MATTERS MARIAN - Marian Catholic High School

MCHS HIGHLIGHTS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
4A IHSA STATE CHAMPIONS
On the verge of perfection for most of the season, the
Marian Catholic Women’s Basketball team couldn’t
pick a better time or place to take care of one last piece
of unfinished business.
The Lady Spartans had only one loss, a Christmas
tourney setback to Rolling Meadows, when they
advanced to their first IHSA State Championship
contest since 2001-02. The opponent waiting in the
Class 4A State title game at Illinois State University’s
Redbird Arena was Rolling Meadows.
Facing a one-point deficit in the waning seconds
of the contest, Marian got three shots at the basket.
Sophomore Kauai Bradley made the third time the
charm, as she banked in an eight-footer as time expired
to give Marian Catholic a 48-47 title-game victory.
“The team did a great job representing Marian Catholic and the
girls basketball program,” assessed Marian Head Coach Annie
Byrne, who has led her squad to six Elite 8 IHSA appearances in
eight seasons.
“They played a tough
schedule against highcaliber
competition and were
successful and consistent.
They did not dodge any team
in the state and were up for all
the challenges they had. They
learned time management
to balance academics and
athletics. They grew together
and are a very talented, classy,
and competitive group of
young ladies,” Bryne said.
Ashton Millender ’14, Megan Walsh ’13,
and Kauai Bradley ’15
The team title gave Marian its
third in school history, adding
to 1993 Football (Class 4A)
and 2013 Baseball (Class 3A).
A heart-stopping 54-52 sectional final victory over ESCC rival
Marist paved the way to the crown, as junior Ashton Millender
banked in a 35-footer at the final horn to rescue Marian from a
one-point deficit. Millender’s outstanding season earned her first
Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-State honors, an honor
shared by Spartan sophomore Teniya Page.
In a winter sports season that included a second in State in
IHSA Diving and the best men’s basketball campaign in school
history, the year was capped off by the women’s basketball brilliant
33-1 record that also included a perfect East Suburban Catholic
Conference season.
CHEERLEADING & FENCING
The girls getting pumped for the State Championship game
The Marian Catholic State Championship Women’s Basketball Team
DIVING
Success didn’t end on the hardcourt
for Marian, as sophomore diver Joey
Cifelli posted some record-breaking
scores in qualifying for the IHSA State
meet, then scored 443.60 to earn
second place in state. The feat added
to his 10th place finish freshman year.
The Marian cheerleaders earned a 10th-place finish at the ICCA State
Championships, and fencing captured the most medals ever (three) at the
Great Lakes Championships.
Joey Cifelli ’15 Diving
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