F LY I N G W I T H T H E J AY S
RECORD BREA KER BY MYLES KUSS ’16
alking off the field, Jesuit senior quarterback Jack Larriviere ’22 looked up at the scoreboard one last time and thought his athletic contribution to Jesuit had come to an end. Losing a championship always comes with a mix of emotions— especially for a team’s leader. The emotion of gloom from falling short transforms into gratitude for giving one’s all every step of the way. “It was heartbreaking,” Larriviere said. “It was great to light the fire of hope into the football program, and there were definitely tears of sadness and joy. But, even through the sadness, we all joined together in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs immediately after the game and reflected on the whole season. That was pretty special.” He did not know it at the time, but his prayers of thanksgiving would 42 | J A Y N O T E S | S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 2
guide him on his Jesuit journey. By this time in his career, Larriviere had constantly proven that he could tackle any challenge, and, even more impressively, he seemed to live outside his comfort zone. Whether it was climbing to get closer to achieving Eagle Scout or climbing the stairs to receive his first communion, he has always looked higher than himself and wanted to achieve more. “As far as becoming Catholic goes, I was going to wait until college to fully convert,” Larriviere said until divine inspiration and some words of advice from Jesuit chaplain Fr. Kevin Dyer, S.J., propelled him. “Fr. Dyer played a huge role in the entire process and helped me decide that receiving my first communion at a school Mass would be a beautiful moment for me. He was right, and I was confirmed a week later to complete my initiation into the Catholic Church. Entering a new faith was truly inspiring for me.”
Leaning on that faith, Larriviere once again climbed outside his comfort zone. “Up until sophomore season, I played baseball, so I was always busy,” Larriviere said. “I took some time off to reflect on myself physically and spiritually. My brother threw the javelin at Jesuit, and he said I should try it. I asked coach Rudy, and he gave me a shot.” A shot was all he needed. From the first practice, head track and field coach Rudy Horvath ’86 knew he had a keeper, but he did not realize how unprecedented his journey would be. “I am so glad that I met Jack,” Horvath said. “While I wished that I had met him earlier, he is an impressive kid. In the first meet, he unloaded a 195-foot throw, and his second was 194 and some change. That’s when I knew his first throw was not a fluke.” Larriviere went from barely being
