In the News

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FARMINGTON HILLS - To the ultimate competitor, losing is a hard pill to swallow.

But what is even more difficult to endure is losing the ability to compete altogether.

And that's something Margaux Kabodian had to deal with for the better part of a year after suffering a devastating knee injury more than a year ago.

Powerhouse Farmington Hills Mercy beats North Farmington to win softball invitational

Division 1 state championship contender Farmington Hills Mercy was a perfect 4-0 on Saturday, April 22, winning the 17th annual Mercy Invitational at Founders Park in Farmington Hills.

Senior Kayce Nieto picked up two wins on the mound, including a one-hit shutout in No. 6-ranked MercyÕs championship game four-and-a-half inning mercy 9-0 victory over North Farmington.

One of coach Gary Servais' opponents is the calendar as he works to bring a young Mercy team up to speed in time for major May deadlines.

“We have 22 first-year high school track athletes, so it's still a work in progress,” he said, following an 87-41 win over Livonia Ladywood in Mercy's first Catholic League dual meet Tuesday.

“We have to try to get things sorted out, because Regina is a pretty good team coming in here next week. Ladywood is younger than we are.”

FIRST TEAM

Bridget Moricz, Clarenceville: The repeat first-team all-area player rolled a high game of 255 to go with a 630 series (both in tournaments). During the regular season, Moricz averaged 190 for 28 games.

“She was the anchor bowler all year for the girls varsity team and led our team in regional qualifying with a third-place finish to go to Jackson,'' coach Phil Horowitz said. “I feel she's very deserving.''

Mercy High School didn't have a senior on its softball team last year, and all the principal players are back for another season.

Foremost among the returnees is senior pitcher Kayce Nieto, a two-time, All-Observer selection who has a scholarship to the University of Utah.

Nieto allowed only 27 runs last year and had an earned run average of 0.52. She had 219 strikeouts and just 15 walks in 134 innings. Nieto also batted .506 with 10 home runs and 24 RBI.

Students installed 10,000 square inches of colorful hand-knitted banners outside the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library in a "yarn bomb" project designed to display humanity and handiwork.

School of Art & Design students Payal Doshi, Cara Phelps and Stephanie O'Neil knit banners for an art installation.

Mercy High School will play another difficult schedule in girls lacrosse, but the Marlins hope to benefit from it in the long run.

Tackling a lineup of Division 1 and 2 powers, they expect to be better for having played tough competition and to be ready for the state tournament in late May.

“Every team wants to win the championship; that's why we play,” Mercy coach Lindsay Hoyt said. “We're working on our consistency and trying to get the job done one game at a time.”

Don't misunderstand Carly Sevald.

The talented Wayne State University diver is ecstatic to be the 2012 NCAA Division II three-meter diving champion. It's just the path that led to that title leaves her a bit incredulous.

Sevald, a former state champion at Mercy High School, was one of four Warriors who captured individual titles at the recent NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships in Mansfield, Texas. Sevald won the three-meter diving championship with 503.40 points.

Mercy High School senior and All-Observer standout Lindsey Lerg has committed to play volleyball at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor next season.

In addition to being a star player for the Marlins, Lerg also has played for the Legacy Volleyball Club in Rochester Hills the last five years.

Although she was an outside hitter for Mercy, the 5-foot-7 Lerg will be a libero (defensive specialist) for the Wolverines.

The first week of the season went well for the Mercy High School girls soccer team, but the true test will be its game today with rival Birmingham Marian.

The Marlins opened with a 6-0 rout of Redford Union and a scoreless tie with South Lyon East. Marian has won eight consecutive Catholic League A-B Division championships.

Mercy returns a dozen players from a team that was 6-5-4 and the district runner-up to Division 1 state champion Novi.