Utah Catholic high schools wrap up the fall season with region, state titles
SALT LAKE CITY — The fall sports season for the three Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Salt Lake City is complete, with the exception of football and girls volleyball.
The football state playoffs began Nov. 1 and girls volleyball state playoffs begin Nov. 8.
Many of the teams were region champions and advanced to the state championship playoffs, with some achieving individual and state titles.
Saint Joseph Catholic High School
The Jayhawks’ cross country team won the Region 18 championship and went on to a strong showing at state.
Freshman Meghan Clare placed 3rd in the 1A cross country state championship with a time of 21:40.3; she also was a Region 18 individual champion. The boys cross country team finished 5th in the state competition at Sugarhouse Park in Salt Lake City. Sophomore Caydan Jones was the top St. Joseph runner, with a time of 18:20.6.
The St. Joseph girls tennis team won the North Division Championship one week prior to the state championship at Liberty Park Oct. 5. Freshman Victoria Barrera, a No. 1 single, lost in the state semi-final match, and No. 3 single sophomore Ruby Marden lost in the quarter-final match.
The doubles team of Audra Thurston, a senior, and Ali Kochler, a junior, lost in a tie-breaker final state championship match 6-2, 4-6 and 7-5. The second doubles team of Amanda Higgs, a junior, and Margy Maher, a sophomore, won the Region 18 championship and went to the state championship seeded No. 1, where they lost in the state final match. The team finished 4th in the state tournament.
In girls soccer, the Jayhawk team suffered a lot of injuries and had fewer players this year; they were 5th in Region 18 and lost 3-0 in the first round of the state playoffs.
In 1A boys baseball, the Jayhawks won the Region 18 championship, with a record of 14-6. The team lost 9-5 in the quarter- final game against Wayne High School.
Judge Memorial Catholic High School
Judge Memorial advanced to the UHSAA Class 4A division this season in all sports except football, which was in Class 3A, where it clinched the regional title on Oct. 25.
The girls tennis team, coached by Lani Wilcox, had a successful season; all five varsity girls qualified for the state tournament held at Liberty Park.
At state, girls tennis senior Katie Iwasaki defeated Bonneville High School’s Hannah Jones in the No. 1 single match 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the final match, where she was defeated 6-3, 6-3.
In boys golf, under head coach Nate Olson, Jacob Turner, a senior, and Max Butcher, a sophomore, made it to the qualifying round of the state tournament but did not make the cut for the final round at Ogden Country Club in the UHSAA 4A State final tournament. The team took fifth in state.
The girls soccer team, coached by Asha Richardson Hesketh, competed with determination and good sportsmanship, she said.
Leading the squad were captains Allyson Dugan, Nikki Potts, Sierra Jensen and Laurel Housinger. Dugan was named to the UHSAA 4A Academic All-American team.
Taylor Gustafson, a senior was named to the 2013 Girls Volleyball Under Armour Watch List. Gustafson, who captains this year’s Bulldog volleyball squad, is one of five girls from Utah so honored along with Annie Tice from Juan Diego Catholic High School. Gustafson was one of the leaders on the 2012 squad that finished in a tie for the 3A Region 10 title, Judge Memorial’s first-ever region title in girls volleyball. The team is coached by Matt Carlson.
Juan Diego Catholic High School
The Juan Diego girls cross country team placed 10th in the state tournament: Senior Madalene Caldwell ran a personal best of 20:30; freshman Haley Hunt, 20:41, a personal best; senior Libby Allnatt, 21:38; junior Olivia Causse, 22:27, improved by 1 minute; senior Lilly Reninger, 23:20; senior Mariajose Gomez, 25:23; and junior Amanda Sands, 25:32.
The Juan Diego cross country senior boys placement were Ryan Schlehuber, 17:42; Zach Warrell, 18:26; and Gavin Causse 18:39, a personal best.
In girls tennis, the young Soaring Eagle squad finished the season with one team of the single and double pairs making it to the state finals. Caitlin Keenan and Mike Baird were 3A state finalists in No. 2 doubles. Keenan was a semi-finalist all three years during her Juan Diego career.
Maia Sepulveda and her partner Mara Gronseth, both juniors, made the quarterfinals in No. 1 doubles, where they were defeated by the state champions.
The Juan Diego Cheer Team consists of 41 girls and seven boys, who cheer at all varsity home and away football games and most junior varsity home and away football games. They also cheer at all home freshman and sophomore football and playoff games, attend various girls’ volleyball games, and make banners for all the sports. This year they began a program to thank the Juan Diego teachers by giving them small treats or notes each month to thank them for their service. The team is gearing up to defend its national and state titles.
The Juan Diego girls soccer team, which took the region title, lost 1-0 in the state championship game against Dixie High School.
"It was a really good year; the team is young, with all but two of the starters coming back next year," said Chris Longe, Juan Diego athletic director.
The boys golf team placed 3rd in Region 10 and 7th in state, with senior golfer Ryan Lowe placing 5th individually in the tournament.
The girls volleyball team had many injuries this season and did not qualify for state.
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