Athletes of the Month-February 2024

The Catholic Star Herald highlights the Diocese’s student athletes who stood out during the month of February.

Austin Craft

Camden Catholic High School, Cherry Hill

Wrestling

A Region 7 champion at 157 pounds a year ago, Austin Craft followed an exciting path in capturing his second Region Championship, this time at Region 8 in Egg Harbor Township on Feb. 24. The Camden Catholic senior won in sudden victory over Delsea’s Jamar Dixon in the championship bout at 150 pounds in a highly anticipated match to capture his second straight region title.

The American University commit went 3-0 in the tournament as a No. 2 seed and received Most Outstanding Wrestler honors at Region 8. Craft was one of a school-record nine wrestlers to advance to the individual state championships in Atlantic City the following week.

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Alex Graffius

Holy Spirit High School, Absecon

Wrestling

History was made as Alex Graffius placed third at the Girls Wrestling Region South Tournament at Pennsauken High School on Feb. 25. Graffius, a senior and a three-sport athlete at Holy Spirit High School, pinned Amelia Bloomfield of Kingsway in the third-place match to punch her ticket to the State Championships. In doing so, she became the first female wrestler from Holy Spirit to compete for a state title in Atlantic City. Graffius went 4-1 at Regions with every victory coming by pinfall. With spring softball season still to look forward to, Graffius is committed to wrestle and play field hockey at Delaware Valley University.

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Jahzara Green

Gloucester Catholic High School, Gloucester City

Basketball

Only a sophomore, Jahzara Green delivered a statement season with 523 points, as the Gloucester Catholic High School girls basketball team went 23-7 on the year. Green was red-hot in February, contributing 25 or more points on four different occasions during the month. Her career-high came in a 34-point effort during a 65-43 win over highly-touted Wildwood High School on Feb. 8. Green will enter her junior year with 865 points under her belt, poised to become the 19th female in school history to reach 1,000 points.

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Savien Higgs

Paul VI High School, Haddonfield

Indoor Track and Field

Savien Higgs keeps setting the Paul VI shot put record further and further out of reach for future challengers. After throwing a top-10 score in Camden County history in January at 54 feet, 6.5 inches, the Paul VI junior went a step further by tossing 55-2.25, good enough for second place in the Non-Public A State championships on Feb. 16 at the Bennett Complex in Toms River. Higgs, who also plays quarterback and defensive end for Paul VI’s football team, ended his indoor track season by placing 22nd at the Meet of Champions on March 3 in Staten Island.

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Bobby Kennedy

Saint Augustine Preparatory School, Richland

Ice Hockey

For the past two seasons, the Saint Augustine Preparatory School ice hockey team found a way to heat up in February and make a run to the state championship game.

Senior goaltender Bobby Kennedy was once again the backbone in the Hermits’ postseason run, beginning the 2024 state Non-Public playoffs with a 6-0 shutout over Notre Dame before saving 21 of 23 shots against Princeton Day in the quarterfinal round.

Kennedy finished February strong, stopping 24 of 26 shots in an upset over Delbarton in the state semifinal. Through the first three rounds of the playoffs, Kennedy was 3-0 with a .929 save percentage.

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Tommy Semiraglio

Bishop Eustace Preparatory School, Pennsauken

Basketball

Tommy Semiraglio started the state playoffs with a career night Feb. 26, scoring 33 points, including five 3-pointers, to help the Bishop Eustace Preparatory School boys basketball team capture a 64-44 victory over Trenton Catholic in the quarterfinal round of the South Jersey Non-Public B playoffs.

Semiraglio, a junior and the team’s leading scorer this season, averaged 15.3 points per game in February, which included 28 3-pointers during the month. His efforts helped the Crusaders reach the South Jersey Non-Public B championship game for the second straight year.