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Irish Independent
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Dundalk IT name Lennon Cup All Stars Award winners
The Lennon Cup, established in 1971 in honour of Brendan Lennon, remains a cornerstone of youth GAA in the region. Ardee Community School won the Lennon Cup last December beating De La Salle 0-7 to 0-6 in a gripping match held in DkIT. The Marist team came out victorious to win the Shield competition with a 1-09 to 0-10 win over local rivals Coláiste Rís. As sponsors of the All-Star teams for both the Cup and the Shield competitions, DkIT was delighted to present each selected player with a commemorative DkIT jersey - a symbol of their hard work, skill, and dedication. The jerseys were presented by former All-Star winners and current DkIT students Cormac McKeown and DD Reilly. Both of these players played a key role in the recent Leinster U20 Championship success. The event was hosted by Aoife Gregory (DkIT GAA Development Officer) and other guest speakers on the night included Dalton McNamee (sports reporter and DkIT GAA stats analyst), Sean McClean (Louth GAA Chairperson) and Colin Heaphy (Louth Schools Chairperson). Congratulations to all the Lennon Cup and Shield All Stars, and especially to Shane Lennon of De La Salle, who was named Player of the Tournament for his standout performance at full forward. Lennon Cup All Stars Senon Connolly – De La Salle; Daniel Craven – De La Salle; Luke Shevlin – De La Salle; Keelin Martin – Ardee Community College; Andy Murphy – Ardee Community College; Donnacha Skinnader – St Joseph's Secondary School, Drogheda; Ciaran Russel – Ardee Community College; Rian Devlin – De La Salle; Ryan Shevlin – Ardee Community College; Pearse Murphy Grimes – De La Salle; Shane Lennon – De La Salle (Player of the Tournament); Donal Mc Ardle – De La Salle; Sean Flynn – Ardee Community College; Josh Taffee – Ardee Community College; Cormac Lundon – Ardee Community College. Lennon Shield All Stars Adam Cassidy – St Mary's College (Marist); Jake Young – Scoil Uí Mhuirí; Cian Farrell – St. Mary's College (Marist); Ben McKeown – St. Mary's College (Marist); Michael O'Brien – Coláiste Rís; Patrick O'Connell – Coláiste Rís; Sean Hoey – Coláiste Rís; Finn Carter – Coláiste Rís; Ruairi Carpenter – St. Mary's College (Marist); Oisin Reidy – St. Mary's College (Marist); Adam Dullaghan – St. Mary's College (Marist); TJ Molloy – Scoil Uí Mhuirí; Brendan Cassidy – Scoil Uí Mhuirí; Kayden Fisher – St. Mary's College (Marist); Aaron Donnelly – Coláiste Rís.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Abby Brueggmann embraces role as ace pitcher to help Lincoln-Way West shut down Andrew. ‘I get pumped.'
Lincoln-Way West pitcher Abby Brueggmann spent a lot of time jumping, pointing and shouting during the biggest game of her varsity career. In all instances, the junior right-hander had the biggest smile. It was all about the girls behind her, who played errorless ball Friday from start to finish. 'The energy was crazy,' Brueggmann said. 'I was just celebrating my teammates. Some of those balls could have been hits and they made every play. 'When they take away a hit from someone, I get pumped for them.' All of them were pretty pumped for her after the Warriors defeated the host Thunderbolts 2-0 in the Class 4A Andrew Regional championship game in Tinley Park. Brueggmann reached base twice, scored a run and tossed a three-hit shutout to pace Lincoln-Way West (23-11). Kaylea Armstrong added two hits, while Paige Seivert also reached twice and made the defensive play of the game. Ana Cisek came through with two hits for Andrew (21-13). The Warriors scored both of their runs in the second inning. Madi Lukasik was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, while North Carolina State recruit Reese Rourke drove in the other run with a fielder's choice grounder. Brueggmann, meanwhile, was brilliant in the circle. She struck out three without a walk. None of the runners she allowed got past second base. No one appreciated her performance more than Rourke, who's an ace pitcher herself but will be playing in college as a shortstop. 'Abby has been throwing great this whole season,' Rourke said. 'The best part (Friday) was the energy she brought the whole team. Every first-pitch strike, we all looked at each other and got hyped for her. 'She just really brings the infield together and sets the tone for the game.' Perhaps Brueggmann's biggest shoutout went to Seivert after her highlight-reel play in center field in the top of the second. Seivert played a long drive by Clare Hester perfectly off the fence and threw her out at second base. It helped the Warriors advance to a 4:45 p.m. Tuesday semifinal in the Lockport Sectional against Lincoln-Way Central (33-1), a 10-0 winner in five innings over Homewood-Flossmoor. 'I don't even know what happened,' Seivert said. 'I just remember at practice we work so hard on the fence balls, getting the ball in. We just work so hard and I want to see it come out on the field.' Seivert's heroics resulted in quite a swing in emotions by Brueggmann. 'Yeah, I was kind of mad that I gave up the hit,' Brueggmann said, laughing. 'Then I saw Paige make that throw and I got so excited.' Brueggmann (12-6) has been a revelation during the second half of the season. She has 116 strikeouts and just 26 walks in 113 innings. Her breakout game came April 25 in a 1-0 loss to Marist. She didn't allow a hit through the first six innings. 'It definitely was a confidence boost,' Brueggmann said. 'I was expecting to pitch that day, but I wasn't the main starter on our team. I was a little nervous because Marist is a great team. 'I wasn't expecting perfection, I just went out there and did my best.' Lincoln-Way West coach Heather Novak has used Brueggmann as the main pitcher ever since. 'In that game, that outing, she showed her ability to attack hitters, to get those swings and misses, to get those outs,' Novak said. 'From there, she has really continued to grow as a pitcher.' She's ready for the moment. 'This is definitely the year,' Brueggmann said. 'I struggled last season and the year before and didn't have much confidence. I've been working on my mental game to stay calm, stay cool. 'I can get past tense moments now. It really helps to know that coach has confidence in me.'
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Evergreen Park student overcomes dyslexia, brings home state writing award
When Brooklyn Reyna, of Evergreen Park, discovered she'd earned top honors in the writing competition Letters about Literature, her first thought wasn't the $200 prize or statewide recognition. Rather, it was recognition of the obstacles she had overcome. 'I was super surprised and I was really excited,' said Reyna, a sophomore at Marist High School in Chicago. 'It means a lot to me winning it because I've struggled with dyslexia and reading my whole life.' Reyna, who was diagnosed with dyslexia when she was in second grade, said reading is a challenge for her. 'Winning this competition showed me that if I really want something, I can put my mind to it and overcome my struggles.' She collected her $200 cash prize and plaque from Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias for winning the Level III state competition May 21 at a ceremony in Springfield. English teacher John Gonczy and her parents, Tyrone and Katie Reyna, were there to cheer her on. Gonczy was awarded a certificate as well, and the Marist library received $100. Reyna and the state winners in the Level I and Level II were invited to read their letters aloud. 'My mom and my dad were really proud of me. My mom cried. She knew how much it meant to me,' Reyna shared. 'My siblings are super proud of me too – we had a dinner.' Her teacher Gonczy is proud, too, saying he was 'absolutely floored' she took the state's top honor. 'I was so pleased when I got the phone call' from the contest representative in Springfield, he said. 'Never in a million years did I think she was calling me to tell us one of our students won. It was a marvelous, marvelous surprise.' The award is a recognition of Reyna's hard work, he said. 'I think that this is going to go a long way to reminding her that she is an extremely capable person, and it will motivate her to continue to do excellently in the future,' Gonczy shared. 'And I'm happy with the rest of the school because they see that one of their own can do this.' Reyna's submission was one of 503 essays entered by students in ninth to 12th grades in the Letters About Literature contest, which invites youths to write a letter to the author of a book that has changed their view of themselves of the world. It's sponsored by the Illinois secretary of state and the state librarian, as well as the Illinois Center for the Book. She chose to reflect on the graphic memoir 'Numb to This' by Kendra Nelly, which took her four days to read. 'In my letter, I wrote about my own experiences with gun violence and how these connect to the main character, Kendra,' Reyna shared. 'It's inspiring how she overcame her struggles, the aftermath of the trauma she went through, even though she wasn't in danger anymore.' The book's not an easy one, Gonczy said. 'This was an assignment that was a tough thing to read because it's about a school shooting, and she was able to connect it to personal experience, which breaks my heart,' he said. 'And my two finalists, they also did a really good job with connecting something they read with something personal. These are not easy things to write about.' Other Marist students earning finalist recognition in the competition were sophomores Melanie Martinez and Kallen Spalliero. Honorable mentions went to sophomores Jaiden Burden, Elizabeth Casey, Briggs Corona, Michael Cushing, Moira Daly, Davy Gray, Caroline Gutrich, Mae Parisi, Fabian Peralta, Marqui Steel and Leah Treacy and juniors Ronan Carmody, Hannah Noonan and Mariano Angel. Gonczy, who's been teaching for 30 years, has students in his classes write letters for the competition as an assignment, and he chooses which to submit to the contest. 'We've been doing this for years. We've fared very well but never had a (state) winner before.' Receiving outside validation really helps students, he said. 'I can tell you that when these kids receive these certificates at any level, it says to them, to the world, that this student was able to read this and write intelligently about the literature and was recognized by the state government,' Gonczy shared. 'It's concrete evidence that they did a good job reading and internalizing. I can give them good grades, but when an outside entity recognizes them… It's just awesome. It's very gratifying.' Marist librarian Kristy Rademacher also aids with the assignment, providing a list of books on the Abraham Lincoln book list for young people. Gonczy includes the assignment every year as a way to combat the many screens that vie for students' attention. 'I think it's increasingly important that we present kids with opportunities to read longer works because the digital age is definitely affecting their attention spans. It's really vital, especially because we're a college prep school, and we know when they go to college they need to sustain their attention,' he said. 'I want students to have the stamina to read and reflect intelligently on what they read.' The ability to read and comprehend is essential, he said. 'I hope that everyone … will take away just how important it is that we encourage younger people to find books that are interesting to them, that resonate with them and read them from start to finish. To hang in there and do it because it's a skill that they desperately need to enjoy greater success in all walks of life.' The assignment has sparked something in Reyna. 'I want to continue to write and have a career that involves writing,' she shared. 'What initially sparked my interest in writing was when I joined journalism freshman year. What also made me very interested in reading and writing is my English teacher, Mr. Gonczy. He always makes his classes very enjoyable, and I look forward to going to his class every day.' Melinda Moore is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Andrew Speh makes call, hits homer in 11th inning as Stagg stuns Marist. Destination? ‘Taking it over the wall.'
Senior shortstop Andrew Speh predicted the exact sequence of events for Stagg. Before adding to his personal highlight reel, Speh relayed his thoughts to junior reliever John Skordas — saying exactly how his 11th inning at-bat was going to turn out for the Chargers. 'He threw me a first pitch curveball my previous time up,' Speh said of Marist's pitcher while describing the lead-up to his dramatic ending. 'I've gotten that from lefties the whole year. 'I told John, 'If he throws me a curveball, I'm swinging at the first pitch and taking it over the wall.'' Move over, Nostradamus. Speh followed up his words with action, hitting a two-run homer to lift the host Chargers to a 9-7 upset Thursday in a Class 4A Stagg Regional semifinal in Palos Hills. Senior catcher Brody Jeffers totaled three hits, three runs and two RBIs for the 12th-seeded Chargers (9-27), who play at 10 a.m. Saturday against second-seeded Lincoln-Way West (28-7) for the regional title. Sophomore infielder Dominic Talaga also drove in two runs. Junior starting pitcher Ryan Lawlor knocked in three runs and sophomore outfielder Tommy Hosty hit a two-run homer for seventh-seeded Marist (20-14-1). Batting leadoff, Speh took full advantage of his extended opportunities. He finished 3-for-6 with three runs and three RBIs. On the winning homer, Speh launched that first pitch to center. And he was pumped up afterward. 'How you picture Andrew is how he is,' said Skordas, who pitched the final six innings and struck out nine, offsetting eight hits. 'He got the adrenaline super high for everyone with that home run. 'He's the best teammate imaginable. He's there for you when you make your worst plays and he's there when you make your best plays.' Skordas then struck out the side in the 11th, including the final two batters as Marist stranded runners at first and second. It came after the RedHawks rallied from three different deficits. Jeffers acknowledged the two-run cushion allowed the Chargers to breathe and relax even as Marist, which came back by scoring a tying run in the seventh, was threatening again. 'Seeing the ball fly over the fence in a moment like that was amazing,' Jeffers said of Speh's homer in the top half of the inning. 'He's been one of my best friends for four years now. 'He just has this ability to pick everybody up, even if he's not having his best game.'' It was Speh's fourth homer of the season. 'I never had more than one home run in a season until this year,' he said. 'I've definitely gotten stronger throughout the year. I haven't won a playoff game in all three years I've been on the varsity. This is the coolest moment I've had. 'I couldn't have asked to do it with a better team.' Speh also shared the moment with his younger brother, Evan, a sophomore center fielder. Andrew, a year-round athlete, is a standout hockey player for the Orland Park Vikings. He's set to attend Minnesota, with the goal of playing junior hockey at the club level for two years as the necessary progression to make the Golden Gophers' team. A defenseman in hockey, Speh is the Chargers' defensive anchor at shortstop. 'We had a neighbor who played hockey, so I grew up playing that,' Speh said. 'My parents always said I was better at baseball growing up. 'I could never let go of hockey. It's fast, physical and just so mentally tough.' The mental demands of both sports have paid huge dividends, especially dealing with adversity. Facing the prospect of playing his final baseball game, Speh wasn't going to give an inch. 'Nobody thought we were going to win this game,' Speh said. 'They didn't even throw their best guy against us. You can't beat this, extra innings, at home, and we were the lower seed. 'We just knew we were going to win this game.'
Otago Daily Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Marist goal kicking the difference
In Southland club rugby on Saturday the Eastern Northern Barbarians suffered a disappointing 23-19 loss to a fired-up Marist team at Miller St in Invercargill. The Barbarians outscored Marist three tries to two but Scott Eade's goal kicking proved to be the difference for Marist. Marist coach Derek Manson was proud to see how well his team fronted up after a challenging couple of weeks. "We had plenty to play for, everybody put in a hell of a shift. "It was a good showing from the Barbarians as well. They were as motivated as we were." Barbarians hooker Liam Ferguson scored two tries to give the visitors a 12-10 lead at halftime. Marist built a lead in the second half before Barbarians wing Banuve Dretiverata scored to close the gap to 23-19 late in the game. Banuve almost scored the match-winner but for a big tackle from Marist's Curtis Tarrant. In the division one competition on Saturday, the Riversdale-Waikaka Vikings came away from Bluff with three crucial competition points after earning a 29-all draw. Centre Hayden Stephen was the Vikings best and scored one of his team's four tries. Lock Jarrod Lindsay and openside Andrew Harrex were two of the other top performers. Pioneer earned a 25-17 win down at Tokanui. The heat of the afternoon tested the stamina of both teams. The only first half points came from a well deserved converted try to Pioneer's Reece Soper. The second half saw a change of fields when a Pioneer player was injured. Pioneer patiently put together phases of play, largely through aggressive carries by Khan Wilson and James Matheson. The Pioneer scrum and lineout operated smoothly Man of the match was blindside Mitch Hamilton. Second five-eighth Tane Holland also impressed his followers while captain Damon Hurley led by example from No8. Edendale beat Te Anau 64-5. Te Anau travelled down to Edendale with their 22 men and gave it their all. Edendale's utility player Phillip Brown scored two tries on Saturday to bring his career try-scoring total for Edendale to 100. No8 Eruera Takurua was the best of the locals, with lock Alex Burgess and left wing Noah Monson also impressive. There was a big crowd on hand for "Club Day" at Wyndham. Supporters enjoyed the junior rugby followed by the veterans grade with Albion winning 24-22 over their Wyndham counterparts in the curtain raiser match. In the main event, Wyndham maintained their unbeaten record in division one by beating Albion 32-20. Albion fought hard throughout the game. After a brilliant day of club rugby and socialising, Wyndham halfback Luke Caldwell was named man of the match, midfielder Luke Bryson also excelled in the conditions and scored one of Wyndham's five tries. Blindside Sam McMillan had a high work-rate, as did his opposite number for Albion, Cole Birse. Lock Jack Cochrane and wing Macy Scoles also played well for the visitors. Openside Bradley McFaul played his 100th game for Albion. The Albion women's team beat the Marist-Midlands combined team 36-17 in Winton on Saturday. Perhaps the biggest achievement last week by the Queens of Albion was successfully hosting a Pink Ribbon Brunch where they raised almost $2000 for the cause. Chief organisers were Jamie O'Neill and her team of premier women and the participants from the senior side. Pioneer women's team was soundly beaten on their home track by the imposing Star team 66-10. Mataura men lost their division three match 56-22 in Queenstown to Wakatipu's second team. By John Langford
