Cross country, swim champs crowned

    As the fall sports season winds down, Catholic schools from the New Orleans area already claimed state championships in cross country and swimming last week, and three local football teams are alive in their quests for titles in that sport.
Cross Country
    Led by high finishes by Mia Meydrick, Lisa Sakamoto and Ellen Barkemeyer, Dominican captured the girls’ Class 5A championship.
    Dominican scored 57 points, behind Meydrick’s third-place finish, which was quickly followed by Sakamoto’s fifth- and Barkemeyer’s 11th-place clocking.
    Also finishing among the top 10 runners were Isabella Hemb of Mount Carmel (seventh) and Carley Boyce of St. Scholastica (eighth).
    On the boys’ side, West Monroe won the 5A title, with St. Paul’s and Jesuit finishing second and third, respectively. But it was a big day on the Northwestern State University course for Jesuit’s Neal Fitzpatrick, who ran the three-mile race in 14:54.41, and for St. Paul’s Zachary Albright, who finished third at 15:19.43.
    Archbishop Shaw placed second in the boys’ Class 4A meet, bolstered by Kyle Souland’s second-place time of 16:16.23.
    With its top runners finishing in the ninth through 19th   positions, the Academy of the Sacred Heart won its sixth Class 2A girls crown in seven years.
Swimming
    Three state champions emerged from the pool at Sulphur’s SPAR Aquatic Center over the weekend as Jesuit, St. Scholastica and St. Charles Catholic boys claimed the top prizes in their respective divisions.
    Jesuit’s only victory came in the 200-yard medley relay, but the Blue Jays finished second in four other events to outlast defending champion Catholic High for the Division I boys championship.
    Meanwhile, Kristen Jennings’ victories in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke and legs on two winning relay teams were instrumental in St. Scholastica gaining its second straight girls’ Division II title. For the day, St. Scholastica won eight of 11 events.
    Madeleine Rawls (200 medley and 100 freestyle) and Emily Prieto (50-yard freestyle) also claimed individual victories for the champion Doves.
    Gary Alleman won the 200 medley in a record time of 1:54.42 to lead St. Charles Catholic to the Division III title. Alleman was also home first in the 100-yard backstroke event.
Football
    No. 1 seed Archbishop Rummel (11-0) visits No. 9 Ouachita (9-2) in the Class 5A quarterfinals; No. 10 St. Augustine meets No. 2 Karr at Behrman Stadium, and No. 6 Holy Cross meets No. 14 LaGrange at Tad Gormley Stadium in Class 4A quarterfinal round matchups. All games  are Nov. 23 at 7 p.m.