Tennis
The Mount Mercy Academy Tennis team competed in the All-Catholic Championships this past week. The team culminated one of its best seasons ever, including its first Divisional Title, with its best showing at the championships.
Senior Addison Barth (Hamburg) who competed in both golf and tennis this fall, added to her All-Catholic Golf MVP with an All-Catholic award in tennis. Barth, who competed at first singles, won both of her preliminary matches to advance to the finals. She fought hard in the semi-finals, but fell 3-6 and 3-6. In the match for third place, she reached deep during a very warm match and won 6-3, 5-7 and 10-8.
Coach Matt Ondesko commented, “The All-Catholic win capped off an amazing four-year career for Addison. She has been the face of the program for four years, and she will be missed.” Nora Vattes (Buffalo) at third singles, as well as the first doubles team of Isabelle Reaska (West Seneca) and Gabby Wilson (Lancaster) and the second doubles team of Linda Li (China) and Katie Regan (East Aurora) all won their first matches. Also competing for the Magic were juniors Alexis Dintino (Hamburg) and Mara Lipinski (Hamburg).
Caption: (team) The Mount Mercy tennis team poses with its championship plaque.
(Barth) Mount Mercy’s Addison Barth earned All-Catholic honors in tennis
Cross Country
The young Mount Mercy Cross Country team, comprised of two sophomores and four freshmen, has shown promise in its first two meets. Freshman Lauren Seifert (Orchard Park) has been a bright spot for the team, finishing third in her first meet against Nardin with a time of 24:18. In her second meet against St. Mary’s of Lancaster, she placed fourth in hot conditions with a clocking of 25:13.
Sophomore Brynn Leonard has been the team’s second runner, finishing seventh and tenth in the first two meets. Her best time has been 29:03. Classmate Maura Dougherty (Buffalo) has been the third magic across the line, taking three minutes off her time from the first meet in her second meet. She placed eleventh and thirteenth. Also competing for the Magic in the first meets were freshmen Amani Asari (Hamburg) and Zuri Taylor-Houston (Buffalo).
Soccer
After a week of inactivity, the Mount Mercy Academy Soccer team returned to action last week with two games. The team won one game and tied the other.
Playing without two of its top goal scorers, the Magic battled Buffalo Seminary to a 2-2 tie. Senior Maura Higgins (Buffalo) scored the first goal, with an assist from sophomore Olivia Gorczyca (Lake View). The second goal was scored by sophomore Brianna McCaslin (Buffalo) who netted her first career goal, assisted by junior Mara Hart (Buffalo).
In its second game of the week, Mount Mercy shut out Cardinal O’Hara 6-0. Freshman Keira Quinn notched two goals, the first of her career. Higgins also added two goals and junior Bridie McCabe (Buffalo) and sophomore Bridget Bell (Buffalo) scored her first career goal. Freshman Leigh Przybyszewski (Buffalo) had the shutout in goal.
