The news hit like a blow to the gut.
Because of declining enrollment and a worsening economy, Loretto High School, a parochial all-girls high school that opened in 1955, will close in June.
"It looked like a funeral picking up the girls (Tuesday)," Doug Noda said. His daughter Ashley, 14, is a Loretto freshman and one of the area's top prep golfers.
"They were all crying," he said of the students. "Ashley is still crying. These girls were devastated."
Athletic director and teacher Brian Seymour said the news, announced at a Tuesday morning assembly, came as a surprise.
"It was a shock to all involved - the staff, the kids, the parents," said Seymour, the school's athletic director since 1993. "It was a tough one to swallow. There weren't too many dry eyes in the building."
Although a school of 389 students - down from 560 three years ago - the Lions have been competitive in the Capital Athletic League the last three years and the Capital Valley Conference two seasons before as they competed against larger-enrollment public schools.
Seymour said Loretto has won six Sac-Joaquin Section championships, 17 CAL titles and 10 CVC banners. It has been a power in golf and tennis, and last season's basketball team (24-6) set a school record for wins and finished as CAL tri-champions with Bella Vista and El Camino.
Ashley Noda, a Roseville resident, was an example of the type of student-athlete Loretto has attracted in recent years.
She was the first Loretto player to qualify for the California Interscholastic Federation state golf championship as an individual and led the Lions to the CAL and section D-III titles and a runner-up finish to St. Francis in the Masters Tournament.
Noda, who lives across the street from Woodcreek High School, also considered attending higher-profile St. Francis, which has won nine CIF Northern California golf championships.
"When she made the decision, it wasn't for golf," Doug Noda said. "She fell in love with the girls and teachers. (Loretto) was a lot warmer to her."
Seymour said he already has assurances from the section that those who transfer to new schools next fall immediately will be eligible to compete in athletics.
Section commissioner Pete Saco hopes the decision to close Loretto isn't the start of a trend among the 169 schools he oversees.
"I was surprised to hear the news because the school has been in existence so long," Saco said. "But they're dealing with the same issues of many public and private schools in this suffering economy. I could see this having a domino effect, especially for the small private schools in our section."
Despite the announced closure, Seymour expects Loretto to field swimming, diving, softball, soccer and track and field teams this spring.
"We'll move forward," he said.
Call The Bee's Bill Paterson, (916) 326-5506. The Bee's Steve Pajak contributed to this report.
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