This Week in Athletics: Sunday, March 2 - Monday, March 10, 2014 is a printable pdf file for the avid Cub sports fans! Please check the website for any weather-related postponements/cancellations to our scheduled events. GO CUBS!

Important tryout information for all levels
Because of the uncertainty with the weather, you must be ready to tryout/practice inside or outside. 
This means you must bring tennis shoes and cleats with you every day. In addition to bringing two sets of shoes, you must also bring clothing for indoor and outdoor practices. If we practice outside you must wear sweats until you are told otherwise.  If we are outside and you do not have sweats you will not be allowed to practice.

Arrive one half hour early to the first day of tryouts.

You must bring a jump rope to tryouts and practice every day. No exceptions. If you do not have a jump rope, you will not be allowed to tryout or practice.

Bring your own practice pinnie to tryouts.

Please read the attached schedule for tryout times.

DETROIT – The U of D Jesuit Swimming & Diving Team finished the regular season on a high note with a strong showing at the 2014 Catholic League Championship held March 1, 2014. Nine swimmers and 1 diver will represent U of D in the Division II State Championship Meet to be held Friday and Saturday, March 7-8, 2014 at Eastern Michigan University. The following Cub swimmers will compete in the State Meet:

Swimmers:
Billy Asimakis (’14)
Jacob Best (’16)
Michael Campbell (’15)
Matt Cullen (’14)
Alden Kane (’16)
Joe Leonard (’14)*
Bilaal Pierce (’17)
Kevin Sheridan Jr. (’16)
Steven Verderbar (’14)

Diver:
Pierce
Gordon (’16)

*Alternate

U of D qualified relays in the 200 Medley (Kane, Campbell, Sheridan, Cullen), 200 Freestyle (Asimakis, Pierce, Verderbar, Cullen) and 400 Freestyle Relays (Sheridan, Best, Verderbar, Campbell). In addition,
Matt Cullen will compete in the 50 Freestyle, Michael Campbell will compete in the 100 Freestyle and
100 Breastroke, Alden Kane will compete in the 200 Individual Medley and 100 Backstroke, Jacob Best will compete in the 100 Backstroke, Kevin Sheridan will compete in the 100 Butterfly, and Steven Verderbar will compete in the 100 Freestyle and 200 Freestyle.  Pierce Gordon will compete in the diving competition.

In addition, several Cubs recorded personal best times at the Catholic League Meet.  In her first year,
Coach Sarah Biasello said: “This was a tremendous effort. It’s been an unusual season with snow days and limited time in the water for this team.  They really worked hard and gave a great effort to represent U of D well. I’m extremely proud of what they’ve accomplished.  Hopefully, we can take this momentum to States!”

The U of D Jesuit Varsity Hockey team, behind an agressive offensive attack, shut out Troy High School, 7-0 on Saturday, March 1, giving the Cubs back to back MHSAA Regional titles in hockey for the first time in school history.  The Cubs scored three goals in the first period with goals from junior Steven Lauro, junior Christian Wirth-Karbler, sophomore Sam Knoblauch.  The Cubs repeated the feat in the second period with goals from senior Matt Meininger, senior Brian Hubbard, senior Tommy Apap.  The Cubs closed out the scoring with a goal from junior Tommy Forester in the game's final minute. 

The Cubs will next take on Lake Orion in the Quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 5 at the St. Clair Shores Civic Ice Arena - game time is 7:00 PM.  Go Cubs!

Tuesday, February 25 was another big sports day for the Cubs, as the Varsity Basketball team defeated Romulus (#5 in the Associated Press Class A poll), 67-57 and the Varsity Hockey team won its MHSAA Pre-Regional game against Warren Mott, 9-1.  

On the court, the Cubs jumped out early on Romulus, taking an 11-8 lead after the first quarter, but U of D Jesuit got hot in the second quarter, outscoring Romulus 24-11 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 35-19 lead.  Romulus fought back, closing to within 46-41 at the end of the third quarter and got within three points at 52-49 with just under six minutes to play in the game.  From there, sophomore Cassius Winston took over as he scored 11 of his game high 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Cubs to victory.  To read more on the game, click here.

Not to be outdone, the U of D Jesuit Hockey team took on Warren Mott in the first game of the MHSAA Pre-Regional, defeating the Maurauders, 9-1.  The Cubs scored four times in the first period and coasted from there to the win.  The Cubs will next take on St. Clair Shores United on Thursday, February 28 at City Ice Arena - game time is 6:30.  The winner of this game moves on to the Regional Final.  

Senior skier Kaegan Maddelein was named to the third team All-State Skiing team with his performance in the State Finals on February 24.  Maddelein finished 13th in a field of 66 Giant Slalom skiers, which earned him the honor of being named All-State and earning the highest finish of a U of D Jesuit skier since Nick Jallos finished 8th in 2004.  Congratulations Kaegan and Head Coach Lorrie Kusch on a fabulous season!

On Friday, February 21, the Varsity Bowling team competed the team portion of the MHSAA Regionals and made history, finishing 2nd in the Regional and going on to the State Finals for the first time in team history.  The team was led by senior captain Lloyd Lyons and junior Mike Davis, who finished high during the Individual Regional on February 22, to qualify for the State Finals as Individuals.  Congratulations to the team and Head Coach Darrin Flowers '01 on a great season thus far, which includes 2nd place finishes in divisional play and the Catholic League!

Congratulations to the Ski Team and Head Coach Lorrie Kusch on a fine finish to the season in one of the snowiest and coldest winters in recent memory!  The team placed 8^th in the State Regional Meet last Thursday, February 13 at Pine Knob.  Senior Kaegan Maddelein finished 8^th in Giant Slalom, which qualifies him to compete in the State Finals at Schuss Mountain on Monday, February 24.  Junior Ben Ottolini, senior Christian Denker, junior Sam Ilkka, junior Mike Peterson, and junior Nate Tomlinson all had strong finishes in the Regional Meet as well. 

On February 18 at Alpine Mountain, Kaegan Maddelein competed in the Southeast Michigan Ski League Meet racing against the top racers in lower Michigan, where he had a stellar day, medaling in both Slalom and Giant Slalom, placing 10^th out of 83 racers.  Congratulations on a great season and good luck in the State Finals. Go Cubs!

U of D Jesuit Head Bowling Coach Darrin Flowers '01 has forwarded on the following information regarding the Varsity Bowling team's Regional the weekend of February 21:

Friday, February 21: Team event, warm up at 9:45 am, competition at 10:00am, format is three baker sets and three regular games

Saturday, February 22: Singles event, 8:20 am warm up, competition at 8:30 am, format is 6 regular games.

There is an admissions charge of $5, and both events are held at:

Woodhaven Lanes

20000 Van Horn Rd

Woodhaven, MI 48183

*Some of the teams in our regional are Belleville, Woodhaven, Dearborn Crestwood, Eastpointe, Mercy, Monroe, Roseville, Royal Oak, Southgate Anderson, Southfield Lathrup Village, St. Claire Shores Lakeview, Warren Mott, Warren Cousino, De La Salle, and Wyandotte Roosevelt*

Go Cubs!

At the Catholic High School League Coaches meeting on February 10, the All-Catholic, All-League, and All-Academic teams were announced and the U of D Jesuit Varsity Basketball was very well represented, with four U of D Jesuit students earning individual honors: 

• All-Catholic team: senior Noah King, sophomore Cassius Winston
• All-League team: senior Nick Mutebi, senior Spencer Sanders
• All-Academic team: senior Nick Mutebi

In addition, all three high school levels of the U of D Jesuit basketball program won the Catholic League Central Division - the teams will be honored at the Catholic League Championship game on February 23 at Calihan Hall. 

Congratulations to the players and coaches for their accomplishments!

The U of D Jesuit Varsity Basketball team, behind 22 points from sophomore Cassius Winston defeated Brother Rice on Wednesday, February 11, 72-54.  With the win, U of D Jesuit clinches a share of the Catholic League Central Division title for the 3rd time in five seasons.  

In the beginning of the game, both teams traded baskets and were tied up 9-9 with four minutes left in the first quarter.  The Cubs then went on a 13-0 run to end the first quarter, highlighted by three three-pointers, for a 22-9 lead after the first eight minutes.  In the second quarter, the Cubs expanded their lead, going on a 10-2 run to end the quarter, putting U of D Jesuit in command with a 45-24 halftime lead.  In the second half, the Cubs kept control of the game, despite Brother Rice cutting the lead down to 11 in the third quarter, cruising to the 18 point victory.  For the Cubs, in addition to Winston's 22 points, senior Noah King scored 16 points and senior Spencer Sanders scored 11.  

The Cubs, who are the #1 seed in the Catholic League playoffs, will play Dearborn Divine Child on Saturday, February 15 at Marian High School - game time is 12:00 PM.  Go Cubs!

On Monday, February 10, the U of D Jesuit Ski Team finished second in the Catholic League Championship, the highest finish ever for the Ski team, beating out league foes Catholic Central, Notre Dame Prep and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.  Senior Kaegan Maddelein was the silver medal winner in slalom and junior Sam Ilkka was a medal winner in both slalom and the Giant Slalom.  In the slalom race, senior Christian Denker placed 13^th, senior Mike Nagle finished 14th, and junior Mike Peterson was 15th.  Junior Ben Ottolini, sophomore Alek Weirmiller, senior Nate Tomlinson, and sophomore Ward Schiller also had strong finishes.  Congratulations to the team and Coach Kusch on a great season thus far and good luck in the MHSAA Regional Meet at Pine Knob on Wednesday, February 12!  Go Cubs!  

Here are some recent U of D Jesuit Bowling results from Head Coach Darrin Flowers '01:

• On Tuesday, February 4, the Varsity and JV Bowling teams both beat Notre Dame Prep - the Varsity beat the Irish, 28-2, while the JV team beat Notre Dame Prep, 30-0.  
• On Thursday, February 6, the Varsity and JV bowling teams beat Divine Child - the Varsity beat the Falcons, 16-14, and the JV team beat Divine Child, 22-8
• On Sunday, February 9, the Varsity Bowling team won the Valentine's Tournament, with senior Lloyd Lyons finishing in 1st place and sophomore Keith Reid finishing in 6th place.

Good luck to many of the U of D Jesuit winter sports teams as they move on Catholic League and MHSAA Championship play.  Below is the upcoming schedule for various U of D Jesuit winter sports teams:

• February 10: Skiing Catholic League Championship @ Alpine Valley, 5 PM
• February 12: Skiing MHSAA Regionals @ Pine Knob, 8 AM
• February 14: JV Basketball, Catholic League Playoffs  @ DeLaSalle Collegiate, TBA
• February 14: Freshman Basketball, Catholic League League Playoffs @ Catholic Central, 6 PM
• February 15: Varsity Basketball, Catholic League Playoffs @ Marian HS, TBD
• February 15: Wrestling MHSAA Individual Regionals @ Woodhaven HS, 8 AM
• February 15: Bowling Catholic League Championship @ Oak Lanes, 9 AM

Good luck to all the winter sport athletes and coaches participating in the Catholic League and MHSAA playoffs!

Congratulations to the four U of D Jesuit wrestlers who have moved on to Individual Wrestling Regionals after finishing in the top four in their respective weight classes in the Individual Wrestling District.  The four wrestlers are (district finish in parentheses):

• Nicholas Lamping (2nd)
• Riley Benson (3rd)
• Nicholas Jelonek (4th)
• Elijah Small (4th)

Congratulations to the young men and good luck as they move on to the Individual Wrestling Regionals!

U of D Jesuit senior wrestler John Neis won his 100th match for the Cubs on Wednesday, February 5 during an MHSAA Team Wrestling District match, becoming only the third wrestler in program history to do so.  John has been a four year letter winner for the Cubs, as well as a two-time team captain.  This season, John won first place in the West Bloomfield Invitational and was the Catholic League Champion in the 112 pound weight class.  John also won an Individual District title in 2012 and will be competing in the Wrestling Individual Districts this weekend.

Congratulations John on a great wrestling career!

Baseball Tryout Schedule:
Monday, March 10
Varsity       3:15 - 4:30 PM  BOTH GYMS
Freshman    4:30 - 6:00 PM  BOTH GYMS
Jr. Varsity    6:00 - 7:30 PM  BOTH GYMS

Tuesday, March 11
Varsity/JV  Group A   4:00 - 6:00  PM  LIBERTY PARK BUBBLE
Freshman                 4:30 - 6:00* PM  BOTH GYMS
*First cuts made after practice     

JV Group B               6:00 - 7:30 PM   BOTH GYMS

Wednesday, March 12
Freshman/JV Group B 4:30 - 6:00 PM  LIBERTY PARK BUBBLE
-Bus Leaves school by 3:45 PM

Varsity/JV Group A      6:15 - 7:30 PM* BOTH GYMS
*Varsity cuts will be made after practice

Thursday, March 13
Varsity                     3:15 - 4:30 PM     BOTH GYMS
Freshman                  4:30 - 6:00 PM*   BOTH GYMS 
Jr. Varsity                 6:00 - 7:30 PM*
*Final cuts for Freshman & JV

Friday, March 14
Varsity                   3:15 - 4:30 PM    MAIN GYM 
Jr. Varsity               3:15 - 4:30 PM    PE ROOM
Freshman                4:30 - 6:00 PM    MAIN GYM
Jr. Varsity                4:30 - 6:00 PM   AUX GYM
Varsity                    4:30 - 6:00 PM   PE ROOM

PARENT/PLAYER MEETING WILL BE AT 6:30 PM IN CAFETERIA
          
ACADEMY BASEBALL TRYOUTS WILL BEGIN ON MARCH 17, 2014

Lacrosse Tryout Schedule:
March 10 - 13, 2014

Varsity     6:00 - 8:00 PM  UDJ BACKFIELD
JVA & JVB 3:30 - 5:30 PM  UDJ BACKFIELD

On Wednesday, February 5, five U of D Jesuit seniors signed letters of intent to play at various levels of NCAA football.  Those seniors and the colleges they will be playing collegiately are (listed alphabetically, grade school in parentheses):

• Anthony Allen, Oberlin (Hilbert Junior High) 
• Parris Bennett, Syracuse University (U of D Jesuit Academy/Ferndale Middle School)
• Tyler Cuckovich, Grand Valley State University (Academy of the Sacred Heart)
• Dillon Dixon, Saginaw Valley State University (University Prep)
• Jacari Faulkner, Western Michigan University (Ann Arbor Trail Magnet)

Congratulations to these young men as they go on to the next level!

Front: Tyler Cuckovich (Grand Valley), Dillon Dixon (Saginaw Valley), Parris Bennett (Syracuse), Jacari Faulkner (Western Michigan), and Anthony Allen (Oberlin)

Back: U of D Jesuit Head Football Coach Oscar Olejniczak

Over the past two weeks, the U of D Jesuit Varsity & JV Bowling teams have gone head to head against other Catholic League opponents and competed in the Mercy Invitational.  

1/21 -  U of D Jesuit vs Divine Child: High Games by Dave Kucken with a 223, Lloyd Lyons with a 223 and a 224, Keith Reid with a 226, and Cameron Keuning with a 233 and 210

JV won 27-3: High Games posted by Brent Wilkerson 219 and 255, Lance Shackelford with a 192, Greg McIlraith with a 194, and Brendan Mosher with a 215 and 193

1/23 - U of D Jesuit vs De La Salle: Varsity lost 20-10, with high games posted by Ben Szmatula 215, Dave Kucken 232 and Mike Davis 223.

JV won 22-8: High games rolled by Brent Wilkerson 247, Max Lentine 199, and Greg Mciraith 203

1/27 - U of D Jesuit vs Brother Rice: Varsity tied 15-15, with high games by Lloyd Lyons 198 and 221, Matt Davis 197, Mike Davis 198 and 203.

JV Won 29-1: High game by Lance Shackelford with a 188.

2/1 - Mercy Invitational: Lloyd Lyons won the Singles event beating out 82 other male bowlers from both public and Catholic schools. He posted scores of 247, 246 and 203 to finish in 1st.

JV finished 2nd in the team event, with Lance Shackeford finishing 5th, followed by Greg McIlraith in 6th.

2/3 - U of D Jesuit vs CC: Varsity Lost 17-13, but got off to a hot start, bowling 244 in their first baker game. High scores posted by Lloyd Lyons 224, Keith Reid 198

JV won 15-5

The U of D Jesuit Varsity Swim competed against 18 other high school teams from across Wayne County last weekend in the first Wayne County Meet held at Grosse Pointe South High School on Saturday, February 1. Cub swimmers had multiple top 8 finishes in the meet.

The 200 Medley Relay of Alden Kane, Michael Campbell, Kevin Sheridan, and Jacob Best placed 8th and earned another relay MISCA cut. Michael Campbell, the Cubs’ only individual top 8 earner, swimming a personal best time, placed 6th overall and earned his MISCA cut in the 100 freestyle. Campbell also placed 10th overall in the 100 breaststroke with another MISCA cut in that event as well. Other notable swims included: Alden Kane's 12th place finishes in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke, Joe Leonard starting the meet off strong for UDJ with a personal best time this season in the 200 free and then earning another season best time in the 100 fly, Steven Verderbar had a fantastic 100 free coming in 15th overall with a time of 52.54, Billy Asimakis had a personal best this season in the 100 back with a time of 1.03.75, and Bilaal Pierce rounded out the slew of personal bests in his 100 breast with a time of 1.12.28.

“The amount of personal best times at this meet really speaks for itself,” said Coach Sarah Biasello, “Seeing the effort these boys give first hand is the reason I coach. The adversity they faced last week between pool time being cut short and a dual meet against Southfield Lathrup right before the County Meet gave them plenty of excuses to not swim their best and they did the complete opposite.They stepped up to the challenge, they raced hard, and they were extremely successful."

The Cubs have two dual meets this week against Troy on February 4 and against Notre Dame Prep on February 5.

The U of D Jesuit Wrestling team competed in the Catholic League Tournament on February 1 at Brother Rice High School.  Overall the team finished in 4th place, with eight wrestlers placing in the top four of the tournament:

• Senior John Neis - 1st
• Senior Andrew Mikes - 2nd
• Senior Elijah Small - 2nd
• Senior Riley Benson - 3rd
• Junior John McRoberts - 3rd
• Senior Nicholas Lamping - 3rd
• Sophomore John Ginotti - 4th
• Junior Bryan Debono - 4th
• Junior Nicholas Jelonek - 4th

The Wrestling team will be competing in the MHSAA Team District competition on Wednesday, February 5 at 5:00 PM at Royal Oak High School.  Senior John Neis will be going for his 100th Varsity win during the competition.  Go Cubs!

It was another great weekend for U of D Jesuit athletics, as the basketball and hockey programs recorded huge victories over league opponents!

Basketball

All three levels of the U of D Jesuit basketball program took on league rival Brother Rice on Friday, January 31 and the three teams did not disappoint, sweeping the Warriors at U of D Jesuit.  The highlight of the evening was the Varsity Basketball team beating the Warriors 84-53 before a capacity crowd.  In the first quarter, both teams got off to a hot start, before the Cubs starting pulling away, taking a 33-19 lead after first quarter.  In the second quarter, the Cubs kept the defensive pressure on Brother Rice, forcing the Warriors into numerous turnovers and converting them into easy transition points, taking control of the game going into halftime, 57-28.  The Cubs did not let up in the second half, with the lead ballooning up to 36 points in the fourth quarter, before the final 31 point margin of victory.  For the Cubs, sophomore Cassius Winston led the way with 39 points, including 9 three-pointers, and senior Noah King finished with 10 points.  U of D Jesuit is now 10-1 on the season, 4-0 in the Catholic League Central Division.  The Cubs will host Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard on Tuesday, February 4 - game time is 7:30 PM.

Hockey

The U of D Jesuit Varsity Hockey team continued their hot streak, defeating Grosse Pointe North 4-0 on Friday night and defeated Cranbrook for the first time since 2004, 4-2.  The hockey Cubs are now 15-2 on the season, riding a school-record 13 game winning streak.  

On Friday night, the Cubs took the lead in the first period on a goal from junior Christian Wirth-Karbler, with assists from junior Joey Garves and senior Zach Levi.  The score stayed 1-0 until the third period when the Cubs scored three goals in a 10 minute span from sophomore Sam Knoblauch, senior Tommy Apap, and junior Marty Nagle, giving the final margin of 4-0.  Sophomore goalie Jacob Robinson picked up his third shutout of the season, turning away seven Grosse Pointe North shots.

On Saturday afternoon, the Cubs had a quick turnaround and faced the #1 team in the state, Cranbrook at Wallace Ice Arena.  The Cubs struck quickly in the first period, scoring three goals from junior Peter Hunt, senior Matt Meininger, and junior Christian Wirth-Karbler, shocking the home crowd and giving U of D Jesuit a 3-0 lead going into the first period intermission.

In the second period, Cranbrook scored twice, once on the power play and the other off a scramble in front of the net, cutting the U of D Jesuit lead down to 3-2 going into the 3rd period.  The final period was a fierce back and forth battle, as the Cubs held off the Cranes, killing two Cranbrook power plays.  After senior Brian Hubbard scored an empty net goal with 20 seconds left in the game, U of D Jesuit sealed the game and made history, defeating Cranbrook 4-2.  Junior goalie Jack Deines stopped 28 of 30 shots for the win.  

The Varsity Hockey team will next take on Brother Rice on Wednesday, February 5 in the Trenton Showcase.  Go Cubs!

The Basketball games scheduled for Tuesday, January 28, 2014 will still be played as scheduled. The Bowling matches at Hazel Park Lanes are postponed. GO CUBS!

The U of D Jesuit Skiing program traveled up north in adverse conditions to compete in the South Lyon Invitational Meet at Boyne Highlands on January 24.  Both the Varsity and JV teams had outstanding days, as the two teams finished in second place on the day.  The Varsity Ski team beat North Farmington, Farmington, Brighton, West Catholic, and Grand Rapids Catholic Central en route to the second place finish.  Senior Kaegan Maddelein was the meet champion, finishing 1st in both ski events.  In the morning slalom race, junior Ben Ottolini placed 4th, junior Sam Ilkka finished 8th, senior Mike Nagle placed 9th, junior Mike Peterson finished 10th, and senior Christian Denker placed 11th.  For the JV team, senior Nate Tomlinson medaled in both events, while sophomore Alek Weiermiller, sophomore Mike Donovan, sophomore Ward Schiller, and senior Sean Roarty had strong finishes.  Congratulations to the program on a great showing in one of the toughest races of the season! 

The calendar says January and the second semester has officially started at U of D Jesuit which means the Winter Sports season is well underway!  Here are updates from some of the winter sports at U of D Jesuit:

Basketball

The U of D Jesuit Varsity Basketball team, led by Head Coach Pat Donnelly, has the Cubs out to a 7-1 start on the young season, 2-0 in the Catholic League Central Division.  The Cubs are ranked #5 in the latest Associated Press Poll released on January 21.  In their most recent game, the Cubs beat Orchard Lake St. Mary's on January 21, 61-59 and will now take on De La Salle on January 24 at U of D Jesuit in a matchup of league unbeatens.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 PM.

The lower level U of D Jesuit basketball teams have gotten out to strong starts as well - JV: 6-3, Freshmen: 6-2, Academy 1: 12-0, and Academy 2: 8-0.

Bowling

The U of D Jesuit Varsity Bowling team, led by Darrin Flowers '01, recently bowled on January 17 against Catholic Central and tied the Shamrocks 15-15. High games were posted by sophomore Cameron Keuning who bowled a 246 and a 231, sophomore Keith Reid bowled a 234, and senior Dave Kucken rolled a 234 to lead the Cubs.  JV Bowling team won their match 17-13 against Catholic Central, with high scores coming from sophomore Brent Wilkerson with a 196 and sophomore Brendan Mosher with a 192.

On January 18, the Cubs entered the 9th annual Wayne County Tournament, where they had their best showing yet. The Cubs finished the first round in 7th place, good enough to allow the team to move on to the Baker Style match play. In the quarterfinals, the Cubs defeated Belleville before dropping the semi-final match to Taylor Kennedy.  The JV bowling team lost in the quarterfinals to Canton in the Wayne County Tournament.

Hockey

The U of D Jesuit Varsity Hockey team, led by veteran head coach Rick Bennetts, is currently 10-2 on the season, recently defeating Calumet twice in the annual Miners Trophy matchup during Martin Luther King weekend.  The team is currently ranked #6 in Division 1 and will next face Brother Rice at City Ice Arena on Friday, January 24.  Game time is scheduled for 6:30 PM. 

The U of D Jesuit JV Hockey team is currently 7-3-2.

Skiing

The U of D Jesuit Skiing team, led by long-time coach Lorrie Kusch, competed in its third slalom race of the season on January 21 on the frozen tundra of Mt. Brighton.  Despite the less than ideal conditions, the team finished 3^rd place, beating Brighton, Okemos, Howell, Catholic Central, Harrison, Farmington, North Farmington, Ann Arbor, and Pinckney.  This is the Ski Team's third top-3 slalom finish for the season.  Pacing the Cubs during the most recent slalom race was senior Kaegan Maddelein who placed 2^nd, junior Ben Ottolini who finished in 12^th, junior Sam Ilkka who placed 17^th, and junior Mike Peterson who placed 24^th out of 67 racers.  Congratulations to the team on a great race!

Swimming

The U of D Jesuit Varsity Swim team, led by first-year Head Coach Sarah Biasello, had another strong showing last Thursday, January 16, as they blew past Roseville High School in their most recent dual meet. According to Coach Biasello, there were multiple first place finishes on our team including: sophomore Evan Moncur (200 Free),  sophomore Kevin Sheridan (200 IM, 100 fly), senior Matt Cullen (50 Free), senior Steven Verderbar (100 free), senior Joe Leonard (500 free), sophomore Alden Kane (100 back), & junior Michael Campbell (100 breast). 

“The boys swam a terrific meet,” said Coach Biasello.  “Despite coming off a break over the holidays and back to back meets last weekend, the boys are working hard and it’s paying off in the meets!”

Team relays consisting of Kane, Campbell, Cullen and Verderbar (A Relay) and sophomore Jacob Best, freshman Bilaal Pierce, Leonard and Sheridan (B Relay) took first and second in the 200 Medley Relay; Cullen, Campbell, Sheridan and Verderbar (A Relay) and Pierce, junior Michael Brennan, senior Enrico Monaghan and sophomore Brian Houghton (B Relay) took first and second in the 200 Free Relay, and Verderbar, Leonard, Cullen and Kane (A Relay) and Best, Brennan, Moncur and senior Billy Asimakis (B Relay) finished first and second in the 400 Free Relay.

Last but definitely not least, sophomore diver Pierce Gordon, did a fantastic job with his 6 dives and scored a 178.35. He was the only diver of the meet so he performed all of his dives back to back with little rest between and did extremely well.

“This was a very impressive showing from our UDJ team,” said Coach Biasello.  “We are well positioned for the next few weeks as we head into the heart of our schedule and swim against some very strong teams.  I’m very pleased with the momentum we are building.”  

On January 23, the UDJ Swim and Dive Team will recognize its seniors at its dual meet against Catholic Central and will swim against Ann Arbor Huron and Brother Rice in a Tri-Meet on January 24.

Wrestling

On January 18, the U of D Jesuit Wrestling team competed in the Marysville Gatorade Duals along with 15 other teams. The team finished 2-3 on the day, with a close loss to Capac in the final dual meet. The Cubs had victories against Cass City and Rochester Adams’ B team and losses coming from St. Clair, L'Anse Creuse, and Capac.

The Cubs were led with strong performances by senior captains John Neis and Nicholas Lamping both finishing 4-1. This was good day for the team despite the overall record.  The team wrestled some tough opponents and gained valuable experience. The JV wrestlers (Emilio Ramirez, Adam Abdullah, and Joshua Weeks) were able to contribute their efforts to the varsity team, each wrestling at least 1 time. Joshua Weeks’ expertise was lent to an upstart unified team composed of would-be wrestlers from other teams. He strung together an impressive showing with 2 pins and a decision to finish 3-0 on the day.  Not to be out done, strong performances were given by senior captains Andrew Mikes and Mark Parillo as well as John Ginotti, Ben Weber, Elijah Small, Langston Pullen, Nicholas Jelonek, John McRoberts, and Liam Haggerty.

Even with an overall record of 8-11, the team, according to Head Coach Montana Arble, has started to become a “TEAM” over the last few weeks with guys making sacrifices and coming out of their comfort zones. Guys are bumping up in weights to try to eliminate some voids, battling thru injuries, and doing whatever it takes to help their team compete and win.

As the team heads toward the home stretch of the season, the Cubs are starting to gain traction. The team is looking to position itself as Catholic League contenders as the squad squares off against Brother Rice and Catholic Central’s B team at De La Salle on Wednesday, January 22. The team will host Senior Night against Orchard Lake St. Mary's and Notre Dame Prep on Wednesday January 29 to cap off the Catholic League dual meet competition.  The team will compete for the Catholic League title in CHSL Championships at Brother Rice High School on Feburary 1.

The U of D Jesuit Bowling Varsity and JV teams opened up Catholic League play against Notre Dame Prep last weekend.  The Varsity team defeated the Irish 28-2, posting the highest series of the past 3 seasons, bowling an 1162 the first game.  Sophomore Cameron Kuening bowled an outstanding 270, senior Lloyd Lyons bowled a 257, senior Matt Davis bowled a 235, junior Mike Davis bowled a 220, and sophomore Keith Reid rounded out the quintet by bowling a 180.  The U of D Jesuit JV team won their meet against Notre Dame Prep 29-1.

In the team's second Big City Tournament, the Varsity Bowling team finished 4th and JV finished 3rd.  The respective team places are the highest team finishes for both teams in the Big City Tournament in the last three seasons. Catholic League play continues on Thursday, January 16 at Sterling Lanes, as the Cubs face off against Catholic Central.

In their second slalom meet of the season, the U of D Jesuit Ski Team finished in 2nd place, beating Brighton, Okemos, Catholic Central, Hartland, Birmingham, Farmington, Ann Arbor, North Farmington, Howell, and Pinckney.  Senior Kaegan Maddelein placed 4^th, junior Ben Ottolini placed 7^th, senior Mike Nagle finished 15^th, and senior Christian Denker placed at 26th.  Great job Cubs!

The Cubs used a stingy full court defense to stifle the visiting Shamrocks of Catholic Central and earn their first Catholic League victory on Friday night.  Relentless pressure forced the Shamrocks into quick shots and turnovers, leading to numerous scoring opportunities in transition for the Cubs.  By the end of the first quarter, the Maroon and White had built a 15-0 lead, holding the Shamrocks scoreless.  The scoreless streak continued four minutes into the second quarter as the Cubs built a 22-0 lead.  CC started to heat up, netting 18 points in the quarter, but still trailed 39-18 at the half.  The final basket before intermission resulted in a thunderous roar from the Cub faithful as sophomore guard Billy Thomas drained a three-quarter court heave as the horn sounded.

The Cub defense returned to form in the third quarter, stopping the Shamrocks and scoring in transition.  They built a comfortable 69-26 lead by the end of the stanza.  The final eight minutes went by rapidly as the 40 point advantage resulted in a running clock.  As the final horn sounded, the Cubs celebrated senior night with a 78-35 victory. 

Four Cubs players netted double figures, led by Cassius Winston with 21 points.  Noah King added 17, while Billy Thomas and Gary Collins netted 11 and 10 points, respectively. U of D Jesuit now sits at 5-1 on the season, and 1-0 in the CHSL Central Division.  They will be hosting Loyola High School on Friday, January 17th with tip-off scheduled for 7:30pm.  Go Cubs!

Congratulations to the U of D Jesuit JV & Varsity Skiing teams who competed in their first Giant Slalom race of the season.  The JV Team came in 3^rd  with  sophomore Alek Weiermiller placing 3^rd, sophomore Ward Schiller 10^th, senior Nate Tomlinson 13th, and sophomore Mike Donovan 18^th. The Varsity Team came in 5^th out of 12 teams beating Catholic Central, Hartland, Howell, Pinckney, Ann Arbor, North Farmington, and Farmington.  Senior Kaegan Maddelein placed 3^rd, with senior Mike Nagle, junior Ben Ottolini, and junior Mike Peterson all having strong finishes.

The U of D Jesuit varsity basketball team traveled down to Cleveland on January 3 to take on Jesuit brother school St. Ignatius and behind an up-tempo effort, defeated the Wildcats 82-52.  It was U of D Jesuit's first win in basketball versus St. Ignatius in in recent memory and made the three hour trip well worth it.  

The Cubs and Wildcats went back and forth in the 1st quarter, with the Cubs squeeking out a five point lead at 23-18.  In the second quarter, it was a much different story, as the Cubs turned up the defensive pressure on St. Ignatius, getting several baskets in transition, and ran the Wildcats ragged, en route to a 30-11 second quarter advantange for U of D Jesuit and a 53-29 halftime lead.  In the second half, the Cubs kept the pressure up, expanding the lead to as many as 34 points in the fourth quarter before the eventual 30 point win over St. Ignatius.  

For the Cubs, sophomore Cassius Winston paced U of D Jesuit with 18 points, with senior guard Spencer Sanders adding in 17 points.  Senior Noah King contributed 12 points and sophomore Billy Thomas chipped in 10 points.

The next game for U of D Jesuit will kick off the Catholic League season as the Cubs take on De La Salle in Warren on Tuesday, January 7.  JV tip time is scheduled for 6:00 PM, with the Varsity game scheduled to start at 7:30 PM.  Go Cubs!

On December 27 & 28, the U of D Jesuit Varsity basketball team competed in the Crusader Classic at L'anse Creuse North High School, winning the tournamnent crown in convincing fashion.

On December 27, the Cubs played Walled Lake Northern, defeating the Knights 56-36.  It was a solid defensive effort by the Cubs, shutting down the Walled Lake Northern shooters, even with the Cubs shooting 35% for the game.  Senior Noah King led the Cubs with 20 points and sophomore Billy Thomas added in 16 points and six rebounds.  Sophomore Cassius Winston chipped in with a double-double, scoring 13 points, collecting 11 rebounds, and added in three steals.

In the Championship game played on December 28, the Cubs defeated the host school, L’Anse Creuse North, 80-49.  U of D Jesuit jumped out to a 20-5 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, beating one of the top teams in Macomb County.  Once again, senior Noah King led the Cubs charge with 19 points and five rebounds.  Sophomore Cassius Winston added another double-double with 17 points and 14 assists, not to mention seven steals as well.  Rounding out the statistical leaders was senior Nick Mutebi with eight points and eight rebounds.

As the Varsity basketball team was on its way to winning the Crusader Classic, the other U of D Jesuit basketball teams, Academy A & B, Freshman, and JV, also won their respective tournaments this past weekend.

The Cubs are now 3-1 on the young season and will head down to Cleveland on Friday, January 3 to take on fellow Jesuit school St. Ignatius. Tip off for the game is scheduled for 6 PM.  Go Cubs!

The U of D Jesuit Varsity basketball team dropped a tough game on Saturday, December 21 against Toledo St. John's Jesuit, losing in overtime to the Titans 85-77.  The Cubs are now 1-1 on the season.  

The game was reminicent of two heavyweight boxers, going back and forth with neither team having the decided upper hand throughout the game.  The largest lead for either team in regulation was seven points and that was by U of D Jesuit several times throughout the game.  The Cubs led 15-13 after the first quarter, 36-34 at the half, and after a Cassius Winston 3/4 court shot at the third quarter buzzer, led 58-54 at the end of the third quarter.  St. John's took the lead in the fourth quarter as both teams went back and forth until St. John's tied the game with 15 seconds left in the 4th quarter, forcing the game to overtime.  In the overtime session, St. John's took advantage of their opportunities and missed only one free throw in the extra stanza.  

For the Cubs, their next game wiill be against Walled Lake Northern in the L'anse Creuse North Christmas Tournament on Friday, December 27 at 6:00 PM.  The Cubs will also play on Saturday, December 28 against an opponent and time yet to be determined.  Go Cubs!

The U of D Jesuit Varsity Basketball team got the much anticipated 2013-2014 season started on the right foot, defeating Macomb Dakota 66-38 at U of D Jesuit.  U of D Jesuit and Dakota went back and forth in the first quarter, before the Cubs went on a 13-2 run to open up a 24-9 lead early in the second quarter.  Dakota crawled back to within 8 points midway through the second quarter, before the Cubs went on another run and went into halftime up 42-21.  

In the third quarter, the Cubs continued to pour it on, extending the lead to 61-31 at the end of the third quarter, allowing the players off the bench to see extended minutes for the remainder of the game.  For U of D Jesuit, leading scorers were senior Noah King (19 points) and sophomore Billy Thomas (11 points).  The Cubs will next take on Toledo St. John's in Toledo on Saturday, December 21 at 7:30 PM.  Please come on down to root on the Cubs!

The U of D Jesuit Varsity basketball team kicks off its season on Tuesday, December 17 at U of D Jesuit against Macomb Dakota.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 PM.  

There are high expectations for the University of Detroit Jesuit Cubs, coming off a very successful 2012-13 campaign, which saw them capture the Catholic High School League (CHSL) division and league titles, as well as a district championship.  The expectations are squarely on the shoulders of a number of key players.  Cassius Winston ’16 (Detroit, UDJ Academy) is returning as the team’s leader in scoring (18 ppg), assists (7.5 apg) and steals (3.5 spg).  He had a tremendous rookie year, and has improved his strength, athleticism and long range shooting.  6’4” Noah King ’14 (Detroit, Anderson MS) returns for his senior season, and has improved dramatically from an All-CHSL performance last year.  Nick Mutebi ’14 (Detroit, UDJ Academy) will provide the Cubs with toughness, rebounding and scoring during his final season.  He is an emotional leader and the young Cubs feed off of his energy.  Also returning from last year’s varsity team are guards Spencer Sanders ’14 (Southfield, Detroit Edison), and Julian Morgan ’14 (Detroit, UDJ Academy).  

Newcomers to the team include Parris Bennett ’14 (Detroit, UDJ Academy).  Bennett, who will be playing football at Syracuse University next year, provides toughness, athleticism and outstanding defensive and rebounding ability to the team.  Juniors Gary Collins ’15 (Detroit, UDJ Academy), Colin Donnelly ’15 (Troy, UDJ Academy), Saunders Lee ’15 (Detroit, Cornerstone), Charles Primas ’15 (Detroit, Bates Academy) and sophomores Billy Thomas ’16 (Farmington Hills, Academy of Sacred Heart) and Matt Schearer’16 (Troy, Holy Name) will provide depth to the Cubs line-up after helping the Junior Varsity squad to a CHSL tournament championship last season. 

The Cubs will be challenged by a demanding schedule, playing traditional Ohio powers St. John’s (Toledo) on December 21 in Toledo and St. Ignatius (Cleveland) on January 3 in Cleveland, as well as the always competitive CHSL Central Division (Brother Rice, Catholic Central, DeLaSalle and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s).  Non-league contests include a holiday tournament at L’anse Cruese North as well as games with Loyola, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard and Romulus.

The Academy #1 & #2 Basketball teams started off their seasons in the St. Clare Thanksgiving Tournament this past weekend.  The Academy #1 team beat host St. Clare and the Academy #2 team beat St. Regis 33-20 - congratulations to both teams on a strong start to the season!