It was quite a busy weekend for the Wildcats.
Two teams had rivalry matchups, the swimming & diving team hosted its big annual meet, the hockey squad did well in its first showcase of the season, and the basketball team hosted a quadrupleheader.
Plenty of Wildcats stood out this weekend – the young men listed below are only a sampling of them. Read the full recaps from each game to read about more excellent Cats this weekend.
So, without further ado, let's get into the Magis Athletes of the Week, presented by the Carfagna Family Magis Athletic Center:
Basketball – Chase Toppin '20
Chase Toppin is starting to hit his stride, and that's dangerous news for opponents.
The senior led the charge for the Wildcats on Saturday, helping Saint Ignatius run away from Canton McKinley in Sullivan Gym, 75-53.
Toppin orchestrated the offense for the blue and gold, driving to the hoop and distributing the ball. Toppin poured in 14 points, including 8 of the team's 29 first-half points.
Toppin scored 6 points in the second half, but his contributions went beyond points. The savvy point guard found the open man time and time again, helping to set the tone for an offense that passed until it found the open man. Thanks in part to Toppin's help in creating quick chances, the Wildcats outscored the Bulldogs in the second half, 46-23.
Toppin will be a key player for the Wildcats all season. Toppin will look to drop more dimes on Friday, as the Wildcats hit the road to face Cleveland Heights.
Bowling – Mason Cook '22
While the varsity squad struggled against the Eagles, the JV team did experience some success. Part of its glory can be attributed to Mason Cook.
The sophomore tallied a great score in one of his two games as an individual, throwing a 199. That's a varsity level score.
Cook is a hard worker – this outstanding score is the result of countless hours he's spent in the alley honing his craft. Cook is the type of kegler who'll spend the time to get better when no one else is watching.
Along with the rest of the team, Cook participated in Sunday's Labre Ministry. The Wildcats fed our less fortunate friends from the area a Christmas dinner – steak with grilled veggies, along with other goodies.
Cook and the Wildcats return to the lanes on Saturday, facing Westlake at Brookgate Lanes at 9 am.
Hockey – Aidan Millett '20
We could have picked any number of Wildcats from this action-packed weekend. Cam Kurtz and Rory Zawadzki, among others, enjoyed a great weekend.
But the winner from this week, in a close race, was Aidan Millett.
The senior enjoyed a great 4 games at Brooklyn on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A workhouse at forward, Millett always seemed to be creating plays and making magic happen.
Millett scored four goals on the weekend. He started his scoring frenzy with two tallies on Friday night, helping to cement a win over the Pittsburgh Icemen. His first goal came on an incredible tip-in, while the second saw him slide the puck five-hole for a gino.
Millett notched his third of the weekend on Saturday morning. The Bay Village native slotted the puck past the Marquette netminder on a breakaway, setting the lead at 3-0, an insurmountable one for the visitors.
Millett's fourth and final goal might have been his most clutch. The senior finished a beautiful shot against New Trier for a 2-0, the eventual game-winner in a hotly contested matchup on Saturday evening. The Cats won that one, 3-1.
On the season, Millett now has 8 goals, second only to Zawadzki. Millett also has 6 assists on the year, giving him a 14 points, tied for third on the team. Of those 14 points, four have come on the powerplay. The ironman has played in all 12 games.
Millett and the Cats will take some time off before hosting St. Edward on Saturday and University School on Sunday. Tickets for Saturday's rivalry contest will be available the day of the game starting at 9 am. All tickets will be $7, cash only.
Swimming & Diving – Tyler Hong '21
Similarly to hockey, we might have chosen any one of several Wildcats.
But it's tough to pass someone over who set a new meet record.
Tyler Hong did just that on Saturday, becoming the new Viking Meet recordholder in the 200 IM.
Even with the record-breaking effort, Hong needed a Herculean final push to secure the victory in the event. Pete Krusinski of Brecksville-Broadview Heights pushed him hard, with the two battling neck-and-neck down the stretch. In the end, Hong won the victory, clocking in at 1:49.44, besting the Bee by just .5 seconds. Don't carve that time in stone, though – Hong may break it again next year.
Hong also did great work with his teammates in the 200 free relay. The junior combined with Will Van de Walle, Micah Murtha, and John Soeder in the event. Hong helped the Wildcats to win the event with a strong burst of 21.01, doing his part in the win.
Hong and the Cats return to the pool on Friday, hosting Hawken Upper School at Cleveland State's Busbey Natatorium.
Wrestling – Angelo Camargo '23
The future is bright for the Saint Ignatius wrestling program, and Angelo Camargo is one of the reasons why.
The freshman has had an outstanding start to the season and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Camargo's run started a week ago at the Dean Kinley Tournament. Amongst some very good wrestlers, Camargo tallied a runner-up finish at 285 pounds. Then on Thursday, Camargo headed to Lakewood to face the buzzsaw that is St. Edward wrestling. In a heavyweight JV bout, Camargo came out on top. The freshman showed some impressive stuff in his win.
Then to top it all off, Camargo headed to Berkshire High School on Saturday for the Badger Invitational Tournament with the Varsity Blue squad. Again matched up against some solid grapplers, Camargo more than held his own. The first-year Cat placed fourth at the Berkshire Tournament, wrestling quite well.
Look out for Camargo this year at 285 pounds. He'll be a man to watch moving forward.
On behalf of all of us in the Saint Ignatius Athletic Department, have a very Merry Christmas!