The 2026 MileSplit SC cross country team spotlight feature starts the cross country season with Bishop England out of Daniel Island near Charleston.
The Bishops moved to SCHSL Class AAA from AAAA this cross country season. The cross country team was formed in 1999 by Phillip Bottelier. Tony Colizzi, now head coach, started with the program in 2000 as an assistant coach.
Bishop England cross country history
2000: Girls won first state cross country title for a total of five
Girls team has won state back-to-back two times
Over the last four years they have been state champions twice and state runner-up twice
2008: Boys won first state cross country championship in 2008 for a total of six South Carolina cross country team titles.
State cross country runner-up seven times.
2005-2011: Brought home three state cross country titles
2016-2022: Brought home three state cross country titles
"I'm super excited for Bishop England cross country this year. We have a great team this year and everyone brings something a little bit different to the team, so practice has been a lot of fun so far. I know we have plenty of talent and a lot of hard working guys, so we have some pretty big goals for our championship meets later in the season. Last season I was more focused on swimming and didn't do any summer miles, but this season I'm more focused on running and did a lot of summer miles this summer. Over the summer, I also went to cross country camp at Virginia Tech and South Carolina with one of my teammates, Gabe Hislop. We were able to do a lot of unique training at both of these camps and we met a lot of really cool people. My favorite part about going to cross country camp was probably playing volleyball at Virginia Tech. I'm looking forward to this season because I'm more focused on running now than I ever have been. I think I'll be more competitive at big meets than I was last year and I'm hoping to set a pretty fast 5K pr as well." - Connor Good, Bishop England cross country runner, Class of 2027
See the complete interview with Colizzi below.
How was opening the season for you, driving from Charleston to Columbia for the Skyhawk Invitational?
The opening meet of the season went well. Only the boys' team competed that weekend; the girls have chosen to open their season at the Creating Waves meet in Summerville.
The boys took second at the Skyhawk Invite and Connor Good placed second overall.
Changing from 4A to 3A, does that change anything for you this season? How do you look at the season this year after two runner-up team finishes in 2025?
The boys had a very successful season last year and following that up will be difficult.
They have worked hard over the summer and with the addition of some promising newcomers, they look to have a strong team. This season their goal is to eclipse last season and bring home a state championship trophy.
The girls team lost some very talented runners through graduation this past season and they know they have big shoes to fill. They are coming together as team and are headed in the right direction to do well at state.
What are your expectations for your teams this year?
I expect both teams to be challenging their SCHSL AAA cross country competitors for the state title. Their first goal will be to win the region and then strive to win the state championship.
How do you spend your time after a meet?
Since I am also the bus driver I spend the first couple of hours driving the team back to Charleston. After that I head home to enter the data from the meet, download the pictures I took at the meet and to wash the uniforms and warmups.
BISHOP ENGLAND BOYS MILESPLIT SC TEAM PREVIEW
BOYS 5K Top 3
Each athlete's season best shown on one scale. Tap or hover a dot.
Just 64 secs separates the field
15:46
16:49
15:20
15:30
15:40
15:50
16:00
16:10
16:20
16:30
16:40
16:50
17:00
17:10
17:20
the leader
15:45.52 · Connor Good
+14 secs from leader
15:59.12 · Gabe Hislop
+64 secs from leader
16:49.05 · Ben Huntington
How was summer training?
Summer training went well. We met Monday-Friday at 7 a.m. for our runs. The boys' team logged over 3,000 miles, and the girls' team logged over 1,600 miles.
Do you attend a running camp? Please explain.
We did not attend any running camps as a team, but several athletes attending camps. Some of the camps they attend were, PR running camp, USC's running camp, App State's camp and Virginia Tech camp.
Favorite quote as a coach?
My favorite quote comes from one of my assistant coaches, he constantly reminds the boys team to stay focused during the season and in their workouts. He tells them "Workouts are no place for Smokin' and Jokin.'"
What is your history as a runner?
I never ran competitively. I got into running in graduate school as a way to get a break from all the stress and I have been running ever since.
What makes you get out each day to coach runners?
I enjoy watching them improve as the season goes on, not only in their races but also in their workouts. I also enjoy running with the team, although over the last 30 years I have gone from running with the front group to near the back.
"Since I am also the bus driver I spend the first couple of hours driving the team back to Charleston. After that I head home to enter the data from the meet, download the pictures I took at the meet and to wash the uniforms and warmups." - Tony Colizzi, Bishop England cross country coach
What meets have you talked with the team to focus on this cross country season?
Our big meets are Eye Opener and Wendy's Invitational. The team loves to focus on the overnight meets. They love the team camaraderie that the overnight stays promote. They also love running against great competition, which both of these meets definitely have. Our overnight trips are only for the varsity, so the chance to go on the trip motivates many athletes to work hard to stay on varsity.
What's a week like for you and your team at Bishop England?
During August and September our practices are at 6 a.m., so we have a lot of early mornings to start the year. The teams actually like the 6 a.m. practices. The slightly cooler temps and the chance to go home right after school make the early mornings more enticing.
What's your biggest challenge?
The bigger challenge with this season is coaching most days by myself. I have one assistant who can make it one to two days per week but the other four to five days I am on my own. Luckily, at meets I have several parents who have offered to help collect splits at the mile marks and chaperone on overnight trips. That should help quite a bit.
BISHOP ENGLAND GIRLS MILESPLIT SC TEAM PREVIEW
GIRLS 5K Top 3
Each athlete's season best shown on one scale. Tap or hover a dot.
Just 60 secs separates the field
19:38
20:38
19:10
19:20
19:30
19:40
19:50
20:00
20:10
20:20
20:30
20:40
20:50
21:00
the leader
19:37.95 · Siena D'Agostino
+13 secs from leader
19:50.59 · Katie Cheverie
+60 secs from leader
20:37.79 · Maggie Wall
How do you and your teams transition from track to cross country?
We transition by taking two weeks off from training after track. That allows them to unwind after a long track season. After that we meet Monday-Friday throughout the summer for our morning runs.
What other hobbies do you have?
In the spare time that I have I like to play tennis, pickleball, ride my road bike and get together with friends to play card games.
In general, what do you think cross country needs in South Carolina?
The biggest thing we need in cross country is more invitationals/meets in the Low Country, especially in the Charleston area. Very few teams host meets in the area, mostly due to the lack of space to host a meet.
