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Sports | Friday, January 10, 2020

McCarthy girls win another state championship in golf

Columbus, Gibbons, Aquinas also rank high, finish strong in other fall sports

Lady Mavericks of Archbishop McCarthy High won another 2A state golf championship Nov. 7, 2019, defeating perennial rival Plantation American Heritage. The last six state finals have belonged to either the Mavericks or American Heritage.

Photographer: Via Facebook

Lady Mavericks of Archbishop McCarthy High won another 2A state golf championship Nov. 7, 2019, defeating perennial rival Plantation American Heritage. The last six state finals have belonged to either the Mavericks or American Heritage.

MIAMI | Following is a round-up of what South Florida Catholic schools accomplished in fall sports, based on information from the Florida High School Athletic Association. Click to read separate roundups for volleyball and cross country, which were posted in November. Click here for the football roundup.

 

GOLF

Junior Isabella Bailly led the Archbishop McCarthy Mavericks to the 2A girls state championship in golf Nov. 5-6. The Mavericks defeated Plantation American Heritage by two shots – 643 to 645 in Howey-in-the-Hills. That helped the Mavericks avenge a three-shot loss in last year’s state final.

The last six state finals have belonged to either the Mavericks or American Heritage. Archbishop McCarthy beat American Heritage by 11 shots in 2016 and beat the Patriots in a playoff in 2015. American Heritage beat the Mavericks by two shots in 2014 and also won in 2013.

“It’s like Duke-North Carolina in basketball,” Archbishop McCarthy coach Carl Phillips said. “It’s been pretty neat for 2A golf.”

He said the teams know each other through the junior-golf circuit in addition to the proximity of the schools – they are five miles apart.

Bailly shot 75 and 77 over the El Campeon Course at Mission Inn Resort to finish tied for fourth at 154. Junior Jennifer Lilly took 16th by shooting 81 and 80 for a two-day 161. Senior Natalia Jimenez was two shots back at 82-81-163. The Mavericks also got a two-day 167 from sophomore Rileigh Baker and a 194 from sophomore Autumn Bryant.

The Mavericks finished the first day in third place with a 321, five shots behind Naples and one behind American Heritage. But the Mavericks remained consistent, posting the day’s best team round of 322 to win. Naples had skied to a 341, losing by 14 shots.

“Basically, they tried to not get distracted by everything from the outside,” Phillips said of how the Mavericks won state. “They came together and did really well.”

Phillips said the Mavericks improved by building camaraderie. It showed in the results. Archbishop McCarthy won the Lady Mustang Invitational and placed high in several other tournaments.

Senior Natalia Jimenez, who signed to play college golf at NCAA Division II Rollins College, had an exceptional season. She won three invitationals, including the Antigua National High School Golf Invitational in Arizona. She led the Mavericks to an eighth-place finish in a tournament that featured schools from around the country.

Phillips said the Mavericks stand a good chance to repeat as champions.

“The main thing is the girls working on their game in the offseason and playing in a lot of junior golf tournaments around the state, staying in competitive golf, working on their game.”

Cardinal Gibbons was 13th in the 2A girls with a two-day 775. Kaylee Ehret led the Chiefs with a 23rd-best 81-83—164.

In the Class 2A boys, Archbishop McCarthy took sixth with a two-day 634, while Belen Jesuit was 14th with a two-day 709. Archbishop McCarthy’s Kade Cannon finished tied for fourth with a two-day 148. Sebastian Barcia led Belen with a 40th-best 163.

Christopher Columbus finished tied for sixth in the Class 3A boys golf tournament Oct. 29-30. The Explorers shot a two-day 613 to tie with Boca Raton. Tallahassee Chiles won the event with a two-day 582. Columbus’ Hans Risvaer finished tied for ninth with back-to-back 72s for a two-day 144.

In the Class 3A girls tournament, St. Thomas Aquinas took 14th with a two-day 692. Erin Marcelino led the Raiders with a two-day 166.

 

BOWLING

In the boys state championship, Columbus lost their opening match in the Baker Bracket 832-716 to state champion Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer. In the consolation bracket, the Explorers beat Sebring before losing to consolation bracket champion Apopka.

In the boys Individual Bracket Championship, Columbus’ Nicholas Forthoefer lost his opening match to Garrett Simmons. Forthoefer then won two consolation matches before falling to the eventual state runner-up champion Connor Pipho. In the individual series championship, Columbus’ Mario Ruiz was 13th with an 888 four-game series.

 

SWIMMING AND DIVING

Belen Jesuit took 12th in the 3A boys state championship swim meet with 75 points at Sailfish Splashpark Aquatic Athletics Center in Stuart. St. Thomas Aquinas took 19th with 42 points. In the 200-yard freestyle, Belen’s Andres Wong took second in the 200 freestyle in 1:40.22 and fifth in the 100 freestyle. The Wolverines also earned a seventh-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:15.71.

St. Thomas Aquinas’ Lance Lesage was seventh in the 100 freestyle. The junior also took second in the 3A boys 100-yard backstroke in 49.55 and came in seventh in the 100 freestyle in 46.37

In the Class 3A girls meet, Aquinas’ Kaitlyn Thomas took seventh in 1-meter diving with a 367.75 score. She led the Raiders to a 17th-place finish in the team race with 47 points.

In the Class 2A meet, Gibbons finished 28th with 17 points. Senior Trent Albury was 10th in the 100 backstroke in 53.13 and 11th in the boys 100 butterfly in 51.84 seconds. Gibbons’ 200 freestyle relay was 15th in 1:34.03.

In the 2A girls meet, Cardinal Gibbons took 37th with three points. Sophomore Melody Yates scored the Chiefs’ only points with a 14th-place 1:02.35 in the 100-yard backstroke.

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