Athletics
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By Kevin Kelly '80 LL
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MEN’S TENNIS
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In a school year like no other filled with peaks and valleys due to the impact from COVID-19, few groups provided the consistency that the Marian Catholic men’s tennis squad displayed this spring.
Naaman Reed '21
The team brought a new meaning to the phrase “quality over quantity,” as a varsity roster of eight (a regular tennis lineup) put together an impressive list of accomplishments. Playing against primarily larger schools, the Spartans posted a 13-4 overall mark and tied for second place in the highly-competitive East Suburban Catholic Conference (ESCC). One of the losses came while Marian was short-handed, and two others came to ESCC foes who finished among the top eight teams in the state tournament. “This was an unprecedented season in which COVID-19 affected the number of players on the team,” veteran coach Scott Bodnar explained. “We were able to fill both varsity and JV rosters. Although we did not have extra players, we did not forfeit any positions. We finished the season with a 13-4 record, with several of those wins coming from large suburban 2A public schools.” Success continued in the postseason, as three IHSA State tournament qualifiers led the Spartans to a second-place tie in the Marian IHSA Class 1A Sectional. Junior Ian Tongco represented Marian at state in singles, while the senior doubles duo of Naaman Reed and Sam Kirchner also made the competition.
Sam Kirchner '21
CHEERLEADING Marian Catholic cheerleading scored 90.33 at the IHSA Virtual State Tournament to earn the best finish in program history, 14th place in the Coed Division. The Spartan Cheer squad was one of only 25 schools to qualify for state in the Coed Division after capturing second place at the Oak Forest Sectional.
MARIAN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
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