Preps of the week: McGirr a standout as Marin Catholic places 4th at Durango
The Marin Catholic High girls volleyball team received many accolades prior to making the trek to Las Vegas last week for the Durango Classic, the premier tournament in the country. The Wildcats had already been named the top team in Northern California by MaxPreps.com and had defeated a slew of top teams at a tournament they hosted earlier in the season.
At Durango, the Wildcats took it to another level, defeating several teams ranked in the top 25 nationally while reaching the semifinals. Sophomore Bella McGirr had an impressive tournament, leading MC in digs while playing a crucial role in serve-receive.
Other standouts this past week included a San Marin running back leading his team to an emotional win just days after the death of a teammate, Branson’s No. 1 singles player picking up a pair of wins in tennis, plus a Tam water polo player filling in at goalie and scoring the game-winning goal.
Bella McGirr, Marin Catholic volleyball
The Wildcats made it all the way to the semifinals of the Durango Classic and got big performances from a variety of players. McGirr led the Wildcats in digs in all seven games that MC played over the weekend. “Her aggressiveness in serve-receive kept us in system throughout the weekend,” MC coach Jake Spain said. “Her ability to keep scramble balls in play and her out-of-system setting kept us scoring in all opportunities.” McGirr was recognized as one of the standout players of the tournament. Senior outside hitter Kari Geissberger (committed to Loyola Marymount) and sophomore setter Leah Wilton-LaBoy were also named to the all-tournament team.
Dante DiMare, San Marin football
San Marin’s chances of an outright MCAL title last season were dented by a loss to Terra Linda in the first game of league play. The same two teams squared off to open this season and DiMare helped ensure that the Mustangs got off on the right foot with a 48-22 victory. DiMare carried the ball 24 times for 141 yards and scored three touchdowns to power San Marin’s offense. QB Matthew Sargent (three TD passes) and WR Will Hickey (2 TDs) also stood out for San Marin. TL’s Guy Lyons piled up 11 catches for 189 yards and two touchdowns in the losing effort.
Amir Barkan, Drake cross country
Competing at the De La Salle Invitational on Saturday, Barkan not only led all Marin finishers but kept up with some of the top Division I runners at the event, finishing fourth overall in a time of 15 minutes, 17.5 seconds. Drake competes in Division IV. Barkan placed 11th at State last year as a junior.
Brooke Pedersen, Branson tennis
The Bulls had a big week facing two of the other top teams in the league in Tam and Marin Catholic. Pedersen helped power Branson to a 4-3 win against Tam with a straight-sets win at No. 1 singles against Jamilah Karah. Although the Bulls lost 4-3 to Marin Catholic later in the week, Pedersen again handled her business in straight sets against Mina Ahmadi.
Luke McKernan, Redwood football
Redwood posted a convincing 35-6 win against Tam and McKernan was one of the primary reasons. The running back piled up 141 yards on the ground — the majority coming on a 68-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to give the Giants a 14-0 lead. McKernan then capped the scoring for Redwood on a 22-yard run to push the lead to 35-0. The Giants face another big test this week, traveling to San Rafael High to face Terra Linda at 7 p.m. on Friday night.
Abigail Moll, Tam water polo
Moll filled in at goalie for the Red-tailed Hawks in their one game last week, making 10 saves in a narrow 10-9 win against Northgate. Moll also had two steals, two assists and scored the game-winning goal in the waning seconds. Moll sits third on the team in scoring with nine goals this season behind Sam Sternfels (26) and Maja Layden (13).