A memorable 2010-11 Wildcats athletics school year is approaching its stretch run.
After Coach Mike McLaughlin's undefeated state and national champion soccer team highlighted a fall to recall and junior George DiCamillo warmed up the winter months by joining Mike Buddie '89 as the only undefeated OHSAA state wrestling champions in Saint Ignatius history, the corner is preparing for its final spring reports.
As we reported over the weekend, senior captain James Oliver will be representing the blue and gold at the annual state tennis tournament. James qualified out of district competition with a fourth seeding.
The state tennis tournament gets underway on Friday at Hilliard Davidson High School, with play beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday's semifinals and finals will also begin at 9 a.m. For any questions on the tournament, call Manager Ken Kaiser at 614-688-3535.
After brining home another championship at the Lakewood Division I District Meet, Coach Chuck Kyle's track and field team will be looking to repeat as the champion of the Amherst Regional.
Coach Kyle's Wildcats will be sending three relay teams and a strong individual contingent (see district recap below) to Amherst, which begins with qualifying on Wednesday. The finals will be competed on Friday.
The Wildcats' varsity baseball team, which weathered one of the most rain-drenched seasons in the history of Northeast Ohio high school baseball, will wrap up its 2011 swings and pitches this coming week.
Weather permitting (sound familiar), Coach Brad Ganor's team will play Benedictine tomorrow (Monday) at Case Western Reserve University at 4:30 p.m. The season finale will be Wednesday night at 7 in Progressive Field, as the Wildcats take on the Brunswick Blue Devils.
The corner never takes a vacation, so you can rest assure that we will keep you posted all summer on the Wildcats' football mini camps, the Gary Stevens Elite Football Academy, which will be held on Wasmer Field's new turf surface from June 27 though June 30 (see the story posted on May 15), the preseason football practices and scrimmages and, in early August, we will begin our annual fall sports previews.
Just to whet your appetite, Coach McLaughlin '85 and Co. will be hosting the annual Jesuit Tournament and a prestigious national tournament this coming season and yes Jimbo from Hartsville, South Carolina, Coach Kyle '69 and his 2011 Wildcats football team will be taking on the Glenville Tarblooders Week 6 at Byers Field. I hope we can soon return to Hartsville for your wonderful Southeastern Baseball Classic.
HAVE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE DIAMOND AND AT THE AMHERST REGIONAL TRACK MEET.