March 23, 2016 // Uncategorized

Marian spring sports preview

Todays Catholic

By Trish Linner

The spring season of sports is upon us and with unseasonably warm weather, most teams are getting a jump on outside practices. Coaches and players are gearing up to put that practice to good use and are looking forward to winning seasons ahead.

Girls’ Track

Dave Walsh returns for his fifth season as head coach of girls’ track. “The team is off to a good start,” said Walsh. “We have a talented group of athletes who have begun to train for the upcoming season. The team displays the talent and has the work ethic to be successful.”

The team returns many veterans in key roles. Seniors Dinuka Cooray and Mallory Spiess return as veteran hurdlers. Seniors Tori Micola and Abbey Kaser, along with sophomore Grace Dennis are returning veterans in the shot and discus. Junior Mary Costello is a veteran hurdler who focuses on the 300m hurdles. Costello has also shifted from high jump to pole vault and is making excellent progress in that demanding event. Other returning juniors include Claire Fewell, and junior Maddie McTigue who was the most valuable runner in cross country last fall. Also returning are sophomores Emma Kearns, Hannah Majewski, and Hannah Stein. All three were on the regional qualifying 4x800m relay team last year. The team is also fortunate to have many new freshmen who have the ability to add to the team’s success.

Walsh is confident in the strong nucleus of returning veterans and talented group of new athletes to compete well in the NIC conference and hopefully into the state tournament.

Girls’ Lacrosse

Coach Kent Smith will lead the first year of girls’ lacrosse at Marian. “In the past we were combined with Saint Joseph as one team. We are fortunate to have several returning players from that squad,” said coach Smith. “I believe the senior leadership and the strength of the underclassman will provide a strong balanced team.”

Senior night will feature a match between Marian and Saint Joseph. “It will be a tough game and bittersweet rivalry for the girls that played together with Saint Joseph for several years,” noted coach Smith.

Practices are going well so far and with the good weather the team is trying to get some outdoor time on their field. Coach Smith is confident in his new team. “We have a very strong defense and I am looking forward to seeing how these girls gel as a team,” Smith said.

Girls’ Tennis

Coach Dan Tryniecki begins his tenure as the girls’ tennis coach this season.

“I enjoy the team spirit and positive atmosphere. I am optimistic about our team even though we are young with only two returning letter winners,” said coach Tryniecki.

Anna Garatoni and Gina Tordi are players to watch this season and coach Tryniecki expects them to contribute to the team’s success. Five players will move up to the varsity team this season and practices are well under way. The NIC will provide tough conference play for the young team but the girls are ready and excited to start playing.

Boys’ Golf

Coach Michael Davidson begins his first season as head coach of the boys’ golf team. The team reached the regionals last season with one player going to the state finals and Davidson is confident they will once again be competitive in the challenging NIC conference.

The team will be led by seniors Augie Hartnagel, Cameron Trippel, Gus Horvath, Zach Stopczynski, Justin Himelick, Christian Verstraete and Nick Rothbauer. “Our seniors will provide leadership as well as a competitive atmosphere among the players,” said coach Davidson. A solid junior class will also be vying for varsity playing time.

“We aim to represent Marian High School with class and dignity out on the golf course while working together towards our goal of winning a championship,” coach Davidson concluded.

Boys’ Rugby

Coach Larry Daher is looking forward to a strong season for the Rugby team. “We are returning 17 seniors and 12 starters this year with a great deal of experience and athleticism,” said coach Daher. Last season the team had a positive record and they would like to improve on that with even more wins this year. Players PJ Ernst, Dominic Matthys, Michael Nolan and Evan Ridenour are all expected to lead the team and contribute to their success. “Our goal is to play for the state championship and should be able to do so if the kids work hard and play as a team,” said coach Daher.

Boys’ Lacrosse

Coach Shawn Bays will lead the boys’ lacrosse team this season. He comes to Marian after coaching for five years at the travel and middle school level. His last season as the head coach at St. Anthony saw his team go 10-1 and win both the ICCL and NILA championships.

“We have 14 returning lettermen with 8 new players that will add to our midfield and attack lines. They will play a key role on the team,” said coach Bays. “The majority of our roster have now played for 4-6 years either on travel teams or grade school programs like the ICCL. That is a big difference.”

Saint Joseph and Penn will be highlights of the season because of their rich history, size and dedication but schools like Chatard, Guerin Catholic and Snider will also test the team’s abilities. “I want our players to compete every day and want to grow as a player to the next level. I want players who play with their heart and will be willing to leave it all on the field,” coach Bays concluded.

Boys’ Baseball

Coach Joe Turnock returns for his fourth season as head varsity coach. He is looking forward to the new season with some new competition. “The NIC conference has expanded this year so we will be seeing some new teams on our schedule this season. We expect the NIC to be a very competitive conference,” said coach Turnock.

The team has nine varsity players returning from last year’s 15-11 squad and coach Turnock has high expectations. Leading the team will be pitcher senior Nate Thomas, second baseman senior Kyle Hall and shortstop junior Riley Tirotta. Senior Gavin Verslype will anchor the corner outfield with senior Joe Ravotto anchoring the infield. Coach Turnock also expects juniors Alex Zarazee, Bryce Tomasi and Alex Crum to contribute significantly to the team. Six new players will join the varsity squad this season.

With the weather cooperating, the team has been able to get outdoors early, which coach Turnock believes is a big positive for the team. “The players are excited and ready to go,” he concluded.

Boys’ Track

Coach Santiago J. Bosque or coach Boz as he is known, returns for his third year leading the track team. “Our goal is to win some meets, and improve our speed and strength. We have had limited success, but we are looking to improve with experience and hard work,” said coach Boz.

The team is led by senior captains Alex Mroz, Jacob Imus and Christian Dennis. Seniors Nick Pingel, Dominic Rulli, Collin Martin, Paul Dieringer, Collin Linner and newcomer Paul Burmeister will also provide leadership and success. Other team members are juniors and a large contingency of sophomores. Freshman James Song will also join the varsity squad.

“While track is somewhat of an individual sport, it takes the effort of the whole for the team to have success. With the help of assistant coaches Rob Carrasco and Russ Morris, all of our athletes should see improvement in themselves,” said coach Boz.