Graduation 2006~ - Marian Catholic High School

POPULARITY BOOMING FOR LACROSSE PROGRAMS
Coach Mike McCormick (left) huddles with the varsity men’s lacrosse team.
Melissa Gergel ’07 admires her name on the marquis before
winning second place at state.
The land on the west end of campus that Marian Catholic cultivated
in the last few years certainly has gone to good use.
On many spring afternoons, one could camp out on the refurbished
Spartan Stadium press box and view as many as eight to 10 practices or
competitions. One major reason for all of the spring athletic activity is
the explosion in lacrosse interest.
With the women’s program completing its first full campaign, the men
just finished their third season, as the roster size has swelled near 75.
“It’s the fastest growing high school sport in the country,” according to
Marian lacrosse founder and men’s coach Mike McCormick. “You don’t
need to be big to compete. Players come in all shapes and sizes. They just
need to be athletic, tough, and willing to give their all. There are plenty
of young men who fit that bill at Marian.”
Marian’s men didn’t just compete in 2006. The young Spartan
program jumped to a 9-0 season start and eventually earned the top seed
in the Lacrosse Cup playoffs. Marian (10-4) eventually dropped a
playoff decision to Lake Zurich, but with three levels and so many
participants, the season was clearly a success.
“Although myself and the team were disappointed with the loss, coaches,
parents and players alike were all pleased with what has been
accomplished thus far,” McCormick assessed. “Even more exciting is that
everyone associated with the program is looking forward to the future.
“The players all fell in love with the game. Another reason for the sport
taking off at Marian is the camaraderie of the players and support they
give each other. Because it is new to them and the school, they are all
committed to making lacrosse an important part of Marian Catholic’s
athletic program. Because of that commitment, the sport has grown from
a novelty to a viable program in a short period of time.
“Lacrosse would not be possible at Marian without the parents. Since
it is a club, it is self-funded. Most parents were unfamiliar with the game
until recently. Purchasing equipment and paying dues isn’t cheap, but
parents stepped up because their sons showed such interest. Without
funds for refs, busses, uniforms and equipment, the program would have
never gotten off the ground.”
While younger than the men’s program, the women’s squad also
continues to grow in popularity and had more than 50 participants for
two teams this year. The other interesting aspect of lacrosse is that it
mixes players with experience along with those who are completely new
to the sport.
Put all of those factors together and you find Marian Catholic at the
forefront of the South Suburbs’ most exciting emerging sports.
In women’s track, three straight state titles for Casey Taylor ’05 was a
tough act to follow. While Taylor’s talents moved on to the University of
Michigan for a track scholarship, junior Melissa Gergel proved to follow
in the footsteps very well.
A ninth-place finisher in the Class AA pole vault as a sophomore,
Gergel qualified for the 2006 state meet and her effort of 12 feet, 6
inches was good for second place in the state. Meanwhile, junior Jenn
Borowczak was a state qualifier in one of Taylor’s event, the long jump.
The women’s track team also captured its second straight East
Suburban Catholic Conference championship.
Men’s track saw a trio of state qualifiers, including another pole vault
standout. Sophomore Mitchell Erickson was 19th in the state in the pole
vault and junior Adam Brzeszkiewicz was 32nd in the state in the 800-
meter run. Senior John Walter, who qualified for state in cross country
as a junior, captured 21st place this spring in the mile run.
The senior, junior, sophomore act was also duplicated in men’s tennis,
where state qualifiers included sophomore Tim Stanis and the doubles
team of Cameron Ruiz (junior) and Luke Coughlan (senior).
FORENSICS: 16 TO NATIONALS
The spring also brought great news in the fine arts arena, as the
Marian Forensics team qualified 16 performers for the Catholic
Forensics Grand Nationals in Chicago. Marian was the lone school
from Illinois to advance students to the finals round, as Craig
Dettmann ’07 and Alex Stoterau ’07 captured 13th in the nation in
Duo Interpretation and Michael Whittaker ’07 was 25th in the
nation in Extemporaneous Speaking.
“This was an extraordinary record,” moderator Tom Sweeney said
of his group, which also completed a second straight perfect season in
the Chicago Catholic Forensics League. “This brings great fame to
the Chicago Catholic League, as well as to Marian Catholic. It’s great
news in a very competitive national field.”
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