Sports Briefs: Marin Academy girls best Novato in non-league matchup

Marin Academy beat Novato High, 31-21, on Tuesday night in a non-league feature for the two local girls basketball teams.

Lucy Robinson led the Wildcats with eight points in their tuneup before Wednesday’s big Bay Counties League matchup against Urban. Val Saeltzer added six points from the perimeter for Marin Academy (12-3, 2-0 BCL), which got a balanced scoring effort.

Savannah Sparks scored 11 points for the Hornets (5-11, 0-1 MCAL), who are scheduled to play Tam High on Friday.

• Brooke Denler and Phoebe Saibel scored 13 points each to pace Redwood High to a 89-17 victory over San Rafael on Tuesday. Hindi Copeland added nine points for the Giants (10-4, 2-0). Jessica Vara and Giselle Maldonado had four points each for the Bulldogs (6-7, 0-2).
• The Branson School held off a late rally to beat a shorthanded Archie Williams High squad, 54-49, on Tuesday. Lila Peterson and Parker Conrad led the Peregrine Falcons (8-6, 1-1 MCAL) with 13 points. The Bulls (11-8, 2-0) have a Thursday showdown with San Marin at Dominican University.
• Abby Bartholo scored 17 points to lead San Marin to a gripping 46-43 victory over Marin Catholic in Tuesday’s MCAL showdown. Eleanna Schram and Addy Timmel had eight points each for the Mustangs (11-6, 2-0), while Megan McCune added six points off the bench. The Wildcats (3-10, 0-1) are scheduled to host San Rafael on Friday.

Boys basketball

Novato resident George Chaput posted team-high 15 points for St. Vincent in Monday’s 60-38 victory over Averroes. Dylan Chelew and Barrett Chaput, both of Novato, scored 13 and 12 points, respectively. The Mustangs (8-4) have a tough game Wednesday against Ukiah.

• Terra Linda High is the host site for The King’s Court, a five-game MLK North Bay showcase expected to shine the spotlight on some elite college prospects on Monday, Jan. 19. The Trojans host Chico at 1:30 p.m., while the Branson School  plays Campolindo at 6 p.m. The afternoon kicks off with Urban facing Gateway at noon. In other games, Berkeley takes on Benicia, and St. Mary’s of Berkeley faces Monterey Trail.

Basketball

The Marin County Free Throw Championship returns on Jan. 25 — at Archie Williams High from 8:30-11:30 a.m. — with proceeds from the event going to help the needy in the community through the St. Vincent de Paul Society. There are competitions and prizes in several categories for individuals and teams, as well as a raffle. For more information, email saintvincentdepaul@strita.edu or call 415-454-6420.

Water polo

San Anselmo’s Dylan Woodhead scored a pair of goals as Team USA split an exhibition series with Australia over the weekend in Walnut. Team USA came out strong, with the former star from Stanford and Sir Francis Drake (now Archie Williams High) scoring early as the American beat Australia, 17-9, in Saturday’s contest. Woodhead, a veteran of international play, scored on a skip shot to try to rally the Americans in Sunday’s game before the Aussies closed out the 13-10 win.

Running

The Tamalpa Couples Relay is returning on Valentine’s Day, February 14, at 9 a.m. Held 40 consecutive years (save one) from 1980, the race was paused during the pandemic and is now finally coming back.

The Couples Relay was originally organized by The Good Sport running store in then new Larkspur Landing (now Marin Country Mart). In the race’s unique format, women ran two miles then tagged off to their male partners. Some of the region’s most prominent runners won, including all-time fastest Dipsea Race performers Ron Elijah and Peggy Smyth, Marin County Athletic League 2-mile record holders Rod Berry and Robyn MacSwain (now married), and New Zealand Olympian Heather Thomson.

There are multiple categories; open, two females, two males, married, parent/grandparent with child/grandchild, youth, high school, and middle school. Prizes are based on combined ages, and most teams end up going home with an award. To learn more and register, visit http://www.tamalparunners.org/couplesrelays.

Open positions

Terra Linda High School is hiring for varsity and JV girls lacrosse coaches. For more information, contact director of athletics Steve Farbstein at sfarbstein@srcs.org.

• San Domenico is hiring for a boys varsity tennis coach and a sailing coach for the spring season.  If interested, please contact Mark Churchill at mchurchill@sandomenico.org.
• San Rafael High is hiring for a girls flag football coach for the coming season. For more information, visit www.edjoin.org.

Reporting scores

Coaches are encouraged to report scores, stats and game details via email to sports@marinij.com or to @marinij_sports on Twitter following games. Anything that comes in after the deadline for print – around 8 p.m. typically – will be included the following day.