Heart Academy

LOS ANGELES - Though half the Mission League season remains, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy's soccer team knew full well the magnitude of Friday night's game against visiting Chaminade. Thus, when all was said and done, the Tologs realized just how important their victory was after goals by Savannah Viola, Kayla Mills and Laura Thompson propelled them to a 3-1 win over the Eagles at Occidental College. “It was a big, big win,” Viola said. “We need it. We definitely needed to pick up our heads and get our confidence going and this was the game that triggered that.” Viola's goal, coming in just the third minute, served as the quick start the Tologs needed.

The following are update on area athletes playing collegiate sports. Brooke Elby (Flintridge Prep, 2011) North Carolina women's soccer, sophomore : Elby played 30 minutes off the bench in the 14th-ranked Tarheels' 1-1 (4-2) victory over ninth-ranked Baylor in the third round of the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament on Sunday at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill. North Carolina got a match-tying goal from junior midfielder Crystal Dunn in the 82nd minute before prevailing on penalty kicks to end the Bears' 21-match unbeaten streak and advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2009.

Charles Rich Though expectations will always remain high for the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy volleyball team, sometimes it's best to go back to the basics. In one of those rare instances, the Tologs did just that as they focused their practices on hitting and digging. Hitting and digging proved to be Flintridge Sacred Heart's strongest assets in its 25-20, 25-19, 20-25, 25-20 nonleague victory against visiting Arcadia on Monday night. -- BOX SCORE -- -- Arcadia 20 19 20 20 Flint.

The Mission League is one of the most respected girls' soccer leagues in Southern California, so the fact that eight of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy's players were recognized on the all-league roster says something about the Tologs' reputation. The 2004-05 Tologs set a school record with 16 victories and finished second in league, which was the highest finish in program history. But despite finishing behind Harvard-Westlake in the league standings, the Tologs had the league's Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Defensive Player.

From Staff Reports CIF shake-up: Two weeks, three ranked teams defeated. That was the resume put forth by La Canada's girls' soccer team the last two weeks. It finally paid off this week with a ranking of its own, notching eighth in the CIF Southern Section Division IV poll. Monrovia, which was ranked first when the Spartans defeated it, dropped to ninth, while the previously ninth-ranked South Pasadena squad, which the Spartans also beat, dropped out of the rankings all together.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan Holy Family girls' basketball Coach Matthan Jackson didn't hide from the fact his team doesn't run much of an offensive set. It's no secret that the Gaels like to play a fast-paced game that relies on forcing turnovers to create easy baskets. But when Holy Family faces a patient team that executes an offense and plays steady defense, Jackson's team runs straight into the ground. Such was the case Thursday night against host Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy.

Erik Boal LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- Don't ever say that the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy girls' volleyball team isn't a gracious host. After agreeing to move their CIF Southern Section Division IVAA second-round playoff match against L.A. Baptist up two hours in order to accomodate their opponent's request to attend a banquet later Thursday evening, the Tologs also did their part to make sure their guest arrived on time. Flintridge Sacred Heart needed just 53 minutes to dispatch of the visiting Knights, 15-4, 15-1, 15-7, in a match that was highlighted by Tolog Coach Nancy Tinkham inhaling half the helium in one of the decoratory balloons and calling a timeout in the third game to talk to her team.

Erik Boal Just moments after their Mission League showdown with host North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, the members of the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer team gathered in a semicircle facing co-Coaches Kathy Desmond and Frank Pace. Frustration, disappointment, and, in some cases, disgust, filled the faces of the Tolog players who again proved their worth against one of the league's elite squads, only to fall short -- yet again. Despite controlling the flow of play in the first half and holding Harvard-Westlake's up-tempo attack in check for the majority of Saturday's match, Flintridge Sacred Heart found itself searching for answers after its second straight 1-0 loss.

Charles Rich Local high school cross-country runners will begin their race to the finish line today. They'll compete in a familiar event, which will take place on a new course not too far away from their respective schools. La Canada, Flintridge Prep, St. Francis and Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy will participate today in the ninth annual La Canada Flintridge All-City Cross-Country Meet at Hahamongna Watershed Park, near the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge.

CRESCENTA VALLEY   COACH: Jason Perez, second year.     LEAGUE: Pacific.     LAST SEASON : 13-14, 2-8 in league. Lost to Westminster, 37-35, in the Division I-A wild card.     PLAYERS TO WATCH : Molly Roach, senior, guard; Alexis Balina, junior, guard; Candice Chessum, junior, forward.     PEREZ'S QUOTE : "We want to say that we can play the best possible basketball we can play.

GIRLS' SWIMMING Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy at CIF Southern Section Division I prelims: Kirsten Vose put herself in a good position to win her first CIF title Thursday at Riverside City College. The sophomore won both her preliminary races in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke in respective times of 2:03.47 and 1:03.27. The Division I finals will take place Saturday at 5 p.m. with the top nine finishers in each race Thursday swimming in championship races Saturday and the 10th to 18th swimmers taking part in a consolation final.

LOS ANGELES - Steve Bergen let his Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy swim team know he isn't the sharing type before its final Mission League dual meet of the season. While Sacred Heart had earned itself a share of the league title with a win over Alemany Tuesday, the Tologs coach told the team in a pre-meet, pump-up speech that he intended to be the sole champion - just like last year - on Thursday. It turned out the Tologs needed little motivation against a considerably smaller Chaminade squad, as they won nine of 11 events and had two of the top-three finishers in all eight of the individual events for a 117-40 victory over Chaminade at Loyola High.

LOS ANGELES - When the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy swimming team took its seat atop the Mission League back last year, it did so with depth. It takes a different approach this year for the Tologs, who relied on their stars of Kirsten Vose, Katie Altmayer, Emily Balog and Kate Herrill to deliver a 99-84 victory over host Harvard-Westlake in a league dual meet Tuesday at Loyola High. That foursome started the meet with a win and CIF Southern Section Division I postseason consideration time in the 200-yard medley of 1 minute, 54.39 seconds and at least one member of that group had a hand in all nine of the Tologs' wins on the day. Flintrdge Sacred Heart won just five events in a 99-77 win over Harvard Westlake last season.

At the conclusion of the Mission League girls' soccer season, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy came up one goal short of sharing the league crown. Though the Tologs were forced to settle for second, Flintridge Sacred Heart was bestowed the league's highest individual honor. Tologs senior defender Kayla Mills was recently voted the Mission League Most Valuable Player, while senior midfielder Sarah Teegarden was the Mission League Defensive MVP. Joining their fellow Tologs on the all-league honor roll were seniors Savannah Viola and Krista Meaglia and sophomore Hanna Armendariz, who were first-team selections, while seniors Kendall Sandoval and Hailey James, along with junior Dani Garcia, received second-team acclaim.

LA CANADA - In some ways, the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and Flintridge Prep softball teams are similar. That proved to be evident when the teams met Wednesday afternoon in a nonleague contest at Flintridge Prep. The Tologs and Rebels both possess strong lineups. However, both teams are still trying to shore up their respective pitching staffs and defense. Flintridge Sacred Heart showed some more pop Wednesday, as it finished with 11 hits en route to a 21-11 win in a contest called after five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.

TRACK AND FIELD Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy 103, Chaminade 23: The Tologs began their season Thursday with a Mission League win at St. Francis High. Flintridge Sacred Heart received first-place efforts from Daelyn Moon in the 400-meter race in 1 minute 2.22 seconds, Noëlle Niederhaus in the 1,600 (5:47.9), Kayla Mills in the 100 (13.6) and Alex Donner in the shot put (26 feet 5 inches). Moon worked with Hailey James, Claire Kostelnik and Kayla Montgomery to win the 4x100 relay in 52.13.

Over the past few seasons, the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer program has learned all too well of the trials and tribulations that come with venturing south to face off with Orange County foes that make up the majority of CIF Southern Section Division I soccer. Last season, the Tologs lost in the opening round of the playoffs after a trip down south. This time around, Flintridge Sacred Heart will welcome an Orange County foe to the Tologs' confines of Occidental College and the home team is plenty happy about the situation.