Athletic Letter of Intent Fall Signing Ceremony

On Wednesday, November 10, Loyola Academy Vice President of Athletics and Fitness Genevieve Atwood honored thirteen Rambler student-athletes at the fall National Letter of Intent Signing Day Ceremony. Congratulations to the following student-athletes and their parents!
Field Hockey
Carson Pike, St Louis University
Coach Misty Brady states: "Carson Pike is a captain and leader on our team. She is an NFHCA Academic All-American Scholar of Distinction. She led LAFH in points this season with 11 goals, 6 assists, 91 defensive takeaways. This is her third year on varsity and second time earning IHSFHA All-Conference honors. She is most revered for her insane work ethic. The sweat equity that Carson has put in is undeniable and witnessed by all who know her. Carson will be continuing her field hockey career collegiately at Division l St. Louis University next fall."
 
Bella Thoms, Bryant University
Coach Misty Brady states: "Bella Thoms is a NFHCA Academic All-American who anchored our backfield this season. This is not unique to this season as Thoms has started 53/53 varsity contests in her career. This season she contributed 6 points with 1 goal, 4 assists, a record 198 defensive takeaways. Bella is a captain, a three-year varsity starter and two time IHSFHA All-Conference selection. Her skills make her an elite player, but perseverance and determination to overcome ANY obstacle placed in her way... that's what makes Bella special. Bella will be continuing her field hockey career collegiately at Division l Bryant University next fall."
 

Girls' Lacrosse
Maeve Dwyer, University of Notre Dame
Coach (and grandfather) John Dwyer states: "Maeve excels at every phase of the game from scoring, to defending and also at taking the draw. She had an All-State freshman season, lost a year to COVID and then had a breakout campaign last spring, and was named All State, Academic All-American and All-American, only to be downed by an ACL injury. Her contributions to the team during the remainder of the season and in our playoff run went a long way in helping Loyola complete an undefeated season. She will bring her skills to Notre Dame and Coach Halfpenny and play in the outstanding ACC Conference."
 
Maeve Dooley, Marquette University
Coach John Dwyer states: "Maeve is a four-year varsity player who is a midfielder/defender. She is that rare three-sport athlete who also plays tennis and basketball and brings those skills and athleticism to the lacrosse field.  Maeve was the lone returning pre-COVID starter on a defense that just got better and better and ended up giving up an average of just 4.36 goals per game. She also is an important part of the high scoring Loyola offense. She was named All-State, Academic All-American and All-American.  Coach Black at Marquette said Maeve is the top recruit in her class and she will compete in the Big East Conference."
 
Mary Claire Hendrick, Davidson College
Coach John Dwyer states: "Mary Claire is an athletic midfield/defender and is a two sport athlete who also plays field hockey. MC is a fierce cover defender who took down some of the top rated offensive players in the country last summer in the National High School Championships in Connecticut.  MC is great at communication and sliding and also was a key player in Loyola's 4.36 goals per game defense. She will go on to play for Coach Kim Wayne at Davidson."
 
Alyssa Kawala,  Colorado College
Coach John Dwyer states: "Alyssa is a force on Loyola’s defense and excels at bringing the ball up the field on the clear. She has outstanding coverage skills, slides and communicates very well and her stick skills are very good.  She also plays the backer in the backer zone defense. She was a mainstay on a defense that allowed only 4.36 goals per game.  She will bring her many skills to Colorado Springs to play for Coach Stewart at Colorado College."
 
Adrienne Leone, Davidson College
Coach Dwyer states: "Adrienne is an outstanding two way midfielder who is quick and slashing in her goal scoring ability. She also excels at taking the draw and playing on the draw circle. 'A' is a cool, confident player who is adept at passing, finishing, redefending on Loyola's highly rated defense. ‘A’ was named All-State and Academic All-American. She will take her many skills to Davidson where she will play for Coach Kim Wayne."
 
Claire Mertzlufft, Denison University
Coach John Dwyer states: "Claire is an attacker with a special knack for scoring. She is exceptional at finding the open area and breaking open, especially on back door cuts. Claire had one of the biggest goals in Loyola's drive to the state championship in the sectional championship vs. New Trier, as she buried an 8 meter shot with 2 minutes to go to cut the deficit to 1 goal at 12–11. A two-sport athlete, Claire is also a swimmer. She will play for Coach Amanda Daniels at Denison."
 
 
Softball
Mackenzie Barry, Northern Illinois University
Coach Farrell Fink and Coach Devin Miller state: "Mackenzie has been an indispensable member of the Loyola Academy softball program since her freshman season. Year after year, Mackenzie has put in the dedication to improve her skill set. No matter her role for the day, Mackenzie is always there cheering on the entire team and pumping everyone up. Most importantly, Mackenzie is not only a leader on the field but in the classroom as well. We, as a coaching staff, have had the pleasure to be a small part in Mac's big story. We can’t wait to see the continued success when she attends Northern Illinois University."
 

Boys' Swimming
Andy Kelly, Purdue University
Coach Mike Hengelmann states: "Andy has been the heart and soul of our program. His tremendous attitude, work ethic, energy and passion are contagious. Andy is an incredibly versatile swimmer who excels at every stroke and every distance. Andy was a key member of our 2020 2nd place state team, was on back-to-back state championship 400 free relays and currently has 3 team records. When Andy is not racing, you can hear him enthusiastically cheering on his teammates."
 

Girls' Volleyball
Mia McGrath, Clemson University
Coach Mallory Thelander: "Mia has been a starter on the varsity volleyball team since her sophomore year and is largely responsible for all of the success we have had over the past three years. She may not be the tallest player on our team, but she jumps out of the gym and leads our team in kills. When she steps out on the court, she is extremely focused and has a calm demeanor that sets the tone for everyone else on the team. We will miss her next year but are so excited to see her compete at the next level at Clemson!"
 
Molly Power, Dartmouth College
Coach Mallory Thelander states: "Molly played on varsity volleyball for a few matches her sophomore year and has been a huge contributor to the team throughout both her junior and senior years. She had the second highest number of kills this season and led the team in blocks. There are some big shoes to fill on the team next year! She is a true competitor and we cannot wait to see how much she continues to grow and develop at Dartmouth."

Katie Russell, College of Holy Cross
Coach Mallory Thelander: "Katie was a big contributor to our varsity team this season at the setting position. She always finds ways to challenge herself when she steps out on the court during practices and competitions. We are looking forward to watching her play at Holy Cross next year and are so proud of her!"
Back

Loyola Academy

1100 Laramie Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091-1089  |  847-256-1100
Loyola Academy admits students of any race, color and national origin or ethnic origin.
© Copyright 2020 Loyola Academy