By Rick Samuel

CROSS COUNTRY

Sara Barron (Notre Dame Prep, Pontiac) continued her pace-setting season by surging to a first-place finish in the second girls’ Central Division jamboree in Livonia. Her time of 19 minutes, 11 seconds was nearly half a minute better than a pack of the other top finishers, which included Cassie Bloch (Regina, Warren), Heather Smith (Mercy, Farmington Hills), Michelle Kerr (Divine Child, Dearborn) and Kelsie Schwartz (Regina). Regina won the event with 34 points; second-place Divine Child scored 66...Catholic Central (Novi) was ranked No. 1 in Division 1 by the state coaches association and Regina was tops among the Division 2 girls. The boys from Shrine Catholic, Royal Oak, earned Division 4 honorable mention....League dual meets and jamborees concluded this week. Stoney Creek Metropark will host the Catholic League championships Oct. 23.

SWIMMING

Mercy (No. 1, Division 2) rolled to a decisive victory at the Oakland County Swimming and Diving Championships with 405 points – 143 better than Marian. Nikki Barczak was in on four wins, setting records in the 50 meter freestyle and the 100 free. She also swam in the 200 free relay with Taylor Steffl, Sato Kakihara and Olivia Samoray. Samoray, Kakihara and Barczak teamed to take the 400 free relay. Marian won two events – the 100 fly (Jaynie Pulte) and the 200 medley relay (Hayley Johnson, Pulte, Claire Schelske and Clare Nienstedt). Marian is ranked No. 2 in Division 1.

SOCCER

University of Detroit Jesuit made quite a statement with its 3-0 win over Brother Rice, the defending Division 2 state champion. Roddy Wilson, Mike Ayers and Jack Cunningham found the net for the Cubs. During its recent surge, U-D topped DeLaSalle (3-2, thanks to two Trevor Bonventre goals), Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (5-1), Divine Child (2-0) Catholic Central (2-0). The Cubs have a tough string of games this week leading up to Monday’s Catholic League semifinals.

GIRLS GOLF

Marian earned a second-place finish in the recent Oakland County tournament and Mercy was fifth in the 17-team field. Macy Hudson has the low score this year for the Mustangs, carding a 79. LiAnne Dimambro, Kelly Lunghamer, Kristin Lunghamer, Ellen Manson and Emily Fioravante have also played well this year for Marian. It was the lead-up to a big week that includes the Catholic League tournament and a state regional. The Mustangs won their first eight Catholic League contests.

FIELD HOCKEY

Sacred Heart, Bloomfield Hills had a pair of tough losses last week. Against Ann Arbor Pioneer, the Gazelles opened a 2-0 lead before falling, 3-2. Sacred Heart’s only other loss this year was to another large Class A school, Ann Arbor Huron, 2-1. Mary Liesveld had the lone goal against Huron...Marian jumped out to a 7-4-0 start, earning wins over Regina, Ladywood and Cranbrook-Kingswood and losing to Sacred Heart and Mercy.

VOLLEYBALL

First place in the Central Division is at stake Thursday when Marian hosts Mercy. Other big games for Thursday include Notre Dame Prep at Divine Child (AA Division), Jewish Academy (Bloomfield Hills) at Cabrini (West Division) and Shrine at Cristo Rey, Detroit. That sets the stage for the Catholic League playoffs, which begin Oct. 21 with quarterfinal and semifinal matches. Madonna University will host the C-D and A-B title matches Oct. 25.

FOOTBALL

The rivalry game between Brother Rice and Catholic Central took on even more meaning than usual. That’s because the Warriors (2-2 overall) uncorked a 26-3 upset on previously unbeaten Orchard Lake St. Mary’s. Quarterback Tyler Lendzion hit 13-of-18 passes for 147 yards and Devin Church scored three touchdowns. Rice meets unbeaten CC 2 p.m. Sunday at Wayne State...Divine Child moved to 5-1 with a 40-0 win over Cranbrook-Kingswood, Bloomfield Hills, as Nick Augustine scored a touchdown and rushed for 113 yards. The Falcons head to Fr. Gabriel Richard, Ann Arbor, in a Saturday afternoon battle of the lone unbeaten teams in the AA Division...Tyrone Jarrett produced 184 yards of offense and two scores as Loyola, Detroit blanked Gabriel Richard, Riverview, 36-0. The Bulldogs are now 6-0 heading into a Thursday Intersectional I meeting with Cabrini, Allen Park...A battle of 5-1 teams (4-0 in the Intersectional II) takes place at 1 p.m. Saturday when Shrine goes to Our Lady of the Lakes, Waterford...This is the last week of the regular season slate, as playoff semifinals and crossovers begin next week.