Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The St. Bernard’s Crusaders are champions of the Little 4 in softball after sweeping a doubleheader against Hoopa this week.

By Ray Hamill — A school record breaker, a championship team and a golfer on the verge of claiming a league title feature in our weekly awards.

With the local track and field season winding down and the postseason fast approaching, St. Bernard’s junior Laila Florvilus is beginning to peak.

The Crusaders standout tied the school record in the high jump at a league meet at Fortuna on Wednesday with a jump of 5’ 4”, before breaking that record just two days at the Foothill Top of the State Invitational with a jump of 5’ 5”.

And she wasn’t the only local athlete to impress this week.

In boys golf, Eureka senior Talon Vigil moved four strokes ahead of the field in the race for the 2024 H-DNL title with another victory at the fifth round of league action at Baywood Golf and Country Club on Monday.

Vigil has been the most consistent golfer in the H-DNL this spring and can clinch the championship in the final round of league play this Monday.

Our team of the week, meanwhile, goes to a program that ended a long wait for a conference championship this week.

The St. Bernard’s Crusaders swept a doubleheader against their closest challengers on Friday afternoon, beating the Hoopa Warriors 10-0 and 6-3 and moving three wins clear in the standings with two games remaining.

The Little 4 championship is the first for the team in eight years.

Laila Florvilus in action in Redding on Friday.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Laila Florvilus

St. Bernard’s Track and Field, Junior

With the number of times Florvilus has appeared as one of our athletes of the week this year, the outstanding junior could be in line for our athlete of the year.

Competing in the high jump for the first time this spring, Florvilus has quickly left her mark on the record books.

In addition to breaking the St. Bernard’s school record this week, her jump of 5’ 5” is the third best in the North Coast Section this spring.

She also has the best mark in section in the girls 100 meter hurdles.

Submitted photo

Talon Vigil

Eureka Golf, Senior

No local high school golfer has been as consistent as Vigil this spring.

The Eureka standout has posted five rounds of 77 or better, including a league season-best round of 70 recently at Eureka.

The rest of the league combined has shot a 77 or better just five times.

Vigil will close out an impressive H-DNL campaign at Baywood on Monday, and with the consistency he has shown and a four-stroke lead, he will be tough to stop.

For more on his big week, see Vigil takes four-stroke lead in H-DNL standings with one round to go …

TEAM OF THE WEEK 

St. Bernard’s Softball

The Crusaders ended an eight-year wait by claiming their first Little 4 softball championship since 2016.

The SB girls have lost just once in conference play and secured their fourth L4 doubleheader sweep on Friday.

The team’s three key seniors — Hannah Finck, Aubree Saunderson and Kiara McGinnis — have led the way this spring and will relish the title after placing second to Hoopa in each of the past two seasons.

Head coach Brian Finck has also done an outstanding job with the team this year.

For more on their big week, see CHAMPIONS! — Crusaders end eight-year wait for Little 4 title …