CYO 5th Grade Girls American Basketball Team 2026 Oakland Diocese Gold Division Champions

By Veronica Porter — Published May 13, 2026 · Page 19 · View as PDF · Sports · Issue

Yizhen Zi, Scout Preston, Catalina Chung, Tyla Cullen, Ellie Laman, “Coach” Ryan Preston, Julianna Tyndall, Emery Lee, Ellie Porter, Emily Finley, and Giovanna Romagnolo (not pictured), along “Coach” Alex Romagnolo (not pictured). (Joe Porter)

St. Monica’s CYO 5th Grade Girls American basketball team captured the 2026 Oakland Diocese CYO 5th Grade Girls Gold Division Championship with an exciting two-day playoff run. The St. Monica Spartans opened the tournament with a strong performance on Saturday, Feb. 21, defeating CCOP 25–14 to advance to the championship game.

In the final game on Sunday, Feb. 22 at Carondelet High School, St. Monica edged Santa Maria 18–16 to secure the title. The closely contested game highlighted the team’s teamwork and poise under pressure, as the Spartans capped off their playoff run with a memorable championship victory for the St. Monica community.