austin Catholic athletes post record-setting, personal-best efforts at Bishop Foley Invitational

Austin Catholic turned in a strong set of individual performances Friday at the Bishop Foley Invitational in Madison Heights, highlighted by a school record from Gavin Bowers and personal-best marks from Abigail Glynn and Gina Di Ponio. With the meet featuring large fields from across the area, the Crusaders’ top storylines came from their own athletes with Bowers leading the way in the boys 400 meters.

Bowers set a new Austin Catholic school record in the 400, finishing in 56.83 seconds. The mark broke the previous record of 58.31 set by Michael Dornoff in 2024, giving the Crusaders one of their most significant early-season results.

Austin Catholic also saw progress in the distance events. Abigail Glynn delivered a personal record in the 1,600 meter, adding another notable performance for the Crusaders on a cool, clear evening. Glynn’s PR gave Austin Catholic an important individual step forward in a competitive field.

In the field events, Gina Di Ponio posted a personal record in the shot put, continuing the Crusaders’ theme of measurable improvement. For Austin Catholic, Di Ponio’s PR provided another encouraging takeaway from the invitational.

At this meet, Austin Catholic’s biggest gains came from its own record board and personal-best list, with Bowers, Glynn and Di Ponio each giving the Crusaders a performance worth carrying into the next meet.