Tennis Anyone?

Hello Ursuline!

In case you are unaware, the UA Tennis program holds its matches at the Tennis Complex on the campus of the University of New Orleans. On Wedesnday afternoon, our tennis players competed against Mount Carmel Academy in five matches. There were three “doubles” amd two “singles” matches. Here are some pictures from the match:

The new courts replaced the old ones along Willow St.

In 2010, behind the play of seniors Daisy Miller ‘10, Tyler Castillo ‘10, and Sarah Meyer ‘10, the UA Tennis team united to achieve its greatest success. The team captured the State Runner-Up title following a great season that saw each member of the team improve her game. It was truly a team effort and the team’s effort did not go unnoticed by those on State St.

For years, the team was in need of an update to their two tennis courts. The courts had become old, damaged, and not very pleasing to the eye. Those days are gone and have been replaced by a new tennis center that will help the team continue its recent success. The project begin during the summer and recently completed … in plenty of enough time for the 2011 season.

With a new tennis center and a new Early Childhood Learning Center now on campus, one isleft to wonder what is next. The ”scoop” around campus is that the next “big thing” will begin soon and the targeted area is the State St. Gym portion of campus. Yes, the old, historic building was damaged by flood waters during Hurricane Katrina. However, the plans are to bring the “old” into the “new”. If all goes by the plans we have seen, State St. is about to see its newest transformation that will benefit each of our students for generations to come.  

Hello to all of our athletes!

This is a quick reminder that before you can become a member of one of our many excellent teams, you must submit all of the necessary paperwork. You can find the needed forms on the STUDENT LIFE section of our web site (click the High School tab on the main page and you will see the student life link).

Remember, you can not participate in ANY aspect of the team (practices, meetings, etc) without first submitting your forms to either your Head Coach or to Athletic Director Coach Bonnaffee.

Ursu-online staff

UA TENNIS is the 2010 State Runne-Up

With the school still excited about our volleyball’s team capture of the LHSAA Division III State Championship, the young women of UA TENNIS have quietly put together its best season… a season that concluded with the team hoisting up the LHSAA State Runner-Up title. Yes, within one school year, UA captured both a state title and a state runner-up title. Congratulations to UA TENNIS for an excellent performance and you are now able to take your rightfully earned place as one of the greatest teams in the history of Ursuline Academy athletics.  

Coach LeBlanc and her squad have practiced hard non-stop over the past few months to prepare for a chance to battle for the elusive state title. In past years, UA has always been “in the hunt” yet never able to crack into the top three. With its most talented team in recent memory, the thought and dream of possibly challenging and capturing one of the top two spots at the state match was as close of a reality as anyone could imagine.

Beginning on April 26^th and continuing on April 27^th, UA TENNIS participated in the Regionals where the teamed finished runner-up. Numerous players, through their successful performance at the match, qualified to participate in the state match which was held on May 3^rd and May 4^th in Houma, Louisiana.

In doubles play, seniors Sarah Meyer ’10 and Tyler Castillo ’10 reached the Round of 16 while senior Daisy Miller ’10 and junior Brennan Ferguson ’11 advanced to within one match of the championship (semi-finals). In singles play, Ashley Dorner reached the quarterfinals with sophomore Caroline Nelson ’12 advancing to the semi-finals.

The academy erupted in joy when the announcement was made that the Tennis team had captured the state runner-up title. For two decades, Ursuline Academy had only reached the state championship match/game once in one sport (basketball). During the 2009-10 season, Ursuline Academy has doubled its previous success. Perhaps we are on the verge on seeing Ursuline Academy finally break through as one of Louisiana’s top programs.

On behalf of the entire Ursuline Academy family, congratulations to Coach Mairin LeBlanc and the entire UA TENNIS squad. We are very proud of you!

Be sure to attend the 2010 Night of the Stars Athletic Award Ceremony where the team will be honored for its recent success.

Hello to all of you lovers of Ursuline Academy Athletics. It is a busy week on State St. and here is a list of where you can see our Lions:

1. Basketball

•      Coach Fav and his UBALL squad will host Washington-Marion on Monday night inside of our Ourso Athletic Center. This is the second round match of the 2010 LHSAA Class 4A State Tournament. UBALL needs four (4) victories to be named State Champions. Join us at 6:00pm as UBALL takes the next step toward the team’s first title.

2. Tennis

• Coach Leblanc unveils her 2010 team on Monday at the UNO Tennis Center. The team will face Mt. Carmel beginning at 4:00pm. Come out and see the large amount of talent that is on this year’s team including Tyler Castillo ‘10, Sarah Meyer ‘10, and Caroline Nelson ‘12.
• UA TENNIS will play Academy of the Sacred Heart on Tuesday. The match begins at 4:00pm and will be played at the UNO Tennis Center.

3. Softball

• Fresh off of its first tournament, UA SOFTBALL opens district play on Tuesday when it battles Riverdale High School at UA’s home field in the JPRD Softball Complex on David Dr. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00pm.
• UA SOFTBALL will compete in its second district game on Thursday when the team travels to the Northshore to compete against Pearl River High School at PRHS field.
• Scheduled to begin on Friday, UA SOFTBALL will participate in the McGehee Tournament at Carrollton Playground. Once we obtain a copy of game times and opponents, we will post that information to our web site.

4. Track and Field

• Coach Davis and her Track and Field team will participate in the Mandeville Invitational on Saturday. Start time is TBA (we will post more information once it is available).

Coach Davis and the UA TRACK AND FIELD program will participate in the Regional Track Meet on Wednesday. With a dozen athletes in attendance at the meet, Coach Davis is confident that will see a few state qualifiers wearing Ursuline uniforms. The athletes participating in the Regional Meet qualified for this meet by performing well at the past district meet. If an athlete can finish in one of the top spots during her event at the Regional Meet, she will qualify to represent UA at the upcoming LHSAA State Meet on the campus of LSU- Baton Rouge.

Coach Leblanc and the UA TENNIS finished in 2nd place at the Regional Tennis Match held Monday and Tuesday of this week at the UNO complex. After losing key players at the end of last season, UA TENNIS rebounded and came close to defending its regional championship title. With such a strong performance, UA TENNIS qualified numerous pairing for the state meet. The State Meet will be held at UNO on Monday and Tuesday of next week.

Reminder: Night of the Stars Athletic Banquet is May 6th.. at 6:30pm…. FREE ADMISSION!!!!!!!

On Friday morning, the High School student body gathered in the Marjory Barbier Ousro (MBO) Athletic Center for a pep rally honoring our spring sports. Golf, Tennis, Track and Field, and Softball. Lionettes and Cheerleaders were also honored.

The pep rally began with a performance by the Lionettes. The student body sat along the Nashville side of the athletic center…. beneath the new championship banners that hang proudly on the wall. Yes, UA Athletics has finally arrived on the local scene and that is proved by the eighteen banners that now are on display. Soon, the LHSAA will be sending the Academy the official TOP 28 banner that was on display in Monroe, La when our basketball team participated in the Final Four of the Class 3A championship tournament.

After a great performance by the Lionettes, three senior members of the Lionettes Ximena Rocha ‘09, Ariel Glaze ‘09 and Brittni Lajaunie ‘09 had a special performance. With less than two months left in their high school careers, the seniors are beginning to hold their final performances. Therefore, wach performance is a little more special than the last. Ms. Schmitt, Lionette Coordinator, then called her four seniors to the court for the presenation of flowers. Glaze ‘09, Lajaunie ‘09, Rocha ‘09, and Samantha Simon ‘09 were honored for their commitment and dedication.

Coach Garrison then walked onto thecourt to introduce his 2009 UA SOFTBALL team. Garrison acknowledged his seniors first then acknowledged the remainder of the team. Garrison was able to proudly make the statement that the 2009 team has already surpassed last season’s win total and then team has just begun district play. Though injured this season, Christine Baudouin ‘09 was also honored by the softball team for her commitment to the team.

UA Track and Field was then introduced by Coach Karen Davis. Davis decided to introduce the eighth graders prior to introdcuing the seniors. It appears that this team continues to grow in size each year. While introducing the sophomores, Davis introduced Kristen Miranda ‘11. Miranda ‘11 competes in the polevault competition and Miranda ‘11 gives UA a very good chance at making it to the LHSAA State Championship.

At this time, UA CHEER moved to center court where the squad performed their award winning competition program. After a nice intro, the squad picked up the pace and started the student body rocking with an upbeat performance. The 2008-09 squad has one senior. UA CHEER is moderated by Mrs. Pusateri and the Athletic Department used this time to honor Jodie Joseph ‘09.

Coach John Gardner then walked up and introduced his 2009 UA GOLF team. Though the team is small in number, the team quickly becoming one of the area’s brightest, up and coming season. The team is 1 – 1 on the season. Brooke Rafidi ‘09 and Veronica Zintz ‘09 were presented their flowers at this time. Rafidi ‘09 has been one of the most recognized faces on the team for her many, many years of participation.

Coach Mairin Leblanc then introduced the UA TENNIS team. She took time to honor her multiple seniors of Jasmine Roussell ‘09, Ashley Guillaume ‘09, and Catlin Kirkwood ‘09. The team has a winning season to date and has five games to go before defending its region title.

The pep rally continued when the cheerleaders brought representatives ofeach class to the floor for a game. The game was the PING PONG game. Congratulations to the Sophomore Sioux for winning the competition. Boy, that class is competitive and always finds a way to win.

UA TRACK AND FIELD Battles Mother Nature During Annual Season Opener

On Saturday, Coach Davis and the UA Track adn Field team traveled to Mandeville High School to participate in the Skipper Relays. Typically, runners in this meet have to battled very warm temperatures and the main concern is ensuring that the runners are taking in enough fluids in between races. However, on Saturday morning, the major concern was finding a dry spot around the track. With rain pooring down, UA TRACK AND FIELD had a wet start to the season… a season that could see UA TRACK AND FIELD become very competitive. Keep an eye on Kristen Miranda ‘10 who has continued to improve in javelin competition and her efforts and progress gives UA a legitimate shot at returning to the LHSAA State Championship. Click here to see a small sample of photos from the wet Skipper Relays.  UA TRACK AND FIELD can next be seen this Saturday in Baton Rouge as the team competes in the Catholic High Meet starting at 10:00am.

UA Golf Returns to the Course to Battle St. Martin’s

Last week, Coach Gardner and UA GOLF opened its 2009 season with a less than perfect performance. Coach Gardner admitted that the team was a little too nervous and wasn’t relaxed when they hit the greens. However, the second year Head Coach has stated that the team is now focused and prepared to deliver the performance that is expected of this up and coming young team. With senior Brooke Rafidi ‘09 making her season debut, expect to see UA GOLF perform very well against St. Martin’s. Join UA GOLF on Thursday at Chateau Country Club beginning at 3:00pm. UA GOLF — Taking A Swing At the Competition. (Okay, this is not their team theme, we simply believe it is funny to say).

UA TENNIS is Back and Returning to Its Old Form

After a slow, bumpy start to the season, UA TENNIS has rebounded and now the team is reminding its fans why UA TENNIS is the defending Regional Champions. Jasmine Roussell ‘09 and the dynamic duo of Tyler Castillo ‘10 and Sarah Meyer ‘10 will lead UA TENNIS against St. Martin’s on Wednesdat at 3:30pm at the UNO Tennis facility. Make plans to see our defending Regional Champs as they finish puttting the final touches on their game. Before you know, UA TENNIS will be making a move into the playoffs. Tennis matches are fun…. sit and relax while enjoying some great play.

UA SOFTBALL Begins Defense of District Title; Playoffs 2009 Within Sight

Over the weekend, UA SOFTBALL competed in the Hahnville Tournament in Luling, La. At the torunament, the team went 2 – 1 with wins over East St. John and Central Lafourche while dropping a game to Dominican High School. Sitting on a record of 11 – 6, Coach Garrison and ace pitcher Katie Ingles ‘11 will have their first district game of the season this Tuesday when the team competes against Xavier Prep. On Thursday, the team will travel to the Northshore to play against Northlake Christian. With close to ten games to play in the season, avoiding a majr second half collapse, UA SOFTBALL will finish the season well over the .500, hopefully district champions, and moving in the right direction at the start of Playoffs 2009. Also, mark your calendars and come see UA SOFTBALL play Ben Franklin on Saturday at Ben Franklin beginning at 11:00am.

UBALL Receives Post-Season Honors; McCarthy ‘10 Caps Off Superb Season

We would like to congratulate junior Liann McCarthy ‘10 and sophomore Schyler “Sky” Morton ‘10 for being named to the All-Metro team. Also, in his fourth year as Head Coach, Coach Fav ws named Top Coach within the Metro area after leading his team to the LHSAA Class 3A State Semi-Finals.

We also received word that all five members of UBALL’s starting lineup were given district honors at the district meeting. Congratulations to Liann McCarthy ‘10 for being named District Most Valuable Player. McCarthy ‘10 led the Lions in scoring this season and surpassed the 1,500pt mark for her high school career. Coach Fav was also named District Coach of the Year.

THEY’RE BACK! On Wednesday afternoon, the long-awaited return of UA TENNIS finally happened. In 2008, the team was named Regional Champions on their way to a fourth place finish in the state. For a sport that tends to be overlooked and not the recipient of a lot of media coverage, the members of UA TENNIS quietly won the support of the student body by the completion of last season. “Wow, I had no idea our tennis team was that good” was a comment said by multiple students. Now that the school is aware that the team is a major player in the local tennis community, expectations have risen for these young ladies. On Wednesday afternoon, we were given our first look at the team when UA TENNIS battled Mt. Carmel Academy.

Coach Erin Leblanc brought eight of her players to the courts for the 5 matches. There would be three doubles matches and two singles matches. Returning this year was UA TENNIS’ power duo of Sarah Meyer ‘10 and Tyler Castillo ‘10. Last year, these two went deep in the playoffs.

The doubles duo’s success was only matched by the singles play of Jasmine Roussell ‘09. Rousell ‘09 has returned for her senior season and is expected to be the leader of this year’s team.

Also playing in today’s matches were the doubles of Alex Vallon ‘10 and Julia McGavern ‘12 and the doubles of Caitlin Kirkwood ‘09 and Brennan Ferguson ‘11. The final match would be contested by senior Ashley Guillaume ‘09.

With five matches being contested at the same time, fans were allowed to walk throughout the UNO tennis complex and watch whichever match they were interested in. Fans would watch a few minutes of one match, and then move to the next. With five matches on schedule, the school that one three matches would be considered the winner.

When the afternoon matches were complete, Mt. Carmel had won the head to head competition by a score of 5 – 0. “The scores do not reflect the actual play of the team. This year we still have a lot of younger players with experience levels that are not equal to the experience and skills of today’s opponent”, stated Coach Erin Leblanc. Coach Leblanc’s coaching staff expanded this year with the addition of her daughter Ms. Mairin Leblanc ‘03. The first year coach was quick to keep things in perspective. “The competition was VERY good for the opening match. It is good that we are going to play many strong teams early in the season. This will make us prepared for the later part of the year”.

On Thursday, UA TENNIS will play Sacred Heart. Sacred Heart and UA TENNIS are in the same region. Therefore, both teams will want to bring their A game to the match. “Today, there were a lot of jitters out there. We did not play our best. A number of small mistakes we can improve on by tomorrow. Today was a great practice round for the game against Sacred Heart”, replied Head Coach Erin Leblanc.

UBALL received word that it earned the # 2 position in the LHSAA Class 3A playoffs. According to one online site, UBALL finished as close as .05 points from the # 1 spot. Great Job, UBALL. PLAYOFFS 2009 —– Friday 2:00pm…in the MBO Athletic Center on State St.

UA SOFTBALL started its season on Tuesday with an exciting game against SSA. Trailing 5 -2 late in the game, our Lions rallied to bring the score to 4 – 5. Unfortunately, that is where the game ended. Though the season opened with a loss, it was great to see UA SOFTBALL battle back late in the game against a very good SSA team. Perhaps this is the season that UA SOFTBALL puts all the pieces together and makes a run…… oh, that is funny..because in softball you score runs…not points…ok, we will now go ssshhhhh.

UA TENNIS had a match against Sacred Heart on Monday and the team won! This moves the team to 2 – 1 on the season. On Tuesday, the team battled Dominican. When we left the match, UA TENNIS was doing well. When we get a final result, we will post it online for you.

UA TRACK AND FIELD will begin its season once we return from Mardi Gras. Good Luck Coach Davis and the T&F team.