Honor roll: The week’s best performances by San Mateo County high school athletes

Sophie Rubinstein, Aragon volleyball. The Lady Dons advanced to the Nor Cal Division II semifinals for the second time in school history, but relied on a brand-new cast of characters since the last time they did it in 2018. And nobody on the Aragon roster is newer than Rubinstein, the team’s only underclassman. Still, the sophomore recorded two double-doubles in Aragon’s two Nor Cal playoff wins, totaling 10 kills and 10 digs in last Tuesday’s opener against Clovis, before recording 15 kills, 12 digs and five service aces in last Thursday’s quarterfinal win over Del Oro-Loomis.

Will Swart, Sacred Heart Prep boys’ water polo. The Princeton-bound Swart has saved his best for last as he helped lead the Gators to their 11th straight CCS title and fifth straight in the Open Division. In a 15-6 win over St. Francis in the semifinals, Swart poured in eight goals. In the 16-4 championship game win over Bellarmine, Swart added five more goals.

Lucy Homer, Sacred Heart Prep girls’ water polo. While the Gators fell short of the CCS title, Homer had a career game, posting her first-ever hat trick.

Myles Guerrero, San Mateo football. A senior receiver who doesn’t make a lot of catches in the Bearcats’ run-heavy option offense, Guerrero made the most of his chances during San Mateo’s 49-28 loss to Branham in the first round of the CCS Division IV playoffs. Guerrero caught three passes for 114 yards, including one for 64, and hauled in a pair of touchdowns.

Tatum Olesen, Menlo-Atherton girls’ cross country. The Bears swept the top three podium spots in the girls’ cross country Division I race at the CCS championships Saturday at Crystal Springs. Olesen claimed the top spot with a time of 18:33.5, followed by senior Katherine Lorenz, 18:44.4, in second place; and senior Chloe Pilette, 18:49.3, in third.

Gio Joachin, Burlingame football. There weren't a lot of highlights in the Panthers’ 37-7 drubbing at the hands of Hollister in the first round of the CCS Division III playoffs. But Joachin was one of them. From his linebacker spot, Joachin was a tackling machine, finishing the game with 17 tackles — 14 of which were solo.

Stella Newman, Burlingame girls’ cross country. As a freshman, Newman hadn’t finished better than sixth place on the Crystal Springs Cross Country Course heading into Saturday’s CCS championships. She upped her stock in a hurry, though, as Newman took second place in the Division III race with a time of 18:53.1, the third best time for any freshman in all five divisions. With her podium finish, Newman earned a bid to the CIF State Cross Country meet this Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Kaiya Brooks, Crystal Springs Uplands girls’ cross country. The Gryphons swept the CCS Division V championships, winning both the boys’ and girls’ team titles Saturday at Crystal Springs Cross Country Course. Brooks was front and center for the girls’ championship, winning by a landslide in 17:44.7, over 54 seconds faster than second-place finisher Lara Scanziani-Grijalvo of Oceana. The individual Division V title run was Brooks’s final varsity race on her home course in Belmont. Next year, she is committed to run at Harvard University.

Brady Jung, Menlo School football. The junior receiver scored three touchdowns in the Knights’ 37-20 win over the King's Academy in the first round of the CCS Division playoffs. But it was how Jung scored that helped earn him a spot in the honor roll. He caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jake Bianchi. He then recovered a blocked punt in the end zone and then capped his performance with a 10-yard pick-6 interception.

Katie Callagy, Mercy-Burlingame volleyball. The Crusaders won three Nor Cal games last week to advance to Tuesday’s Division III regional finals for the first time in program history. Callagy was at the heart of the historic run, fronting Mercy’s remarkable blocking presence. The senior middle totaled 11 blocks through the three matches, 10 of them recorded as solo blocks.

Katherine Zhang, Carlmont girls’ tennis. Normally the Scots’ No. 4 singles player, Zhang had to fill in at No. 3 singles in Carlmont’s CCS tournament opener against Homestead. Zhang passed the test with flying colors. With the team score tied at 3-all, Zhang clinched the win for the Scots. She dropped the first set 5-7, but rallied for a 6-2 win in Set 2. In the third-set tiebreaker, Zhang prevailed, 10-8.

Evan Usher, Woodside football. The biggest surprise in the PAL this season, the running back capped his sophomore season with a strong showing in the Wildcats’ 47-10 loss to Seaside in the CCS Division V playoffs. Usher rushed for 153 yards on 22 carries, scoring the team’s only touchdown. In nine games, Usher rushed for more than 1,700 yards and scored 23 touchdowns.